Please, please, please say I got in, Anna prayed as she stared at the cream-coloured envelope, with a perfect purple seal right in the middle. She had waited for this moment for years. Now finally, that dream could come true! Her hands reached slowly across the marble benchtop of her kitchen to grasp the letter. In one swift movement, she tore open the seal and unfolded the paper inside. Somehow, even the paper felt expensive! She took a deep breath…
Dear Miss Huxley,
It is a pleasure to announce that you are officially accepted in the Birchwood Estate Riding School. Please see the attached list of items you will need to bring. School starts at 9:00am on the 15th of February. We hope to see you then! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Eliza Capely, Birchwood Estate Principal.
Oh. My. God.
“Yes, yes, YES!” Anna squealed happily. Mrs Huxley came bounding into the kitchen.
“Did you get in?!” she asked, hands clasped together in prayer. Anna paused for dramatic effect. Then nodded.
“I got in, Mum! I did it!” Anna smiled, and her Mum’s face lit up with excitement.
“That’s amazing, Anna! I’m so proud of you!” Mrs Huxley’s dark brown curls bounced up and down as she clasped her daughter in a tight hug.
“I have to tell Abbie and Callie!” Anna said to her as she rushed out the door to her nextdoor neighbour’s house. Abbie was Anna’s neighbour.
Abbie Mills was her best friend, who just so happened to be her neighbour. She also owned five acres of land, which she used to keep both her horse and Anna’s. Anna rushed up to the front door of her small red-brick house. She knocked twice. Pattering footsteps raced to the door and it creaked open.
“Did you get in?” Abbie whispered.
“Yep!” Anna replied, a huge smile on her face, hardly containing her excitement.
“Me too!” Abbie screamed with an even bigger grin, and held out her hand for a high-five. Anna slapped it, and they sped down to the back door, wrenched it open, and ran down to the paddocks their horses were kept in.
First up is Bagel, Abbie’s adorable little Welsh pony gelding. Bagel stuck his chestnut head out of his steel shelter, mouth full of hay, and nickered in greeting.
“Bagel, come here bud!” Abbie called out to him as he trotted over on chubby little legs. Upon realizing she didn’t have a treat for him, he shook his flaxen mane in annoyance. Bagel’s four white socks were covered in dirt from rolling in the mud, as was the broad white blaze running down his face. Abbie laughed at his antics as she tugged his purple halter and lead rope off the fence.
Anna headed down to the next paddock to grab her horse. His name was Creamy. Creamy was her cremello Quarter horse gelding, his delicate pale colour shining in the sun, looking up at Anna with the sweetest, softest pink nose on Earth. In her opinion, he was the cutest horse ever! Creamy was already at the fence by the time she got there, hitting his hoof on the gate impatiently. Anna chuckled to herself as she slipped his turquoise halter and lead rope onto his face.
Anna led Creamy over to Abbie and Bagel, and they both started to attach the lead rope across the horses’ necks and onto the opposite halter ring. It made for a quick and simple bridle. Anna walked Creamy over to the fence and used it as a mounting block to leap onto his back. Abbie does the same, and they click their horses into a smooth canter down to the road. Both Anna and Abbie can ride bareback. It’s really handy for times like these when they need to make a quick getaway.
They canter the horses down the street and turn right at the end of the road. Anna nudged Creamy to go faster when Bagel and Abbie started to overtake them. By the time they got to their destination, both horses were hot and sweaty after the race, blowing steamy air from their nostrils. Where was the destination? Callie Newfolk’s house.
Callie was another one of Anna’s best friends. She was already out the front of her property, dismounting her horse, Toby. Toby was gorgeous. He was a grey Lipizzaner, with a dark, smokey muzzle, and a perfectly trimmed mane and tail. She took his polished black reins in one hand and walked over as she saw the exhausted horses.
“Hey guys, what’s up? Me and Tobes just finished a trail ride to celebrate!” Callie said as she flicked a strand of golden hair behind her shoulder. Abbie and Anna exchanged confused looks.
“What are you celebrating, exactly?” asked Abbie.
“Getting into Birchwood, duh!” Callie laughed. “Wait, did you guys get in?” Her face suddenly dropped its smile, becoming worried.
“Oh!” Anna sighed as it came back to her. “We got in too!” she gestured to herself and Abbie.
“Awesome!” Callie resumed her happy smile. “We can all go together!”
“Do you know who else got in?” Anna asked Callie. She shook her head.
“All I know is that, including us, there are thirteen people in our class this year.” Callie glanced up at the sky and sighed. “I still have no idea how I made it. This is the best day ever!”
“You picked a good day for a sleepover then, didn’t you?” Abbie chuckled. “Your day is about to get even better!”
As they put their horses in Toby’s paddock to rest, Anna couldn’t help but have a feeling that this year was going to be extra special.
Snow and Sleet Mix, Clearing at Night
