My Best Friend

Jillian had never had a best friend. School was just a drag. She was never any good at it. Everyone went to the Youth Club on Friday nights. She stayed at home and watched TV. She never bothered with homework. Too boring.
Her parents where always trying to get her to do something. Violin, piano, gymnastics, speech and drama. It never worked.
One day, her mother had another suggestion.
"How about horse-riding Jill?"
"Okay."
"I'll book you in for a lesson on Saturday."
"Whatever."
"Jillian, why can't you be a bit more enthusiastic about it?"
"Okay.
*
Saturday rolled around, and Jillian's mother took her to Ayers' Riding School.
As they got out of the car, a young woman came up to them.
"Hello," she said. "Are you Jillian Kingsley?"
Jillian nodded.
"I'm Jane Ayers," the woman continued. "I'll be teaching you today. Come on, let's get you a hat." She led them into a room with horse pictures all over the walls. Saddles and bridles were hanging up too, and hats were lying on a rack. The smell of leather and horse was everywhere.
Jane studied Jillian for a minute.
"Yes, those shoes will be okay," she mumbled. Then she took a hat off the rack, saying, "Try this on." The hat came down over Jillian's eyes. Jane laughed. "Something a little bit smaller, I think," she giggled. She picked a smaller hat off the rack and placed it on Jillian's head. "That fits," she said. "Now, come and meet your pony." She pulled down a saddle and a bridle and walked out of the tack room. She led the way across the yard to a line of stables and opened a door. "Bobby!" she called. Bobby was a small horse - "fifteen hands," Jane said - with a brown body and black mane and tail - "bay". As Jane tacked up Bobby, she chattered away about how good Bobby was and how he would look after Jillian and lots of other stuff Jillian didn't listen to.

Then, suddenly three other girls appeared at the door.
"Hi Jane," cried one girl excitedly, and then caught sight of Jillian. "But I'm riding Bobby," she said. "I can tack him up myself."
"Jillian's riding Bobby today Louise," said Jane, "you tack up Patch. Emily, Silver. Cara, Crispin."
"Okay," said Louise, and sulked off to the tack room.
"Come on then," said Jane, "you lead him like this." She took the reins over Bobby's head and handed them to Jillian. Jillian, leading Bobby followed her over to the mounting block. Jane showed Jillian how to mount, and with some scrambling, Jillian managed to get on. She wasn't trying very hard, she never did.
"Now, to make him walk, squeeze with your legs," said Jane. Jillian pressed her legs softly against Bobby's sides. He didn't move.
"Harder," encouraged Jane. Jillian gave Bobby a hard thump and moved off into a steady walk.
"Okay, don't kick him," cautioned Jane. Then she called, "come on girls!" Louise, Emily and Cara emerged from the stables, leading their ponies. Bobby had stopped walking by now. Louise glared at Jillian. She whispered something to Cara that looked like, "she can't even ride!" and Cara nodded. Jillian didn't care. She was used to it.
Jane helped the other girls mount and then they all followed her to the outdoor arena. While the three other girls walked around, Jane showed Jillian how to stop and turn. Then Jillian walked while the other girls trotted and circled. Jane then told them all to line up. While she was talking, Louise flicked her riding crop aimlessly in the air. This frightened Bobby who cantered away with Jillian! A minute later he realised that it was nothing to worry about and made a sharp turn back to the other ponies. Jillian fell.
"Jill!" cried her mother.
"Oh no!" gasped Jane. She ran to Jillian. "Jillian! Are you alright?" she asked.
" Yeah, I'm fine," muttered Jillian.
"Okay, do you want to get back up?"
"Okay." Jane gave Jillian a leg up, but this time Jillian swung into the saddle.
"Very good!" said Jane, impressed. Jillian smiled. The fall had shaken the cobwebs from her head. Woken her up. She squeezed Bobby into a walk, back to the other ponies.
"Excellent! Heels down!" called Jane.
The rest of the lesson went well, and Jillian had a go at trot.
Afterwards Jane helped Jillian untack and Jillian watched carefully. As she walked to the tack room to put back her hat, she heard her mother and Jane talking.
"It's the first time I've ever seen anyone benefit from a fall," Jane was saying.
"Yes," said Jillian's mum. "This might just be it. She's not very good at school. Bit depressed. I'm always looking for something that might cheer her up."
"Well, horses do that for a lot of people."
"I just hope they do it for Jill."
Jillian pulled off her hat and leant against the wall in the sunshine. Her mother and Jane came out.
"I'll just put my hat back," said Jillian.
When she came back out Jane asked, "Coming back next week?"
"Definitely," said Jillian happily.
*
At school that week she got Five out of ten in her spelling test and four out of ten in her tables test. This was good, for her. She did her homework every night. When her teacher asked her about it she replied. "If I work harder the day passes quicker so it doesn't seem so long 'till my next riding lesson."
*
The next week she rode Bobby. Louise still wasn't happy about it. She rode Patch again.

By the fourth week Jillian was trotting confidently by herself around the arena. She could circle in walk and trot. Mount and dismount properly. And she could halt Bobby.

Next week, Jane said to Jillian, "You can ride Patch today." Jillian's insides jumped with excitement. She fetched Patch's tack and tacked him up. It was harder than with Bobby, because Patch kept on moving but she got it on eventually. Then she led Patch out and mounted from the ground - Patch was smaller than Bobby. She walked out to the arena. The other girls were already, walking around.
"Come on slowcoach," called Jane. Patch whinnied eagerly at the sight of the other ponies. Jillian pushed him forward with her legs. Jane opened the gate for them and they joined the back of the ride. They warmed up and then Jane announced that it was time to canter. The other girls could do this already, but Jillian didn't even know how. Jane explained to Jillian the aids for canter. Then she said, "You can get a lead from…Louise. Okay Louise, off you go." Louise trotted on, riding Bobby and Jillian followed. In the corner Louise gave the aids for canter. Bobby cantered on, a long strided, relaxed canter. Jillian was so excited she could barely move. She jerked her legs against Patch's sides. He sprang forward into a bouncy, jumpy canter. This took Jillian by surprise. Her brain told her desperately to lean forward but she pulled against it, knowing that it would only make it worse. Finally, Louise pulled in to the end of the ride and Jillian had a chance to relax.
"How was it?" asked Jane.
"Fast…bouncy," gasped Jillian. The next week Jillian rode Bobby and had a much more enjoyable canter.

As soon as Jane decided that all four girls could canter properly, she started them on trotting poles - "the first step to jumping!"

In the next few weeks Jillian rode Silver when Emily was away, and Crispin when Cara rode Silver. She also rode another horse, a grey Arab, Thundercloud when Bobby went lame.

It was on Bobby that she did her first jump. They had all trotted and cantered around while Jane had been doing something in the corner of the school with blocks and poles. Finally she stood up to reveal a small cross pole, about six inches off the ground. She explained to the girls how they would go into the jumping position, as the horse was just about to jump. Louise, Cara and Emily all did successful first jumps and then it was Jillian's turn. She trotted Bobby towards the jump, then, as he jumped, leant forward, and suddenly, he was clear and they were trotting away. Jillian felt elated, over the moon. She had just done her first jump! She patted Bobby until her black gloves were almost completely covered in brown horsehair.
"Well done!" congratulated Jane.

Over the weeks Jillian and Bobby jumped bigger and bigger until they could clear two feet easily.

Then, one day Jane told them she would be organising a show that would take place on the 28th of May, a Sunday. They had to decide which ponies they were riding. She took ten folded bits of paper out of her pocket. Each of the girls picked one and opened it. The person with the lowest number picked first, etcetera. Jillian looked at her piece of paper. She had number eight. Louise was sure to be before her and pick Bobby!

Cara and Emily got three and six. Cara chose Crispin and Emily Silver. Then Jane called, "Seven? Anybody seven? No? Eight?"
"Me!" exclaimed Jillian. "Bobby!"
"Okay, Jillian…Bobby," mumbled Jane as she wrote in her notebook. Louise scowled with all her might. She got Patch.
*
The day of the show was an overcast day, but the weather forecast said it wouldn't rain. Jillian got down to the stables early to groom Bobby. She didn't know how to plait his mane or tail yet, but Jane said it didn't matter. Jillian was entering in the under two feet jumping. So was Louise. Bobby hadn't been ridden that day so he was quite frisky. She tacked him up and led him out. People were trotting around the arena, warming up their horses. Jillian joined them. Her class was first. Jane and a few other people were already setting up the course. Suddenly Jane called that everyone was to leave the arena except the people entering in the next class, who could stay to walk the course. Jillian walked Bobby over to the first jump. It looked huge. Another girl was looking at it too.
"Hello," she said, "I'm Ann. It looks huge doesn't it? Who're you?"
"Jillian. Yes, it does look huge." Ann was riding Thundercloud.
"Is he a good jumper?" asked Jillian.
"He's alright," answered Ann. They moved on to the next jump. By the time they got to the end of the course they were both truly terrified. But Jane was calling through the megaphone, "Will you please clear the course!" so they had to go. Jillian would be the last to go, and she couldn't bear to watch anyone else, so she took Bobby back to his stable and groomed him more. Ann came too. She leant against Thundercloud and talked.
"I'm moving schools," she said.
"To where?" asked Jillian.
"St. Patrick's."
"Really! I go there!"
"So I'll have a friend at last," thought Jillian.
But then they heard the megaphone calling, "Would Ann Fisher on Thundercloud please enter the arena!"
"Yikes!" cried Ann. She dragged Thundercloud over to the mounting block and leaped on. Then they trotted away. Jillian dropped her grooming brush, led Bobby to the mounting block and swung up into the saddle. Then she walked Bobby down to the arena.

Ann and Thundercloud were at the third jump. Thundercloud had just refused. Ann took him back again and he jumped, then the fourth jump and the fifth. They were finished with only three faults.
"She's in first place," mumbled a woman. Then came the megaphone, "Will Jillian Kingsley on Bobby please enter the arena!" Jane opened the gate and Jillian went in and Ann went out.

Jillian trotted Bobby in a circle. Then she heard a bell. It meant she could go. All of a sudden she knew what to do. She knew that she and Bobby could do it. She knew they would. She turned Bobby towards the first jump. It didn't seem so huge anymore. It was a red and white straight pole. They flew it. Next, hay bales. Clear. A wall made of light foam bricks. Clear. A small tray with water in it a pole on top. Bobby hesitated. Jillian pushed him on. They were clear. It was only the last one now, a big, blue spread. They soared over it. They had won!
"Bobby," Jillian whispered into her horse's ear as they walked out of the arena, "You are my best friend."
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