Crown Prince Challenged (28 page)

For a brief moment, a pained look spread across Paige's face at the mention of Tim. Then she recovered. “Yeah, but lots of summer people were still in the cottages, and horses weren't allowed on the beach. So we just rode to the end of Dune Grass Lane. There's a fantastic view of the beach from there. It was high tide, with big waves, and Quarry was totally turned on, prancing with his tail up! I don't think he had ever seen the ocean before.” She reached down to stroke Quarry's neck. “Well, today he's going to gallop close to it and maybe walk in the waves!”

Sarah laughed. “The pulley rein may come in handy.”

“Fanny will leave your two Thoroughbreds in the dust,” Kayla said, “at least for the first quarter of a mile. That's why they're called Quarter Horses.”

The three girls rode their horses to the end of the farm road, crossed Ridge Road, and with Paige in the lead, started on the trail to the beach. Prince had gone on several group trail rides last fall, and now he was relaxed going out with other horses. They wove their way in back of the Quimby Farm, where gentle meadows flowed into a wooded countryside. This was a working farm that was home to a large dairy herd, and at one point the trail ran parallel to a pasture where cows were grazing. Prince snorted when two of the cows approached the fence to get a better look at the horses.

Paige looked back at Sarah and laughed. “If Prince is going to live in the country, he'd better learn not to be afraid of cows!”

It's great to hear a joke from Paige,
Sarah thought.
She's so darned serious these days.

“Do you think Rita would have wanted to ride with us today?” Kayla asked.

Paige twisted around in her saddle to answer. “After what happened to Taco last summer, Rita was easier to deal with and more civilized. But it didn't last. Now she's back to her old ways, and lately she's been totally obnoxious. I, for one, am glad she's not here.”

“Rita is funny,” Kayla said. “Sometimes she's really nice, but if things don't go her way, she can turn on you real fast.”

After they'd ridden past the farm, the trail broadened into what had been an old logging road. “Let's trot,” Paige called back. The horses picked up the faster gait, and ten minutes later they arrived at a main road leading to Yardley village. Once it was clear of traffic, they crossed the road and turned onto Dune Grass Lane, heading directly to the beach. Paige swung Quarry to the right. “We're supposed to always ride on the right side of the road, with traffic,” Paige said. “I guess that's so horses won't be frightened by cars coming directly at them.”

The cottages lining the road appeared to be unoccupied, but with Memorial Day right around the corner, this whole area would soon be bustling with activity. The sound of the ocean surf in the distance became increasingly louder as the horses walked briskly along the road. “It won't be long now,” Sarah said. Prince was moving with his head high, looking ahead with his ears pricked.

As they approached the last cottage on the dead end road, two small children came running out of the yard to get a closer look at the horses. A woman on the cottage's porch warned the kids to keep their distance. The family waved to the riders as they passed. “Your horses are beautiful!” the woman called out as they went by.

The girls waved back, and Paige asked, “Doesn't the path to the beach start along here somewhere?”

“The opening is on the other side of that big maple tree,” the woman said, pointing. “Have a good ride!”

As Prince followed Quarry onto the sandy beach path, Sarah could feel him becoming increasingly anxious. His walk was animated and he continually chomped on the bit. When they came over the top of a large sand dune, a spectacular panorama of sand and ocean stretched before them. Prince stood like a statue, frozen in place, as he stared incredulously at the waves and the gulls swooping onto the sandy beach. Quarry and Fanny were equally transfixed. The ocean breeze whipped their manes in all directions as the horses took in the beach scene.

“These horses have been stuck on the farm too long,” Paige said. “I hope we can get them closer to the waves, where the sand is packed the hardest.” When she used her legs and tapped her crop on Quarry's neck, the gray horse moved forward, at first tentatively. Prince slowly followed Quarry after Sarah kicked him forward and sharply said, “Walk!” Fanny was the least affected by the strange sights and smells of the ocean, and she willingly followed the other two horses. They all gradually relaxed as they walked on the beach sand, occasionally stepping through pools of water left by the tide. The long line of cottages at the beach's edge were silent, all of them waiting for their families to return for the summer.

“Are we ready to trot?” Paige called out over the wind.

“Of course!” Kayla shouted. “Let's go!”

The three horses began trotting smartly down the beach, making good traction on the hard-packed sand as they pulled on the reins to go faster. First one and then another broke into canter, until the three horses were running slowly abreast, heading toward the far end of the beach a few miles away. Sarah had a tight hold on Prince, who tried to grab the bit and was fighting for his head. He wanted to gallop, really gallop, but Sarah didn't dare let him go faster. She wasn't sure she could pull him up in this setting, even with a pulley rein. He was psyched, and it was all she could do to hold him.

Sarah looked over at Kayla. She was smiling broadly and her face was flushed with pleasure as she rode in a two-point position in the saddle to let Fanny canter faster. Fanny's shorter legs were moving like pistons as she motored down the beach, easily keeping up with the larger horses.

Paige had a firm hold on Quarry. The former racehorse pulled hard on the bit, trying to level out and lengthen his stride. In his former life, he, too, had been trained to run fast over long distances on the track, but Paige's intermittent use of the pulley rein kept him under control.

The horses cantered down the beach, their hoofs sending the beach sand flying behind them. As they approached a flock of seagulls spread over the sand, the gulls suddenly took flight with a great flapping of wings. The three horses slowed to trot, allowing their riders to shorten their reins and slow their pace even more.

“I think we'd better walk for a while,” Kayla shouted. “Fanny's getting tired.”

“Good idea,” Sarah called back.

Soon all three horses were walking side by side, their nostrils flaring as they took quick breaths. They were exhilarated, moving with springy steps and loving the first run they'd had for a long time. Soon they neared the end of the beach, where large ledge outcroppings extended into the water.

“Look!” Paige said. “I think there's a path beside the rocks. Let's see where it goes.” With the others following, she steered Quarry away from the water and toward a worn opening that ran between the tall marsh grass and the ledge. Quarry stepped boldly onto the trail, followed by Kayla and Fanny, with Sarah and Crown Prince bringing up the rear.

“This trail's getting narrow and overgrown,” Kayla said. “Do you think it actually goes anywhere?”

“Let's see what's around this bend,” Paige replied.

After she'd negotiated the turn, Paige called back to the others. “The trail ends here with someone's compost pile. I guess it's a dead end. Time to do a one-eighty.”

“Okay,” Kayla answered. “Back to the beach.”

They had nearly turned their horses around on the narrow path when Sarah and Kayla suddenly heard Paige scream. Looking back, they saw Quarry had stepped into the marshy area beside the path and quickly sunk to such a depth that his knees and hocks were out of sight! In a panicked attempt to get out of the quagmire, Quarry began to thrash wildly, but rather than free himself from the mucky bog, his crazed movement was making him sink deeper.

“Get off him Paige!” Kayla yelled. “He's sinking!”

Paige made a tremendous lunge from the saddle toward the path, landing with her upper body on solid ground but with her legs trailing into the bog. She clawed the earth, crawling forward, until she was able to right herself on the path. Quarry continued his frenzied thrashing.

“I'm calling 911!” Sarah cried out, as she whipped out her cell. After she stabbed in the numbers, seconds seemed like hours as she waited. When nothing happened, she looked down at her phone. Her heart sank when she saw that it remained completely dark. She should have remembered. The high ridges in back of the village cut off any cell tower transmission! Quarry continued to flounder, struggling desperately to free himself. His eyes were glazed, and his frenzied fear sent white flecks of foam spewed from his mouth.

“I'm going for help!” Sarah cried. “But in the meantime, you've got to keep him from struggling. It's just making him sink deeper. Can you get the reins?”

“I'll try!” Paige said, choking back a sob. She got down on her knees and leaned out to grab Quarry's reins. When she was able to pull them over his head, she made contact with his mouth to try to keep him still and calm him. “I've got him,” Paige called. “Go for help!”

Sarah swung Crown Prince sharply toward the open beach. Her mind locked onto the cottage they'd passed on Dune Grass Lane where the woman with the children would surely have a phone to call a rescue service! Sarah immediately leaned forward and extended her arms, giving Prince his head, as she kicked her heels hard against his sides. “Run, Prince,” she cried. “Run! Run!”

As if he understood the urgency of the situation, her horse bolted forward. In a matter of seconds, he was in a full gallop, his giant strides swallowing up the beach. Long and low he moved, going faster and faster. As his strides lengthened, his action was breathtakingly smooth and fast. He ran as he had been bred to run! The blood of generations of champion Thoroughbreds coursed through his veins, and now he displayed the same brilliant speed they had shown on the race course. But instead of running for glory and a pot of gold, Crown Prince ran to save Quarry's life!

Sarah had never imagined a horse could run this fast. She lay low over his neck, clinging desperately to his mane as Prince flew down the two-mile beach. The wind whipping against her face made tears stream down her cheeks while Prince ran with free rein, sprinting as he pleased. After he had been running at top speed for what seemed an eternity, Sarah lifted her head, trying to see ahead. Prince would have to slow down if they were going to negotiate the beach path that would take them to Dune Grass Road. She squinted her eyes to focus.
Oh, my God!
The end of the beach was only a hundred yards ahead. She had to stop him!

AS CROWN PRINCE THUNDERED
down the beach toward the steep dune banks, Sarah sat up in the saddle and shortened her reins. “Whoa, Prince!” she cried. She positioned the reins to use as a pulley and then pulled with all her strength on the right rein. A great wave of relief washed over her when she felt her horse slow slightly. She pulled again, and he slowed his pace even more. Soon Prince was under her control, coming back to trot and then walk just as they reached the sand dunes. She rode him up the sandy path toward Dune Grass Lane.

Once on the road, she stroked his neck, now wet with sweat from his bullet run down the beach, as she guided him up the driveway of the last cottage. There was no one in sight, and Sarah called out loudly. “Help! Can someone please help?” The front door burst open and the woman they'd seen earlier strode out onto the porch.

“My friend's horse has gotten mired in the marsh at the other end of the beach!” Sarah cried, riding Prince closer. “Do you have a phone to call the Yardley Rescue?”

“Of course! But they'll need to know just where the horse is—can you tell me?” the woman asked.

“All I know is he's at the end of the beach where the ledge extends into the water. He's down pretty deep.”

The woman hurried inside and, with the door still open, Sarah could hear her phone conversation with a dispatcher. “A horse is mired in the marsh at the far end of the beach in Yardley! He's down pretty deep close to where the ledge goes out into the water. The horse's owner is there with him. Please hurry!”

When the woman reappeared, Sarah thanked her and made another request. “I also need to call Brookmeade Farm to let them know what's happened. Could you please make another call in Yardley?”

The woman thought a minute. “You know, if you can get off your horse and lead him closer to this doorway, I think my phone cord will extend so you can make the call yourself.”

“Awesome,” Sarah said, dismounting from Crown Prince. “I know the number.”

After she'd run up her irons, Sarah led Prince to the doorway and accepted the phone the woman handed her.
Please let someone be in the office!
Sarah thought. She was thankful when the phone rang only once before Kathleen picked up.

“Oh, Kathleen,” Sarah said, her voice shaky. “Something awful happened to Quarry! He's mired in a boggy part of the marsh at the end of the beach, and someone just called 911 to have him rescued.”

Kathleen was immediately alarmed. “Where are you?” she asked. “And I need the phone number there so Jack can call you right back. He's teaching now, but I'll run and get him.”

Sarah handed the phone back to the woman and asked her to give Kathleen the number. As she hung up, the woman said, “By the way, I'm Anne Winfield. You have a magnificent horse!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Winfield. I'm Sarah Wagner, and this is Crown Prince. He just gave me the ride of my life. I can't believe how fast he ran down the beach!”

Prince's nostrils were still dilated, his breathing rapid, and his coat lathered with sweat. Sarah knew she had to get him moving. She quickly removed his saddle and circled her horse in the short driveway while she waited for Jack's call. The two children Sarah had seen earlier appeared from the house, and she was relieved when their mother gave them firm orders not to get close to the horse.