Champions Until the End

Chapter Sixteen

I lied, I'm probably going to make this longer then just twenty chapters, because of two reasons: One, that's far too short for this book. Two, I have a lot more ideas for what I want to write. So... yay, you guys get more chapters!

I started whipping my head around frantically, trying to see if Duchess was still nearby. No sign of a tall, cremello Akhal-Teke mare. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. No use in panicking and getting nothing done. I gathered the aspects of the scene, noticing that both her halter and lead rope were gone, so she hadn't found a way to pull her halter off. Maybe she had undone the slipknot I had used to tie her, but I thought that it wasn't likely. Duchess had seemed pretty calm by the time I had untacked her and left her to watch the showjumping. Before I could start to make a plan on how to find her, or where she could be, Mike came walking up to the trailer.

Mike didn't seem to notice that Duchess wasn't there, and I finally noticed the man walking beside him. He looked maybe a few years older then Mike, and he had shiny black hair that had way too much gel in it. His eyes were a bright green, and he stuck out a hand for me to shake as both he and Mike reached me.

"You must be Kennedy, right?" the man asked as I took his hand and he gave it a firm shake.

"Kennedy, this is Mr. Andrews. He's here scouting for people to compete in the Kentucky Five-Star." Mike explained.

"Yes, that would be me." Mr. Andrews said. I got the impression that this man liked to talk. A lot. But for now I just smiled politely and nodded, not sure if I was meant to say something or not.

"So, Kennedy, I saw your showjumping round earlier." Mr. Andrews began, and I tried, unsuccessfully, not to wince. A scout for the Kentucky Five-Star saw my disastrous round? "You handled that mare exceptionally well, and I have a feeling you would've placed high had she not spooked."

A surprised expression came over my face, but I quickly refocused on what Mr. Andrews was saying, for he had continued. "...So, I've come to extend the possibility of an invitation for you to compete in the Kentucky Five-Star, provided that you meet the standards in the cross-county and dressage later." he finished, and both him and Mike looked at me expectantly.

My jaw dropped in shock. What?? There was no way that this guy was saying that if I did well enough in the cross-country and dressage, I could go to the Kentucky Five-Star. I struggled to find something to say. "Th-thanks!" I managed, still not quite over the shock. Competing in the three day event had always been my riding dream. One of the most prestigious horse events in the world, there were only six Five-star events in the world. The Burghley Horse Trials and the Badminton Horse Trials were both in England, while Adelaide was in Australia, with Luhmühlen in Germany. Stars of Pau was the sixth, and was held in France. I had seen the Burghley Horse Trials once, when my dad had been competing. I had been eight at the time, and I had wanted to compete in a Five-star ever since.

"Of course, provided that you do get in, you would have to ride Duchess." Mike reminded me, and I nodded absentmindedly. I had figured that, which left just one problem: Duchess was still missing. I guessed that Mike would probably find that information important.

"Yeah, so, um, about Duchess..." I trailed off, not wanting to finish, but when I saw Mike and Mr. Andrews looking at me expectantly, I hurriedly tried to cover up my hesitation. "She's missing."