In between summer camp riding classes, the girls of The
Saddle Club are each busy with their own individual projects.
Carole is anxiously awaiting the birth of Cobalt and
Delilah’s foal. The vet is there practically everyday checking on the expectant
mother. She includes Carole in every step of the process, and even lets her tag
along with her on another horse birth call. It’s pretty much all Carole can
think about.
Max has a special project for Stevie. There’s an adult
competition coming up at the stables, and Max wants something for the younger
riders to do, so he comes up with a gymkhana, a competition with a bunch of
silly games. He asks Stevie to pretty much be in charge of the whole thing. She
tries to come up with a whole bunch of new games, things with hula-hoops, which
spook the horses, and laser tag, even though she can’t actually get ahold of
that. She just wants something more exciting than the old egg in a spoon
standby.
Lisa at first feels left out with nothing of her own to do,
but then she comes up with an idea. In order to be a real club, Lisa thinks The
Saddle Club needs all sorts of rules and a mission statement. She spends a long
time writing them up, and makes copies for each of the girls. She calls a
meeting to ratify them, but Carole and Stevie are so busy they forget about it.
So Lisa ratifies them herself, since she was the only one present at the
meeting.
A new girl from France, Estelle, does have time for Lisa.
She tells Lisa all about how she’s been riding since she was little, and about
this magnificent white stallion of hers that she had to leave back in France.
However, she doesn’t seem to have very good control over the stable horses.
Lisa just figures it must be difference in American and French riding and
teaching styles.
Lisa tries to set up yet another meeting, but Stevie and
Carole both miss it again. Lisa had intended on asking them if Estelle could
join, but goes ahead and makes her a member all by herself. Estelle doesn’t
seem as excited as Lisa thought she would be, though.
One day after camp, things happen so it’s just the three
girls left at the stables, and of course, that’s when Delilah decides to go
into labor. They try contacting the vet, but she won’t be able to make it for
about an hour and a half. Carole has learned what to do to get Delilah ready,
though, and is able to do what she can, with Stevie and Lisa’s help. Then the
three of them clear out and give Delilah privacy, but continue watching from
the next stall. Before too long, Delilah gives birth to her foal, which is jet
black, just like Cobalt was. When the adults get back to the stables, Max,
tells Carole she can name him. She chooses Samson, natch.
The three girls realize how well they worked together, and
that they’ve missed doing that. So Carole and Lisa help Stevie work on her
games for the gymkhana. They decide they should do the egg and spoon game,
which turns out to be a lot of fun when they try it out.
Lisa has to fess up to the others and tell them there are
actually four members of The Saddle Club now. Stevie and Carole are not
pleased. They’ve known from the beginning the Estelle didn’t know what the hell
she was doing on a horse. When Lisa tries to relay some of Estelle’s stories,
Carole is able to shoot them down quickly with facts, like there’s actually no
such thing as a white horse, and that horses are unable to throw up. Lisa
realizes everything Estelle has told her has been a lie, and she has to kick
her out of the club. Estelle says she doesn’t want to be in the club anyway,
and ends up quitting riding altogether.
Oh, and Lisa gets rid of all the rules. She realizes that
the club is a real one with or without them.
o
Max keeps an eye on their grades in school, and
won’t let them ride unless their grades are satisfactory.
o
Lisa buys each of the girls, including Estelle,
a horse head pin. When Estelle quits, she throws it back at Lisa, so now
they’ve got an extra fourth pin.
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