I so wish I was on the team. It’s not fair!” wailed Dee.
“But you’re always riding Dolly at all the top shows!” Katy reminded her.
“It’s not the same—really, it isn’t,” Dee whined.
I couldn’t believe we were going. We really were going.
To Brookdale.
I imagined riding around the famous arena, bumping into show jumpers, being applauded in the main ring. Awesome!
We hastily straightened ourselves up so we wouldn’t look too shabby next to the horse trailer–sister–cousin combo, and we were excitedly waiting to go into the main arena to collect our ribbons when the loudspeaker crackled into action again, informing everyone that an objection had been lodged. And that it needed to be cleared before the placings could be recorded. It boomed out across the showground to tell everyone that the objection was against a member of the Great Eight.
Pia Edwards.
Me.
Chapter 12
I gulped. What had I done? Had I broken the rules? If so, how? Which bit of equipment had I left off Drum? Thoughts raced around my head, but I couldn’t imagine what the objection could be about.
“It’s your awful granddad,” Bean hissed to Dee. “I bet it’s against the rules to get help from dead relations.”
“Who would know?” mumbled Dee guiltily.
“You should let dead granddads lie,” Katy told her.
“What could be the reason, Pia?” James asked, and I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. How could I know?
“I’ll come with you. Let’s go,” he said grimly, and leaving Drum and Moth with the others, we made our way to the secretary’s tent. And guess who was there with two of the organizers—a woman in glasses and a man in a tweed coat? Cat and Leanne. My heart sank. If Cat was behind this, it had to be bad. James said who we were, and the woman looked all flustered at me over her glasses.
“I’m Julia Williams and this is Robert Best. We’re two of the judges for this Sublime Equine Challenge.” We knew that. They both wore name badges under another enamel badge that said JUDGE .
“What seems to be the problem?” James asked briskly. My throat seemed to have dried up, and I didn’t trust myself to speak. I felt guilty, even though I was sure I hadn’t done anything wrong.
Julia Williams turned to Cat. “Er, well, this young lady seems to think your teammate has an unfair advantage,” she explained.
“You know what I’m talking about,” cried Cat, lifting her chin defiantly. Leanne looked a bit uncomfortable.
“No, I don’t,” I croaked. Because I didn’t.
“You’re a Pony Whisperer. You can communicate with the ponies. That’s how you do your wild card show. It isn’t fair, and you know it!”
I sniggered. I couldn’t help it.
“It’s no laughing matter, young lady,” said Robert Best sternly.
“It is!” I said, turning to Cat. “You’ve always said I wasn’t a Pony Whisperer! You’ve always insisted that I was lying. But now that it suits you, you want me to be.” I could feel Epona in my jodhpurs pocket, and a shiver ran down my spine. They couldn’t search me, could they?
“That is true, Cat,” James said. Then he turned to Robert Best. “Honestly, Mr. Best, Ms. Williams, do you really believe that Pia here can possibly communicate with ponies? I mean, do you?” He was a cool one; James knew that I could.
Both judges looked sheepish. Clearly, they didn’t believe it at all. Julia Williams coughed. “Well, we have to take all objections seriously,” she said, “and Catriona here says that Pia has been on the television, with her own show.”
My heart did a somersault. She had me there, I couldn’t deny that. Was I going to be disqualified? If so, our team would be out, with no chance of getting to Brookdale. Cat was just being spiteful—she’d qualified for Brookdale, and getting me disqualified didn’t benefit her or her team at all. I couldn’t understand why she was being so mean. The trouble was, Cat was right—I did have an
“But you’re always riding Dolly at all the top shows!” Katy reminded her.
“It’s not the same—really, it isn’t,” Dee whined.
I couldn’t believe we were going. We really were going.
To Brookdale.
I imagined riding around the famous arena, bumping into show jumpers, being applauded in the main ring. Awesome!
We hastily straightened ourselves up so we wouldn’t look too shabby next to the horse trailer–sister–cousin combo, and we were excitedly waiting to go into the main arena to collect our ribbons when the loudspeaker crackled into action again, informing everyone that an objection had been lodged. And that it needed to be cleared before the placings could be recorded. It boomed out across the showground to tell everyone that the objection was against a member of the Great Eight.
Pia Edwards.
Me.
Chapter 12
I gulped. What had I done? Had I broken the rules? If so, how? Which bit of equipment had I left off Drum? Thoughts raced around my head, but I couldn’t imagine what the objection could be about.
“It’s your awful granddad,” Bean hissed to Dee. “I bet it’s against the rules to get help from dead relations.”
“Who would know?” mumbled Dee guiltily.
“You should let dead granddads lie,” Katy told her.
“What could be the reason, Pia?” James asked, and I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. How could I know?
“I’ll come with you. Let’s go,” he said grimly, and leaving Drum and Moth with the others, we made our way to the secretary’s tent. And guess who was there with two of the organizers—a woman in glasses and a man in a tweed coat? Cat and Leanne. My heart sank. If Cat was behind this, it had to be bad. James said who we were, and the woman looked all flustered at me over her glasses.
“I’m Julia Williams and this is Robert Best. We’re two of the judges for this Sublime Equine Challenge.” We knew that. They both wore name badges under another enamel badge that said JUDGE .
“What seems to be the problem?” James asked briskly. My throat seemed to have dried up, and I didn’t trust myself to speak. I felt guilty, even though I was sure I hadn’t done anything wrong.
Julia Williams turned to Cat. “Er, well, this young lady seems to think your teammate has an unfair advantage,” she explained.
“You know what I’m talking about,” cried Cat, lifting her chin defiantly. Leanne looked a bit uncomfortable.
“No, I don’t,” I croaked. Because I didn’t.
“You’re a Pony Whisperer. You can communicate with the ponies. That’s how you do your wild card show. It isn’t fair, and you know it!”
I sniggered. I couldn’t help it.
“It’s no laughing matter, young lady,” said Robert Best sternly.
“It is!” I said, turning to Cat. “You’ve always said I wasn’t a Pony Whisperer! You’ve always insisted that I was lying. But now that it suits you, you want me to be.” I could feel Epona in my jodhpurs pocket, and a shiver ran down my spine. They couldn’t search me, could they?
“That is true, Cat,” James said. Then he turned to Robert Best. “Honestly, Mr. Best, Ms. Williams, do you really believe that Pia here can possibly communicate with ponies? I mean, do you?” He was a cool one; James knew that I could.
Both judges looked sheepish. Clearly, they didn’t believe it at all. Julia Williams coughed. “Well, we have to take all objections seriously,” she said, “and Catriona here says that Pia has been on the television, with her own show.”
My heart did a somersault. She had me there, I couldn’t deny that. Was I going to be disqualified? If so, our team would be out, with no chance of getting to Brookdale. Cat was just being spiteful—she’d qualified for Brookdale, and getting me disqualified didn’t benefit her or her team at all. I couldn’t understand why she was being so mean. The trouble was, Cat was right—I did have an
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