Team Challenge Read Free

the dressage.”
    Bombshell!
    “What? Why not?” exploded Bean.
    “Oh, well, get this,” Dee whined. “She says we’ve got too many top shows to go to. Says it will ruin Dolly’s chances. Says she’s hoping we’ll qualify for the Horse of the Year Show.”
    “But—” began Bean.
    “No buts!” interrupted Katy, doing an uncanny impersonation of Dee’s mom and sticking her hand up, palm toward us. “Subject closed!”
    “Jeez, Dee,” I said, “can’t you do something?”
    Dee rolled her eyes. “What do you think? It’s all right for you. Your mom isn’t horsey. You know how much I hate being dragged off to shows every weekend. I’d rather be having fun with all of you. My mom’s made it clear that while she’s paying the bills, she’ll have the last say. I never get to have any fun on Dolly. I just wish she was an ordinary pony, like all of yours.”
    “Excuse me?” cried Katy, her hackles rising.
    “Oh, you know what I mean!” moaned Dee, lost in self-pity.
    I sucked in my cheeks. Dee’s mom Sophie is a showing fanatic and used to getting her own way. She has her own show horse, a liver chestnut called Lester (with some fancyshmancy show name) and their horse trailer is probably bigger than the house I live in with my mom. And Sophie is the sort of horsey woman who won’t take no for an answer. Pooh! I was getting super excited about this competition. Now we seemed to have failed before we’d even begun.
    “You’re reprieved then,” I heard Drummer say to Dolly.
    “Yes.” Dolly sighed. “And I was so looking forward to spending more time with you, handsome,” she added, batting her eyelashes at my bay pony.
    I told you, didn’t I?
    “Maybe we’ll all get out of it.” Tiffany sounded hopeful.
    “Bet we’re not that lucky!” Drummer groaned.
    “But what about me? What am I supposed to do all summer?” moaned Dee, picking flaking green paint off Dolly’s door with her fingernail.
    “Don’t worry about that,” Katy said brightly, smiling at Dee. “When you’re not qualifying for HOYS you can be the team groom.”
    “Oh, big deal!” exclaimed Dee, flicking her brown hair and storming off in a huff to the barn.
    “How about James?” Katy suggested. “He might be on our team.”
    “Cat and Leanne have already bagged him,” I said.
    “We have to find someone,” Bean wailed, jumping off Tiffany. Tiff woke up with a start, suddenly alert to any tigers or crocodiles or wolf packs that could be lurking—like they do around a stable yard.
    “We will!” I said grimly. “We just have to!”

Chapter 2
    D espite our depleted team, we began to practice for the Sublime Equine Challenge. At least, Katy and Bean did. I just sat about wondering what on earth Drummer and I could do for the wild card event. What would the judges be expecting? I couldn’t get my head around it—whatever could we do that was different and exciting? I couldn’t let Katy and Bean down.
    I explained the concept to Drummer.
    “Why can’t we just do the show jumping?” he said.
    “Because Bean and Tiff have claimed it.”
    “Well, ask if we can do the cross-country. I can do that— if I have to.”
    “Bluey’s doing it. He’ll die of disappointment if anyone else does it, and he’s way, way better at it than anyone else.”
    “Well, I could just about manage the dressage, I suppose,” said Drum in his best martyr voice.
    Of course! Now Dee was out, perhaps Drum and I could grab the dressage slot. I thought hard. Dressage isn’t our best thing, really. To be honest, we’re not great at anything in particular, but we are sort of passable at everything—you know, we get by and win the odd ribbon. We’d probably do a better dressage test than a pathetic wild card routine, I thought.
    I found Bean in the outdoor school, putting Tiffany over a few jumps. Katy was doing the groom bit—charging around and changing the height of the poles. She was a bit red in the face, which clashed with her