Pony Club Rivals 1- The Auditions by Stacy Gregg

Author:Stacy Gregg [Gregg, Stacy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA, E
ISBN: 9780007333431
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks
Published: 2010-07-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

In Blainford’s Great Hall the seats were already filling up fast. Georgie, Alice and Cameron grabbed a bench together at the back. On the stage, the staff of the school sat in rows of chairs on a raised platform. They were a rather odd bunch, some dressed in typical teacher’s clothes, others dressed in jodhpurs or, in a couple of cases, cowboy chaps. At the front of the stage, behind the wooden lectern, stood a tall woman with stiff, erect posture and what could only be described as a long horsey face. She cleared her throat into the microphone and the room of 250 students fell silent.

“Good morning. For those of you who are new to the school and do not know me already, I am Mrs Dickins-Thomson, headmistress of Blainford Academy.

Welcome to our first assembly of the school year,” she said.

“I would like to say a particular welcome to all our new junior pupils, who come here from every corner of the globe. Never forget that you are privileged to be accepted into a school where many of the world’s greatest riders have learnt their craft.”

The headmistress gestured to the wooden plaques behind her, each one shaped like a scroll with names written on them in large gold leaf lettering.

“Blainford Academy is more than just a school. This college has turned out more champions in its illustrious history than any other equestrian college. As you stand here today, take a look around you at the names that adorn the honour roll.”

Georgie felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck as she looked at the honour roll for 1987 and saw the name Virginia Lang in gold script. Lang had been her mother’s name before she married and became Ginny Parker.

“Here at Blainford,” Mrs Dickins-Thomson continued, “we expect every one of you to strive and excel in the great tradition of this academy so that one day, your own name will be included among our honoured graduates.

“Now,” the headmistress smiled, “this week, the traditional Burghley–Luhmuhlen polo tournament will be held on Saturday on the school’s number one polo field. Parents and supporters are welcome and as always we expect all pupils to attend. For those of you applying for the Calgary Rodeo this term, please hand your applications in to Mr Shepard, head of the Western department, by the end of class today.”

Mrs Dickins-Thomson consulted the stack of papers on her lectern. “That brings us to the end of today’s assembly. Morning classes will be running fifteen minutes late because of assembly and all students must go straight from the Great Hall to their first class. First year students–you will need to consult the yellow timetables you’ve been given with your stationery orders to find out where you need to go next. Now, will you all please file out in an orderly fashion.”

In the stampede that followed, Georgie, Alice and Cameron were nearly trampled by students elbowing and shoving their way out of the doors that led into the quad.

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