"Stevie, how many times have I told you, you're not going to pick up the correct lead if you lean over like that!" Max Regnery bellowed as Stevie and Lisa urged their horses in to the canter, "You too, Lisa! Straighten up!"

Carole smiled to herself. Her friends weren't the best riders, but it was amazing to see how much the both of them had improved since starting to ride at Pine Hollow. She even noticed these changes in herself; Max's training style of pushing everyone to their limits certainly was successful.

"Carole! Get over here, and help me set a course!" Max shouted over to her pulling some jump poles out of the arena corners.

"Coming, Max," Carole said as she leapt to her feet and jogged across the arena.

Lisa, Stevie, Belle, and Prancer were all breathing heavily from their intense lesson. The horses were turning frothy with sweat. The unforgiving July weather had finally made itself known.

"I can feel the sweat dripping down my back," Stevie said to Lisa, pulling Belle up to walk beside Prancer, "That means it's way too hot."

"Ew," Lisa winced at her friend's unneeded observation, "Did I really need to know that?"

"Girls!" Max shouted, "Left lead, start with this little vertical. Let's go!"

As Prancer and Belle began to canter off, Carole wandered back across the outdoor ring and back to the stable. Veronica was standing in front of Garnet as Red lifted her cumbersome dressage saddle on to the horse's back. He looked frustrated, and Veronica looked characteristically snide. A sound of a heavy truck and trailer was heard rumbling down the gravel driveway, and Max shouted to Red, who took the chance to bolt away from the beck and call of Veronica.

"Who's bringing horses?" Carole meant to wonder to herself, but accidentally asked out loud.

"The Dunavy's," Veronica huffed, "I thought you should know since you're president of Sean's fan club and all."

"How many do they have?" Carole asked, ignoring Veronica's jab.

"They have dozens, obviously," Veronica replied, "But they're only bringing two to stay out here at Pine Hollow. The rest of their horses are kept at their private stable. I've been there you know. I've been there lots of times. I've ridden almost all of Mrs. Dunavy's grand prix horses."

By the time Veronica had finished her gloating, Carole was halfway down the barn aisle. She walked purposefully out the other end of the barn. She peered outside just in time to see Red and Denise unloading two horses off the impressive trailer belonging to Katherine Dunavy. The first horse, lead by Denise, was a stunning, shiny dapple grey stallion. He looked huge, about eighteen hands, bigger than any other horse at Pine Hollow. The horse led by Red was also tall about seventeen hands, and was an impressive solid black gelding, with four white stockings and a huge blaze.

"Talk about a dream horse!" Red said to Carole, "This boy is stunning!"

"He really is!" Carole replied as she followed the horses in to the barn.

"The grey is called Tuscan Current in the grand prix. They call him T.C. at home. Have you heard of him, Carole?" Denise said, as she slipped out of T.C.'s new stall.

"Tuscan Current? Oh you're joking! Of course I've heard of him. He qualified to go to the Olympics last year, but an injury kept him at home. He's beautiful," Carole looked in fondly at the stallion, who was already cheek deep in his hay.

"Not a bad temperament for a stallion either," Denise commented, "But this boy's got the looks, it's the biggest shame they've gelded him." She gestured toward the magnificent black gelding with all the markings.

"The call him Leo, his show name is Great Northern. This is Sean's junior hunter," Red explained to Carole and Denise.

"He's in the Junior Hunters?" Carole asked stunned.

"Well he's supposed to be," Red chuckled, "Katherine is hoping Max can improve his eye for distances before he moves up to the three-six."

"Well, I'm impressed!" Denise shrugged, "Man, Max is earning quite the reputation around here."

Carole slunk away from Red and Denise, who continued to chat about the new horses. She felt impressed, and jealous. Mostly the latter. Carole had just moved up to the Intermediate Children's Hunter division at two-six. She was supposed to be the best rider at Pine Hollow.

"Carole!" Stevie shouted, snapping Carole out of her thoughts, as she and Lisa rode their horses over to her, "Hop on Starlight bareback. Let's go take a trail ride."

"Okay," Carole agreed with a smile.

Carole dashed over to the tack room and pulled out Starlight's bridle and hoof pick. A trail ride with the Saddle Club was just what she needed to life her spirits after the crushing news. She carefully, but quickly slid in to Starlight's stall and picked the rocks and bedding out of his feet and then put the bridle on him.

"Come on, boy," she urged the buckskin, "Let's go for a ride!"

Starlight obediently followed Carole out of his stall and down the aisle as Carole buckled her helmet. They joined Stevie, Lisa, Prancer, and Belle out back and Carole swung her leg up and over her horse's back.

"Let's go," Carole said to her friends, and they all urged their horses to trot up the grassy hill that started their favorite of Pine Hollow's trails.

"Gosh, that lesson was rough," Lisa, who was leading, called backwards to her friends.

"I don't think I'll be able to walk or ride for another month!" Stevie agreed, "You really lucked out Carole. When's your lesson this week?"

"I had a lesson at eight this morning, and I have one at eight tomorrow, too," Carole called up.

"Little miss private lesson now, huh?" Stevie teased.

The girls and their horses reached the huge grassy clearing, so they began to walk along beside each other.

"So speaking of private lessons, did you see the black horse get off the trailer during your lesson?" Carole asked her friends.

"Yes!" Lisa and Stevie squealed in unison.

"That's Sean Dunavy's junior hunter," Carole said, trying to sound flat.

"Wow!" Lisa gasped, "The Juniors? Isn't that three-six? That's impressive." Lisa's heart fluttered. This Sean Dunavy was sounding dreamier by the minute.

"He's not quite in the three-six yet," Carole nearly snapped at Lisa, "He can't move up until Max fixes his eye."

"Well that doesn't take long with Max," Stevie said.

"It shouldn't take long when your mom is Katherine Dunavy either," Carole huffed.

"Temper, temper," Stevie jested, "I still haven't seen this Sean kid, where's he?"

"I'll bet he gets to ride dozens of horses every day," Lisa blurted, "Doesn't that sound perfect?"

"That would be nice," Carole agreed. Starlight let out a loud whiny in protest. The girls giggled at the perfect timing. "Don't worry Starlight, the only horse I need is you," Carole patted him on the neck.

"Well who cares how many horses he has?" Stevie asked loudly, "I wanna see what he's like!"

"Sounds like you've got a crush," Carole giggled, "And you haven't even met yet."

"Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't do that to Phil," Stevie said with a wave of her hand, "C'mon race you back to the stable!" Stevie thumped her legs of Belle's sides and the mare took off for home. Carole wheeled Starlight around and squeezed him to full speed. Lisa gave her friends a decent head start, and then with a resigned sigh, urged Prancer to canter after the rest of the Saddle Club.