Liberty and the Dream Ride by Stacy Gregg Read Free Book Online Page A

times as you like, but horses aren’t allowed near the course until they compete. You can ride in any of the indoor schooling arenas that are marked with an X,” Avery said, passing her a fold-out map. “The big building is the dressage complex – that’s where you’ll be competing on Friday in your test. And those are the showjumping arenas where you’ll be riding the final phase on the Sunday.”
    â€œWow,” Stella said, pointing to a flashy silver horse truck, “check that out!”
    The truck was enormous – big enough to take at least six horses, and totally sleek and glamorous. Issie suddenly felt awfully self-conscious parked next to it with their rust-bucket horse float. Their arrival was certainly drawing a few strange sideways glances from the grooms in the stable yard. She watched as one groom walked past with a glossy chestnut gelding dressed in smart white bandages with a perfectly pulled mane and she thought about Comet, her loveable but scruffy 14.2 skewbald that she had brought to compete on. Was she kidding herself? Maybe this competition really was out of her league.
    Issie’s feelings of being out of place weren’t helped when a brunette in khaki chinos emerged from the office at the end of the stable block and walked briskly over towards them as they were preparing to unload Comet.
    â€œI’m sorry,” the woman said, shaking her head, “but you can’t park your horse float here. This area is for eventing competitors only.”
    Avery held up his lanyard tag that he had shown to the guard at the gate. “We are competitors,” he said. ‘This is Isadora Brown. She’s entered on her pony, Blackthorn Comet.”
    The woman was shocked. “I’m so sorry!” she said, looking deeply embarrassed as she stepped forward to shake Avery’s hand. “I didn’t realise. Welcome to Kentucky Horsepark. You must be Mr Avery. I’m Blaire Andrews, I’m the manager of these stables.”
    Blaire coughed, still looking rather embarrassed. “I’ll wait while you unload Blackthorn Comet and then I can show you to your loose box and give you the tour of our facilities.”
    If Blaire Andrews had been shocked by the state of the horse float, the look on her face when she saw the pony inside it was priceless. You could see she was holding her tongue as she watched Issie backing the little skewbald out of the float.
    Comet came high-stepping down the ramp, raised his head up and gave a look-at-me whinny, as if to say “I’ve arrived, everyone!”
    â€œWell isn’t he a friendly little guy! I can see he’s quite a character!” Blaire said, trying to be positive, but clearly not entirely convinced that this pony was really Four-Star material. “I have Comet’s stall ready and waiting if you want to bring him this way?”
    Avery, Stella, Issie and Comet followed behind Blaire as she led them past the elegant rows of loose boxes.
    â€œYou’ve arrived just in time,” Blaire told them as they walked. “The meet-and-greet is tonight.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Stella asked.
    â€œIt’s a chance for the riders to get to know each other before the event begins,” Blaire explained. “You’ll find your tickets and all the details in the competitors’ orientation kit I’ve prepared for you. The event is in the museum at six.”
    Comet’s loose box was one of the last ones in the long row of almost thirty stalls in stable block C.
    â€œIt’s got state-of-the-art technology,” Blaire said, swiping her passcard through an electronic monitor beside the door. “Riders, trainers and their teams are assigned their own passcards to ensure that horses are secure at all times.”
    She pointed out the features of the stall. “There are thermostats to keep the climate regular, surfaces are hypo-allergenic, including the