Bridle Path by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant [Bryant, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82508-7
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

“ALL RIGHT NOW, smile for the photographer,” Stevie instructed Lisa and Carole.

Lisa groaned and Carole grimaced.

“That’s not right at all,” Stevie said. “Remember, the pictures that will be taken at the actual wedding are going to be a permanent reminder of this wonderful day. Geronimo and Delilah will be able to look at them for years—show them to their grandchildren!”

“This is supposed to be a rehearsal!” Lisa said, exasperated.

“For the real thing,” Stevie persisted. It was Wednesday afternoon, after school. The three girls had met at Pine Hollow as soon as they could excuse themselves from their classes—and that was pretty fast. Although there were a lot of chores listed on Lisa’s printout for today, Stevie had convinced the girls that the best way to prepare for some hard work was to have a relaxing trail ride. She’d then managed to turn it into a wedding rehearsal, and it wasn’t going very well, except in Stevie’s eyes.

Carole was riding Starlight and Lisa was riding Delilah. She’d always wanted to try the beautiful mare and found her to be as lovely a horse as she’d dreamed. She wasn’t surprised by how much Judge Gavin enjoyed riding her.

“I used to ride her before she foaled,” Carole said. “I would have been glad to ride her again, except that Dad gave me Starlight.”

“Enough talk about horses,” Stevie interrupted. “Let’s get back to the wedding. All right, now, Lisa and Carole, you two will ride down the aisle.…”

Stevie was being just about impossible, as only Stevie could be. Most of the time her “impossible” side was offset by her own wonderful mischievousness, and it was fun. Sometimes, however, her “impossible” side was merely bossy. That’s what it was now. Stevie was obsessed with this wedding, and though Carole and Lisa suspected the whole thing would, in fact, end up being fun, for now it was very hard work. The hardest part was keeping from yelling at Stevie.

“No, no,” Stevie spoke sharply. “You’ve got to have the horses walk together.”

“They are together,” Lisa said.

“No, I mean they have to step at the same time!”

“Stevie!” Carole said. “That’s a very difficult technique!”

“Well, that’s why we’re practicing.”

Stevie had everything figured out. The two “bridesmaids” would enter the “chapel,” with Lisa on Delilah and Carole on Starlight. Since Geronimo was a stallion and not really suitable as a saddle horse for a young rider, the “chapel” would be situated right next to his paddock. He’d be curious about all the goings-on, Stevie assured her friends, and he’d come right up to the corner of the paddock, where he’d be in the perfect position to be “wed” to Delilah.

“It’s going to be a beautiful wedding,” Stevie said, practically sighing in anticipation. “There won’t be a dry eye in the house!” She paused, and then she got another idea. “Hesitation step. Can you do a hesitation step?”

That was a form of walking in a processional where the walker paused before bringing the back leg forward. It was a little tricky when a person was walking and was considered an advanced feat in dressage riding.

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