Winter and Horses at Bracken Read online

  WINTER AND HORSES AT BRACKEN

  The fifth in the new Bracken series

  Gillian Baxter

  Copyright © 2021 Gillian Baxter

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote certain excerpts in a review.

  Cover design by: Pixabay

  Printed in the United Kingdom

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Introduction

  Chapter one

  Chapter two

  Chapter three

  Chapter four

  Chapter five

  Chapter six

  Chapter seven

  Chapter eight

  Chapter nine

  Chapter ten

  Chapter eleven

  Chapter twelve

  Chapter thirteen

  Chapter fourteen

  Chapter fifteen

  Chapter sixteen

  Chapter seventeen

  Chapter eighteen

  Introduction

  Fifty years ago among the pony books I wrote was a series of three books about Bracken stables, 'Jump to the Stars', 'The Difficult Summer', and 'The Perfect Horse'. They were about Bobby, who worked there and fell in love with the owner, Guy, about Bobby's show jumper, Shelta and the disasters and recoveries which led to Bobby and Guy becoming engaged at the end of the third book. There, on the edge of marriage, I left them until now. Readers have asked me, over the years, what I thought happened to them since, and now that I am less able to take part in horse activities myself except through my horse owning daughters, I decided to find out. This series follows straight on with Bobby and Guy's wedding, but is set in the present day, ignoring the years in between. Not a lot has changed basically in the horse world, a few competition rules, decimal currency and metric measurement seem the main differences, but horse behaviour and riding skills remain much the same. These books are quite separate from the earlier ones but many of the characters, both human and equine, do remain the same.

  Roberta, known as Bobby, and Guy Mathews, met when Bobby was still at school and he owned Bracken Stables, a riding school and horse dealing business. Bobby proved to have a flair for show jumping and with Guy's help she was reunited with Shelta, a chestnut mare whom she used to ride for a previous owner. Over the next few years Bobby and Guy became closer as Bobby grew up and disaster overtook Guy when a plane crash and fire almost destroyed his business and put him in hospital, leaving him temporarily disabled by a severe back injury. By the end of the third 'Bracken' book Guy recovered sufficiently to feel able to propose to Bobby and the first in the new 'Bracken' series, 'Love and Horses at Bracken', tells their continuing story at Bracken and ends with the arrival of their baby, Rose. Their story went on in the sequel 'Horses and Challenges at Bracken' and in the third and fourth of the series ' People and Horses at Bracken' and 'Ambitions and Horses at Bracken. In this, the fifth in the series, an eventing tragedy leaves Guy determined to bond with a dangerous horse while Rose's Pony Club membership leads to Bobby taking on the training of a Pony Club show jumping team. Heath takes the needy father of a team member under her wing with disturbing consequences. Bobby feels threatened by Guy's relationship with one of his clients and, as winter turns to spring, she is inspired to try a new direction for her young horse herself.

  Chapter one

  It was late October, mild and breezy with showers of bright leaves blowing across the yard. Roberta Mathews closed her horse’s door and Folly put his skewbald head over it, chewing hay, so that scattered wisps blew away on the brisk wind. Heading for the tack room with the saddle and bridle Bobby glanced at her watch. Ten minutes to go before her husband, Guy’s, start time on the cross country course in France where he was a member of the British team; time to get in and turn on the television. It sometimes seemed that the only times she saw him these days were on television, riding one of his horses across intimidating fences somewhere else in the world.

  Bracken’s riding school manager, red haired Heath Dawson, who was married to their farmer neighbour, Ken, was hurrying across the yard to join her.

  ‘Mummy, wait for us,’ Bobby’s eight-year-old daughter, Rose, dishevelled, with her pony’s hair clinging to her sweater and her dark, curly hair tangled,

  was running back from the direction of the pony field. She was towing her four-year-old brother Luke with her. Luke, who was also dark haired and very like Guy, looked less keen; he had oil on his face from where he had been cleaning round the wheels on Heath’s quad bike which fascinated him more than horses.

  They piled into the house together and Rose switched on the television, already tuned to the red button service for live action. Heath and Bobby dropped onto the sofa with Luke, whom Heath loved, on Heath’s knee, and Rose crowded beside Bobby.

  The picture went straight to Guy, walking his favourite event horse, The Dark Miller, in circles at a safe distance from the start box. The Miller, a black ex-racehorse, looked magnificent, coat shining under his hard muscles, his ears pricked and eyes bright. He loved cross country but disliked being crowded near the start, which was the phobia which had put him out of racing.

  Guy had been a bit concerned about him when he spoke to Bobby on the phone the previous day. He had said that he did not think the horse felt quite right but the vet and the team manager had thought him fine.

  ‘If he does feel off and the other three are well up I might withdraw,’ he had told Bobby. ‘Good thing I’m last of us to go. Lizzie’s horse is a bit of a question mark but I’ll have plenty of time to decide after she goes.’

  Clearly, he was still going and when the score board flashed onto the screen Bobby saw why. Lizzie had been eliminated for a fall at the water, halfway round the course.

  Guy was entering the start box now, The Miller looking just as usual, on his toes and poised to go and as the flag dropped he came out between the white rails and away for the first fence at his usual speed.

  It was as they approached the water where Lizzie had been eliminated that Bobby saw the first hint of something wrong. Usually The Miller flew in to plunge through whatever the water demanded but this time, as they landed and headed on to the up-turned boat which was the next part of the combination, the horse seemed to flounder a little. He almost left a front leg behind as he jumped. Heath gasped and Bobby said, ‘Guy was right...that isn’t like The Miller.’

  There was a step up out of the water followed by a narrow brush fence and the black horse fumbled them both, tripping and then crashing through the top of the brush. Guy steadied him as they landed and patted him, letting him ease up as the course ran downhill towards the last section and the horse seemed to recover. They jumped the next two but it became obvious that Guy was nursing the horse, not going for the time, and with three fences to go The Miller was starting to labour.

  ‘He’ll pull out,’ said Heath. ‘There is something wrong.’

  Bobby knew it but she also knew that Guy would feel bound to finish if he could for the sake of the team. If there was something serious wrong they wouldn’t be able to show jump but it could be as simple as a sore foot, possible to deal with before the final phase.

  With Guy letting his horse set the pace and standing in his stirrups to help him as much as possible, they got over the last fences but almost fell at
the last. The Miller went through the finish at a trot and Guy was off and running beside him the moment they were through the flags. The commentator, who had been saying encouraging things about tired horses and good riding helping them to finish, changed to talking about the next starter but the picture stayed on Guy just long enough for the viewers to see the horse stagger and start to collapse. Dean, Guy’s groom and work rider, was rushing forward to help.

  ‘No,’ Bobby felt a sick wave of dread and Rose said, ‘Is The Miller hurt?’

  ‘I don’t know, I hope not,’ Bobby hugged her but she caught Heath’s eye and knew that she was thinking the same. That collapse had looked serious.

  The camera did not return to the scene and the commentary flowed on following the next competitor.

  ‘He’ll ring,’ Heath tried to sound confident. ‘The horse was probably just winded.’

  She stood up, lifting Luke with her.

  ‘Come on you,’ she said to him. ‘More wheels to clean.’

  She carried Luke out with her and Rose looked at Bobby, her eyes very serious.

  ‘He’s bad, isn’t he?’ she asked, and Bobby knew that she had to be truthful.

  ‘I’m afraid he might be,’ she said. ‘But we won’t know until Daddy phones.’

  That happened about an hour later.

  ‘You saw it?’ Guy’s voice sounded clipped and Bobby knew that it was bad news.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Did...did he get up?’

  ‘No,’ Guy’s voice sounded hoarse. ‘It...was over, instant. Heart, the vet said. We’re bringing him home. Ask Heath to organise Ken, usual place.’

  ‘Are you alright?’ Bobby asked him and Guy said, ‘No, but we’ll get back. Dean’s got the lorry ready.’

  ‘Guy...’ Bobby knew that there was nothing she could say to make it better. ‘I’ll tell Heath. Drive carefully. I love you.’

  Guy rang off abruptly and Bobby suspected that he was finding it hard to speak. She was glad that he had Dean Adelboya with him, he was tough and practical although he also would be upset. They were in for a harrowing journey home. She wished that she could have been there herself and for a fleeting moment she remembered Lizzie. Lizzie had been there at traumatic eventing moments in the past and there was no way that she would not be supportive now. Bobby told herself that it was a good thing. Guy would need sympathetic support. This was no time to feel jealous.

  She went sadly across the yard to tell Heath and Yolanda and to break the news gently to Rose and Luke.

  The Bracken yard was a different place these days since Guy’s string of event horses and youngsters for schooling had increased. His great win with The Miller at Burghley three years ago had brought other owners sending him horses to ride and he had added new stabling and there were two part time helpers who came in to help with the yard work. His sponsor’s nephew, Anthony, as well as Dean, rode work for him on the young horses and Dean was often away travelling with him as they came and went following the eventing circuit round the world.

  Bobby kept a row of the older stables for her show jumpers and the boxes behind the indoor school were kept for the brood mares. Heath’s riding school occupied the older part of the premises with its own tack room.

  It was breakfast time next morning when the horse box drove in after the overnight journey. Kind, obliging Ken, sorry for their sake, had dug the hole in the rough grassy area behind the barn where their old faithful grey pony, Snowdrop, and Shelta’s still born foal were buried. Bobby asked Yolanda, who worked in the riding school with Heath, to stay with the children and went to meet them. Ken had left his digger ready and when Heath rang him he came up the track from his farm in his Land Rover.

  Guy jumped down from the cab as Bobby reached it. He was white and tired, his curly brown hair dishevelled, and she could see that he was only just holding himself together. Dean did not look much better. Bobby touched Guy’s arm and for a moment he turned to her.

  ‘It was my fault,’ he said tightly. ‘I knew he wasn’t right. That bloody team pressure... If Lizzie hadn’t fallen I wouldn’t have gone...she even apologised for letting it happen.’

  “So, Lizzie had been on hand”, thought Bobby, but she knew that it was an unworthy thought. She could see the desperate loss in his eyes but then he turned back to join Dean in lowering the ramp and as Ken arrived Bobby knew that she should keep away.

  In his enclosure Dean’s donkey, Moses, was starting to bray, expecting his friend to appear and realising in his perceptive donkey way that something was wrong. It was almost too much for Guy.

  ‘Someone shut that bloody animal up,’ he said, and Bobby could hear the strangled tears in his voice. She went to find hay and some carrots and Moses quietened. Heath, who had also been watching the lorry back up, joined her.

  ‘We’re best to keep away,’ she said. ‘You go back to the kids and Yolanda can come out. Guy will want you in the house when that’s done.’

  Bobby agreed, although she was not sure that Guy would want anyone. The Miller had been so much more to him than just another horse. He had been the one to help him back to full strength after the accident when a burning building had fallen on him and broken his back. Together he and the failed racehorse had climbed up to reach the top in Guy’s chosen sport and the black horse had given him back his health and a future.

  The children had finished breakfast, Luke had gone back to his absorbing game of clearing a shallow ditch beside the donkey’s paddock. Rose had gone to her guinea pig shed to clean out Frank, his mate, and the three tiny miniature images of them that were their latest family. Yolanda offered to join the part time helpers with the morning chores for the competition horses while Bobby waited for Guy.

  ‘He’ll need coffee if nothing else,’ she said, and Bobby knew that she was right.

  Guy came in at last, having put the lorry away and checked his other horses. He thankfully accepted the coffee, sank onto the sofa, and shut his eyes.

  Bobby sat quietly beside him and took his hand. For a minute Guy said nothing and when he did speak his voice was unsteady.

  ‘He’d really gone before we finished,’ he told her. ‘He was working on that very last shred of instinct to keep going...I knew it, but I still kept him there until we got between those flags. I could have pulled up and let him go quietly.’

  ‘He wouldn’t have wanted that,’ Bobby told him. ‘He was made to keep going...he was a racing thoroughbred. That’s how they’re made. He would have hated to pull up.’

  Guy was silent for a moment and then he turned to her and Bobby saw that he was crying.

  ‘Oh Bobby...I shall miss him so much,’ he said. ‘If only I’d followed my instinct and not run him. He...he’d given me everything he could.’

  Bobby held him close and tried to control her own tears. Perhaps The Miller had only been a horse but why did that make him less important to those who had loved him.

  Later that morning, after Bobby had persuaded Guy to eat some porridge and he had slept for an hour, he came out into the yard. Bobby had sent Dean home to the lodging he had with Val and Ed Joyce who had helped and looked out for Guy since his mother died, leaving him and his brother as teenage orphans. James, Guy’s brother, was now a racehorse trainer in Wales.

  Dean had not been willing to go but he was clearly almost asleep on his feet. Bobby knew that Val would have seen what happened on her own television and would look after him.

  The first thing Guy did when he came out was to cross the yard to the competition horse’s boxes and quietly close the top door of the one which had been The Miller’s. Heath, who had worked for Guy and who had known and loved him before he met Bobby, was there when he turned round.

  ‘I am so sorry,’ she told him. ‘You were so great together. There is no way what happened was your fault.’

  She reached up to kiss him and Guy hugged her.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said, and then he turned to Bobby.

  ‘Now,’ he said. ‘Time to sort these ho
rses out. Except for a couple of novice events my season’s over until spring, so the seasoned ones can go out. Dean, Anthony and I can concentrate on the youngsters. You’ve still got events left, haven’t you Bobby? Olympia for one.’

  Bobby and Heath knew that the subject of The Miller was closed.

  Chapter two

  It might be closed for the moment but there was still the media reaction to come. Guy and his horse had been popular since their spectacular rise to fame three years ago when they had come out of obscurity to win Burghley horse trials. Since then he and his top horses, The Miller, Greystoke, and Lord of the Rings, had been eagerly followed by fans and the horse press as they travelled the world and now they all had comments to make. Most were sympathetic but there were others ready to condemn what they called forcing an obviously tiring horse and tagged it ‘flogging a dead horse.’ This started some hurtful discussion on social media and Guy became even quieter. The top eventing correspondent on ‘Horse and Hound’ was on Guy’s side but even he hinted at possible over keenness, and Guy insisted that he was right. Then Fiona, Anthony’s Aunt, who represented the horse wear firm ‘Across the Country,’ who were his main sponsors, paid them a visit.

  ‘I knew they’d have a say,’ Guy told Bobby, when her smart car drove into

  the yard and glossy blond Fiona got out, but Fiona genuinely liked Guy and her usual gushing manner, which hid her practical efficiency, was missing.

  ‘I am so sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I know you must be devastated. Take no notice of people who like the chance to criticise, Bernard and I know it was absolutely not your fault.’

  Guy thanked her and offered coffee and Bobby went in with them to make it.

  Fiona got straight down to business.

  ‘We absolutely do not want to stop sponsoring you,’ she said. ‘Although there has been some pressure from our board about it. The event season is over now and by next year this will have been forgotten. I want to make that clear. However, we do need to plan ahead. I know you have Greystoke, whom Bernard’s syndicate owns, and your bay. Will you be looking for a replacement with another at that level?’