Team Challenge Read Free Page A

red hair. The effect was sort of a raspberry topped with grated carrot. I didn’t think she’d thank me for telling her, so I kept it to myself.
    “Me and Drum really want to do the dressage!” I shouted from the gate. I decided it would be better to be positive about the dressage, rather than negative about the wild card event. To be honest, I didn’t like my chances much in either. Katy stopped in mid-stride and frowned.
    “Oh, OK. We just need a wild card person now,” she said. “Hey, Bean, you almost ran me over!”
    “Well, you’re in the way!” wailed Bean, hurtling toward the next jump, her long blond braid flying out behind her like a tail. I couldn’t help noticing Tiffany’s peculiar jumping style: between jumps she cantered around all collected, looking every inch the show jumper. Then, three strides away from the jump, she stuck her head in the air, launched herself forward like a rocket, and took off almost straight up, like a Harrier Jump Jet. Upon landing again, she resumed her rocking horse canter and melt-in-the-mouth expression. Weird!
    I could hear her muttering to herself as she did it: “Oh, there’s the jump…OK…here we go…it’s a big one…
I can do it!
Oh, no, I can’t…maybe…yikes…
Yes!!!
”
    “How do you stay on when she does that?” I asked.
    “Does what?” asked Bean airily, as Tiffany did her rocket-launcher-jump-jet impersonation over the planks with a grunt. I supposed Bean was used to it.
    I went and told Drummer the good news. He was dozing with his head in the far corner of his stable.
    “So we’re doing the tip-tuppy thing now?” he said, not bothering to turn around.
    “If the tip-tuppy thing is Drummer-speak for dressage, then yes,” I told him.
    “Oh, good, I can sleep through that,” he said, yawning. “I don’t suppose…”
    “What?”
    “There’s an eating category? I’m sure to win that.”
    “You’re right there, fatso!” I told him. “In fact, I think I need to cut down your grazing hours. I may keep you in at nights for a while until the grass dies down a bit.”
    “
What?
” yelled Drummer, swinging around to face me. “Are you
joking?
I hardly eat anything. I barely manage to scrounge enough out there in the field at night by the time Tiffany and that pig Henry have lawn-mowered their way around. It’s a wonder I’ve not been reported to the authorities, I’m so starved.”
    Henry is a hefty, bad-tempered Dales pony who belongs to an ancient old lady called Mrs. Bradley. I didn’t doubt he was a bit of a pig, but Tiffany never carries any weight— she and Bean are both identical in the skinny department. I decided to move the conversation on.
    “We need a final team member, so put your thinking cap on.”
    “James and Moth,” said Drummer.
    “Oh, why didn’t I think of that?” I said sarcastically. “Oh, wait a minute, I know—because he’s been commandeered by Cat and Leanne!”
    “Pippin?” Drum asked, doubtfully. I gave him a look. Pippin is tiny, and his rider, Bethany, is just a kid.
    “In that case”—Drum sighed—“I can’t think of anyone. Can Bluey do two events? He’s always got energy to spare. He makes me tired just looking at him. Speaking of which, you’ve interrupted my nap.”
    Drum is so irritating at times! I decided to turn him out in the field and go home.
    When I told my mom about the Sublime Equine Challenge, she thought it was a great idea.
    “Oooh, imagine if you qualify for the finals,” she enthused, her blond hair bobbing in excitement, “and you get to ride at Brookdale. How thrilling would that be?”
    “Well, unless we find our fourth team member, that’s never going to happen,” I replied. We were munching our way through Indian takeout, plates on our laps, watching TV. Empty cartons littered the side table.
    “I’ve got a new date tomorrow,” announced Mom. My heart sank. We moved here to this cottage when my mom and dad split up. Dad went off with some size