Riders

Another gun exploded.

“Think you might hang on five minutes, Carter,” said Sir William. “Only three horses left to jump.”

“Hold your fire, Colonel,” said the Lady Mayoress, who had put her hands over her ears.

Carter decided he was outnumbered.

“All right, if you want to make a mockery of the whole display we’ll wait another ten minutes.”

“Maniac,” said Christopher Crossley, whose horse was leaping around as if someone was burning the grass under its feet, its nostrils as red as a poppy. Jake, who was trying to sooth a trembling, sweating Africa, admired the way Christopher went into the ring, and jumped a beautiful round, only taking a brick out of the wall.

Lavinia Greenslade’s gray, however, who’d been completely unhinged by the guns, crashed round the course, leaving it as if an earthquake had hit it.

Once again Jake had to wait until it was repaired, the strain telling on both his and Africa’s nerves.

“Bad luck,” said Christopher Crossley, as Lavinia rode out, looking furious.

“I’m going to object,” she said.

Molly Maxwell joined Colonel Carter.

“Are you having a cease-fire?” she said with a giggle.

“Bloody Gordon, insisted on finishing his jumping.”

“You should have started half an hour ago,” said Molly. “I wouldn’t stand for that. Wellington would never have taken Waterloo that way.”

“Oh, my God,” gasped Fen, seeing Mrs. Wilton pushing briskly through the crowd. “Look who’s over there, Tory. She’ll go potty if she sees Jake. We’d better distract her. Hello, Mrs. Wilton, we thought you were in Brighton.”

“Decided to come back. Had a good day?”

“I was fourth in the junior jumping.”

“Your first rosette. Well done. Has anyone else done anything?”

Fen shook her head.

“Where’s Jake?”

“Supervising the gymkhana events, I think,” said Tory desperately.

“Yes, he is. Come and find him, and on the way you can see how sweet Dandelion looks in his rosette,” said Fen, seizing Mrs. Wilton’s red hand. “And then come and see Mummy. I know she wants to buy you a drink. You must be hot after your journey.” She looked a picture of guilt as the words came tumbling out.

“What happened in the open jumping?”

“It’s finished,” said Fen.

The course had been set to rights.

“In you go,” said the collecting ring steward.

Jake rode quietly into the ring.

That’s a nice horse, thought Malise.

“Oh there’s one more competitor,” said Mrs. Wilton.

“Come and see Dandelion,” said Fen desperately.

“Why, it’s Jake,” said Mrs. Wilton in tones of outrage, “and he’s riding Africa.”

Africa bounded up to the first fence, as tense as a catapult at full stretch.

The ten minutes were up. “Fire!” said Colonel Carter for the second time.

The gun went off like a clap of thunder.

A dog bolted into the ring, barking hysterically, a child dropped its ice cream and let out a wail of rage. Africa went straight up on her hind legs, eyes rolling in terror, and dropping again, with a bound bolted towards the first fence clearing it by inches.

Jake sat down in the saddle and tried to hold her. Another gun went off. Africa crashed into the gate and sent the stile flying.

The crowd looked on, helpless. Tory and Fen watched, frozen with horror, as the maddened mare swung around the corner, with Jake hauling futilely on the bit, aware only of Africa’s hooves thundering on the dry earth and the white terrified faces flashing past.

As she raced for the triple, ten yards off, another gun went off. Jake tried to check her, but she’d missed her stride and took it completely wrong, jumping sideways and catching her foreleg in the wing of the jump. The crowd gave a moan of terror.

Africa lay under three poles, legs flailing like a centipede, making desperate attempts to get up. Jake staggered groggily to his feet, stars in his head. Praying against hope that Africa hadn’t broken a leg, he lurched towards her still holding on to the reins.

Another gun went off; Africa threw off the poles and struggled to her feet, standing trembling all over, holding up her off hind hoof.

Malise ran up.

“You all right?” he said.

Jake nodded. “Not so sure about the horse; can’t put her foot down.”

Malise took Africa’s bridle, stroking her gently, then he led her forward a step. Africa hobbled, then stopped. Malise ran his hand down the foot; she winced, but let him touch it.

“Nothing broken. Might have pulled a tendon. Better get the vet.”

Another gun went off. Africa trembled violently but was finished.

“Sorry about that,” said Malise. “She jumped very well in the first round. Look, sit down on the grass,” he added as Jake started to sway.

But the next moment Mrs. Wilton rolled up, marching with a far more military stride than Colonel Carter.

“So this is what you get up to when I’m away,” she shouted. “How dare you jump that horse, how dare you?”

Jake looked at her. Through a haze of pain he saw her red angry face like a baron of beef receding and coming towards him.

“Leave him alone,” snapped Malise. “Can’t you see he’s in a state of shock.”

Mrs. Wilton turned on Malise furiously.

Jake said nothing and, after another look at Africa’s foot, led her hobbling out of the ring. Mrs. Wilton followed him, shouting abuse. She wanted to sack him on the spot, but she couldn’t afford to, as there’d be no one except that halfwit, Alison, who only worked part time, to look after the horses. Grooms were so hard to get. She’d have to ask her copywriting brother to write a witty advertisement for Horse and Hound. She supposed it was her fault for being too lenient with Jake; she should never have offered him a drink in the evenings. As he came out of the ring, Fen rushed forward.

“Oh, poor Jake; are you all right? Are you concussed? Can you remember what day of the week it is and what you had for lunch?”

Next minute Mrs. Thomson came roaring up.

“There was no one to help Sally Ann in the bending. She’s fallen off and hurt her arm. Oh, you’re back, Joyce,” she added in relief. “Things will go more smoothly from now on.” Tory felt so sorry for Jake, gray and shaking and the recipient of such a torrent of abuse from Mrs. Wilton and Mrs. Thomson.

Christopher Crossley passed them going into the ring to collect first prize. He pulled up his chestnut horse for a minute.

“That was bloody bad luck,” he said, “and that’s a very nice mare. If you ever want to sell her I’m in the North Hampshire telephone directory under Crossley. Those bloody soldiers should turn the guns on themselves.”

Jake nodded.

As they approached the horse lines, Fen gave a scream.

“Dandelion — he’s not there!”

Rushing forward, she found his head collar still tied to the fence.

“He’s a valuable horse now that he’s a prize winner,” she wailed. “He’s probably been kidnapped.”

After a nasty quarter of an hour, in which Mrs. Wilton trailed after Jake, calling him every name under the sun, Dandelion was discovered in the brave new world of Lady Dorothy’s vegetable garden. Having laid waste to the herbaceous border, dug holes in the newly sprinkled lawn, cut a swathe through the rose beds and deformalized the