Monica and the Unbeatable Bet Read online




  -------------------{ table of contents }-------------------

  chapter 1

  Practice Makes Perfect?

  chapter 2

  Practice Show

  chapter 3

  In the Ring

  chapter 4

  Not Perfect

  chapter 5

  Words of Wisdom

  chapter 6

  Decision Time

  chapter 7

  Secret Sessions

  chapter 8

  Unbeatable Bet

  chapter 9

  Still Training

  chapter 10

  Rory to the Rescue

  chapter 11

  Show Time

  chapter 12

  Just Ride

  chapter 13

  The Winner Is

  chapter 14

  Number One

  Chapter One

  Practice Makes

  Perfect?

  Chloe and I were happy when Mark Bristow, the trainer at our stable, decided to have a practice horse show.

  It had been months since the last show. Chloe wanted a warm-up. I wanted the experience.

  Owen, Megan, and Lydia thought it was a stupid idea. And they made that very clear on Wednesday after our lesson while we brushed down our horses in the stable. They just kept whining and complaining about spending a whole Saturday at the barn.

  “This is really unfair,” Megan said. “We should each get to choose whether we want to do this practice show or not.”

  “Mark wants everyone to do well at Holly Hills in two weeks,” Alice explained. “This is a perfect way to practice.”

  The Holly Hills Horse Show was the first real show of the season. It was a huge event.

  “I’ve been in lots of horse shows,” Owen said. “I know what to do.”

  “I don’t,” I said, shrugging. “Holly Hills is my first show.”

  “It’s the first show for three other students, too,” Alice added.

  “That’s not my problem,” Megan said. She scowled at me.

  “It’s Mark’s problem, Megan,” Rory said. He leaned on his pitchfork. “He wants everyone to do well, and for the stable to look good. You don’t want to let Mark down, do you?”

  “No, of course not,” Megan said. She sighed and glared at me again.

  “I already have other plans for Saturday!” Lydia whined.

  Alice shrugged. “If you want to show at Holly Hills, you have to practice this Saturday,” she said. “That’s it. Mark sets the rules, and you guys all know that. This practice show is really important to him. So if it’s important to you, you’ll be here.” Then she turned around and walked out of the stable.

  “Maybe that is a good idea,” Owen said. “Mark will find out which lesson kids are good enough to enter Holly Hills.”

  “Yeah,” Megan said. Then she looked me right in the eye and added, “And it’ll help him find out who isn’t good enough.”

  I blinked. “Does that mean if I mess up Mark won’t let me show?” I asked. I looked over at Chloe, hoping she could make me feel better.

  “No,” Megan said. “It means that if you mess up at the dumb practice show, you might realize you shouldn’t be riding in the first place.”

  All the show riders met at the barn Friday afternoon.

  “We’re going to prep like tomorrow is a real show,” Mark said. “Bathe and braid your horses, and don’t forget to clean your tack.”

  Lydia made a face. “Saddle soap dries out my hands,” she complained.

  “There’s lotion in the tack room,” Chloe said.

  “Rory always gets Dandy ready for me,” Megan whined.

  “Rory is setting up the show ring,” Mark said.

  I saw Rory loading jump poles onto a flatbed trailer. That was hard work, but it was better than being bossed around by spoiled stable brats.

  “Let’s team up, Monica,” Chloe said. “You can hold Rick-Rack while I wash him. Then I’ll hold Lancelot for you.”

  “Good plan!” I said. I led Rick-Rack outside.

  The other students groomed the lesson horses in the small barn. The kids who owned their own horses were cleaning saddles and bridles. That meant we didn’t have to wait for the hose.

  Rick-Rack stood still while Chloe wet his coat. She lathered him with soap, and then rinsed it all off. Then she cleaned the dirt out of his hooves.

  “I can feel the excitement in the air! Is that weird?” I asked.

  “It’s anticipation,” Chloe said. “Everyone feels it the day before a horse show.”

  Lancelot did not like his bath. He pranced, shook his head, and swished his tail. Soon, he was clean, but I was covered with soapy smears and dirt spatters.

  Chloe and I thought it was funny. I didn’t mind getting a little dirty — or soapy.

  As soon as Megan walked out of the barn, she started laughing. Rory was walking behind her, leading Dandy. He smiled at me.

  “Monica lost a water fight with a horse!” Megan yelled, laughing.

  I felt my face get hot, but Rory didn’t seem to care that I was all wet and muddy. After all, he was dirty too. It was part of the job.

  “Lancelot looks great, Monica,” Rory said. “He’s hard to wash when he won’t stand still. You did a really good job.”

  Megan frowned. I hurried inside before she had time to insult me again.

  I put Lancelot in his stall. Chloe tied Rick-Rack in the center aisle.

  “I’m terrible at this,” I said, gazing at Lancelot’s deep brown mane.

  “Braiding isn’t hard,” Chloe said. “It just takes practice.”

  Show-horse braids looked like little nubs on the horse’s neck. Chloe showed me how to do it.

  You take a small lock of mane, braid it, tuck the end under, and then hold it with a rubber band.

  Chloe’s braids were neat, small, and evenly spaced. Mine were too big or too small with flyaway hairs. They weren’t evenly spaced, and they didn’t lie flat.

  “That’s the worst braiding job I’ve ever seen!” Megan exclaimed when she saw it.

  I didn’t argue. She was right.

  “Why does she pick on me so much?” I asked Chloe once Megan flounced away.

  Chloe smiled. “Because she likes Rory, silly,” she said. “And she knows Rory likes you.”

  I understood why Megan liked Rory.

  Who wouldn’t? He was nice, super cute, and he was fourteen. He also knew a lot about horses. That was a huge plus for me.

  I didn’t believe he really liked me, no matter what Chloe said. I didn’t want to let myself believe it. I didn’t want a broken heart like some girls at school.

  Boys could be really confusing. One day they liked you. The next day they’d rather hang out with their friends. Or they found someone they liked better.

  I was sure Rory wasn’t like that. But why risk ruining our friendship?

  Chapter Two

  Practice

  Show

  I was thrilled and terrified when I got to the barn on Saturday morning. This wa
s my only chance to practice for a real horse show.

  In my dreams, I beat Megan.

  In my nightmares, I fell off!

  I’d be happy if I didn’t make a major mistake.

  Alice helped the other lesson kids get ready. Chloe helped me.

  “After we hand in our entry forms, we’ll saddle Rick-Rack and Lancelot,” Chloe said. “Then we’ll warm up and wait for the first class.”

  “I hope I remember everything,” I said.

  “You’ll be fine. It’s just like your riding lesson,” Chloe said.

  “Yeah, but Megan isn’t in my riding lesson,” I reminded her.

  In real horse shows, beginners and advanced riders entered different classes. Today, we were riding together.

  “I’ve never had butterflies this bad,” I told Chloe.

  “They’ll stop when you get into the ring,” Chloe said.

  I clutched my stomach. “If they don’t, I’ll throw up,” I muttered.

  Then I heard Rory laugh. “You won’t throw up,” he said.

  I felt my face getting hot as I turned around, but as soon as I saw Rory, I forgot about being embarrassed.

  He looked so cute. He was wearing a white shirt, britches, and tall boots.

  “Look at you! You look so fancy,” I said. “Are you riding in a class?”

  Rory shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m the ringmaster and half of the jump crew.”

  “Who’s the other half of the jump crew?” Chloe asked.

  “Mark,” Rory said. “He’s also the judge. Megan’s mom is taking entries.” He pointed to Mrs. Fitch, sitting at a table under a big umbrella.

  “What does the jump crew do?” I asked. I felt kind of stupid for not knowing, but I knew that Rory and Chloe wouldn’t make fun of me.

  “We set up the jumps and take them down, basically,” Rory said. “You guys better hurry up,” he added. He winked at me and said, “Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Chloe nudged me as we walked away.

  “True love,” she said.

  I just laughed.

  Mrs. Fitch smiled when Chloe and I walked up to the sign-in table.

  “Hello, girls,” she said. “You’ll just need to fill this out.” She gave each of us a form.

  The form asked which classes we’d be riding in.

  There were six classes. Field Hunter and Junior Jumper for advanced riders only, Maiden Equitation on the flat and over fences, and Green Hunter Hack and over fences for everyone.

  “What do maiden and green mean?” I asked.

  “Maiden equitation is for riders who haven’t won more than three blue ribbons,” Chloe explained.

  “A horse is green during its first two years of showing,” Mrs. Fitch added.

  “So which ones am I?” I asked.

  “You’ll be in the maiden and green classes at Holly Hills,” Chloe told me.

  “What?” Megan exclaimed behind me. “Monica can’t show Lancelot in green hunter classes.”

  “Why not?” Megan’s mother asked.

  “My mom bought Lancelot five years ago,” Chloe said. “She’s never shown him.”

  “But he was a show horse before that,” Megan said, putting her nose in the air.

  “Was he?” I asked, looking at Chloe.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Mrs. Fitch said. “Every horse is green today. Just fill out your form, Monica.”

  I picked up the pen, but Megan had to have the last word.

  “You have to prove Lancelot is a beginner before Holly Hills,” she whispered. “Otherwise, he’ll be disqualified. And you’ll embarrass Mark and the whole barn.”

  After I finished my entry form, we found Rory in the barn. Chloe told him what had happened.

  “Why does Megan care?” Rory asked, frowning.

  Chloe and I just shrugged. Neither of us wanted to tell him that she always picked on me because she was jealous that Rory might like me.

  “Megan really messed things up,” Rory told me. “Now no one will believe Lancelot is a green show horse.”

  “You could ride him in the Junior Hunter classes,” Chloe suggested. “But the jumps are six inches higher.”

  “There’s no way I’m ready for that,” I said. “I haven’t even been in one show yet!”

  Rory nodded. “Then there’s only one thing to do,” he said. “We have to prove that Lancelot wasn’t a show horse before Chloe’s mom bought him.”

  Chloe looked worried. She added, “And we only have two weeks.”

  Chapter Three

  In the

  Ring

  I knew that Rory and Chloe were on my side. That helped me calm down. The butterflies were gone by the time Chloe and I left the barn a few minutes later.

  Rory left before we did. I knew he had a lot to do to get everything ready for the show.

  Owen, Lydia, and Megan stopped us as we walked out.

  “What did you tell Rory?” Megan asked, glaring at me. “He’s mad at me! He wouldn’t even talk to me just now.”

  Chloe crossed her arms. “Monica didn’t say anything. I told Rory that you were making trouble,” she said.

  “Megan’s the good guy,” Lydia said.

  “Horse shows have rules for a reason,” Owen said.

  Megan nodded. “It's cheating to ride an experienced horse in beginner classes,” she told Chloe. “I want Holly Hills to be fair.”

  Then the three of them walked away.

  “Megan is trying to make you nervous,” Chloe said. “Just ignore her.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said. I smiled and nodded, but the butterflies were back.

  We headed straight for the warm-up ring and got on our horses.

  Rick-Rack was calm. But Lancelot pulled on the bit and tossed his head. Horses could always tell when a rider was nervous.

  “Let’s wait in the shade,” Chloe suggested. “Lancelot will settle down when you relax.”

  I couldn’t relax. Lancelot pawed the ground, snorting and jiggling, until Rory called the first class.

  I followed Chloe into the ring. Then my mind went blank. As soon as the gate closed, I forgot everything Alice had taught me.

  Like my diagonals. When trotting in a circle, the rider rises up off the saddle when the horse’s outside leg moves forward.

  I didn’t look. I just started posting and got it wrong. Mark saw the mistake.

  And leads! When cantering in a circle, the horse’s inside legs should extend farther than its outside legs. Lancelot never took off on the wrong lead.

  Until today. Today, Lancelot took the wrong lead. Twice.

  “Reverse, please!” Rory shouted.

  I turned Lancelot toward the fence.

  Everyone else turned into the center.

  Everyone else did it right.

  At the end of the class, we lined up in the center of the ring. Mark didn’t announce winners. He let the advanced kids leave. Then he took each of the beginners aside one by one to tell us how we’d done.

  When it was my turn, I looked over at Rory. He gave me a thumbs-up.

  “Okay, Monica,” Mark said, looking at his notepad. He paused for a while, thinking. Finally, he said, “You made quite a few mistakes.”

  My heart sank, even though I knew he was right.

  “Watch those diagonals and leads,” Mark said. He patted me on the back. Then he smiled and added, “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do better next time. You’ll be great at Holly Hills.”

 
I nodded. “Thanks, Mark,” I said. “I promise I’ll do better next time.”

  Rory ran over when I walked out the gate.

  “I’m so embarrassed,” I said.

  “Don’t be,” Rory said. “It was your first time. For the next class, if you’re not sure what to do, just watch the other riders.”

  “Now you tell me!” I joked.

  The Hunter Hack class was next. Lancelot acted like a wild mustang. He pranced when he was supposed to walk. He trotted with his nose in the air. He bucked when he cantered.

  Afterward, Mark was very disappointed. “A hunter is supposed to be quiet, calm, and easy to ride,” he explained. “Lancelot failed all three.”

  I was mortified.

  Chapter Four

  Not

  Perfect

  Everyone took a break while Mark and Rory set up the jumps. Chloe and I got off our horses. I let Lancelot graze. I wanted him to chill out. I didn’t care if he had a green mouth from eating grass.

  Megan and Lydia walked by. “You should skip the jumping classes, Monica,” Lydia said.

  “Yeah. It would be so embarrassing if you fell off,” Megan said. She laughed.

  Chloe glared at them. I tried to just ignore them. I couldn’t back out. I had to prove I could do it.

  “Equitation over fences!” Rory shouted. “Owen, you’re first! Megan, you’re on deck.”

  Everyone else waited near the gate. I watched Owen and took mental notes.

  There were two jumps on each side of the ring. They were two feet high.

  First, Owen cantered Merlin around in a small circle. He jumped all the fences twice and walked out of the ring.

  “That was perfect, Owen!” Lydia gushed.

  Owen rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Those are baby jumps,” he said. “Anyone could do them.” Then he glanced at me and added, “Well, almost anyone.”

  Megan had a perfect run too. So did Chloe.

  Hanna, one of the lesson kids, rode right before me. She flopped back in the saddle over every fence, but she got around.