Chloe and Cracker by Kelly McKain Read Free Book Online

Monday morning — at Pony Camp!
    Jody, the lady who runs Sunnyside Stables, gave me this cool diary when I arrived just now. Her letter at the front says it’s to write down all the adventures I have this week. It’s fantastic here – there are two outdoor manèges and lots of cute ponies and dogs everywhere and even a swimming pool! I’m hoping to have lots of adventures – especially jumping ones!
    I really wanted to come on this week because when Mum rang up and spoke to Jody, she said they’re holding a special jumping competition on the last day. In our lessons, we’re going to work on building up to an eight-jump course, and it’s even going to include some cross-country fences for fun – I can’t wait!
    I love jumping but I’ve only done a couple of smaller courses at clear round events at my local riding school. I’m really hoping to improve while I’m here – and I’m desperate to go clear in Friday’s competition.
    The reasons I want a clear round so much are:
    a. because I’ve never had one before
so it will be a big
challenge for me and
b. to make Dad proud of me.
    Although Dad knows how much I love ponies (I’m always talking about getting my own one day!), he’s never actually seen me ride. He’s always working, even at weekends. But he said he’ll really, really try to come with Mum to pick me up on Friday, then he’ll be able to see me in the jumping competition and I can amaze him with my clear round (fingers crossed!). I really hope he keeps his word and doesn’t get stuck at work as usual.

    As soon as I got here, I kept asking Jody what we’ll be doing every day because I was really excited. She smiled and said Sally, the instructor, will explain that when everyone arrives, but I really, really wanted to know straight away so she gave me a copy of the timetable to stick into my diary. She has warned me that it will change, though, because we have special activities on some days. Like, it says in her letter we’re going on a treasure hunt this week – that sounds really fun!
    Here’s the timetable for the week:
    Pony Camp Timetable
    8am: Wake up, get dressed, have breakfast
    8.45am: Help on the yard, bring in the ponies from field, muck out stables, do feeds, etc.
    9.30am: Prepare ponies for morning lessons (quick groom, tack up, etc.)
    10am: Morning riding lesson
    11am: Morning break – drink and biscuits
    11.20am: Pony Care lecture
    12.30pm: Lunch and free time
    2pm: Afternoon riding lesson
    3pm: Break – drink and biscuits
    3.20pm: Pony Care lecture
    4.30pm: Jobs around the yard (i.e. cleaning tack, sweeping up, mixing evening feeds, turning out ponies)
    5.30pm: Free time before dinner
    6pm: Dinner (and clearing up!)
    7pm: Evening activity
    8.30pm: Showers and hot chocolate
    9.30pm: Lights out and NO TALKING!
    Â 
    Wow! There’s so much to do here! I just can’t wait to find out which pony I’m getting – having my own pony to look after for a whole week will be fab!
    This morning we’re having an assessment lesson where we all ride in together, and then Sally will decide who goes in which group. So the timetable’s different already because there’s no lecture this morning. It’s now 10.35am and not everyone is here yet, including the girls who are sharing my room – but, oh, now I can hear talking and clumping on the stairs. Maybe it’s them!

Two minutes later
    It was them!
    The two girls I’m sharing with have gone downstairs to help on the yard – we are all still waiting for a couple of others to arrive, but the adults keep telling each other that there’s a hold-up on the M3 so we’re running a bit later than planned.
    I’m going down in a minute but first I just wanted to do a quick profile of my room-mates for my diary.

    Name: Isabella
    Age: 12
    Lives: Buckinghamshire, which is sort of near to London but still in the