Star Gazer Read online

“Oh, no,” Jordan said, feeling sorry for her friend. “That’s terrible.” Jacob had worked so hard to prepare his team. Jordan was sure he could have beat Sutton this year.

  Daniel found them and motioned for Jordan to bring Star Gazer over. “It’s time to get you to the holding area for your competition,” he said. He pulled out a rub rag and flicked it over Star’s coat to bring out the shine. After making a few last-minute adjustments to the equipment, he led them out of the ring.

  Jordan exited the arena, but she shook her head when he pointed the way to the holding pen.

  “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?” Daniel asked, concern etched on his boyish face.

  “Nope,” Jordan said as she drove Star Gazer straight toward the barn. Daniel and Nicole hurried along after her, trying to figure out what she was doing. Her mother and Mr. Miller looked up in confusion when she entered the barn.

  “We were just getting ready to go to the show ring to watch you,” her mother said.

  Jordan saw Jacob walking Duke up and down the aisle, trying to keep the horse’s upset stomach from getting worse. “What are you doing here?” Jacob asked. “Your class enters the arena in ten minutes. You can’t quit now. You’ve worked too hard for this.”

  “I’m not quitting,” Jordan said as she led Star into her stall and removed her harness.

  “Then what are you doing?” Jacob asked. He looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

  “I’m loaning you my horse,” Jordan said. “Star Gazer and King pull really well together. I want all of you to beat Gilbert Sutton.”

  Mr. Miller gave her an approving nod and turned to his son. “Daniel, could you run to the judge’s stand and tell them there’s been a switch in the team? Give them Star’s name so they can substitute her in for Duke.”

  “But you worked so hard for this,” Jacob said to Jordan. “This is your chance to prove yourself and Star.”

  Jordan reached up and lovingly straightened Star Gazer’s forelock and gave the mare a kiss on her whiskered muzzle. “I think we’ve proved ourselves to everyone who really counts.” She handed Star’s reins to Jacob and took Duke’s lead rope in return. “You can prove Star Gazer to the town. Now hurry up and get the horses harnessed. I’ll get my chance at it next year.”

  Jordan took over walking Duke slowly up and down the aisle while the others worked to get the new team ready to go.

  Mrs. McKenzie approached her daughter, being careful not to get in the way of the big draft horse with the colic problem. “Dr. Smith is on the way,” she said. “He’s going to walk Duke for you so you can watch Jacob and Star compete. Nicole and I are going to our seats. We’ll meet you there.”

  A few minutes later the veterinarian arrived. Jordan handed Duke over to him and ran to the arena. It didn’t take her long to find their seats.

  “Daniel goes first.” Mrs. McKenzie pointed to where Daniel and his team stood in front of the set of logs. “The announcer explained that competitors are allowed to have someone help hook the load, so his father is out there with him.”

  Jordan watched Daniel move his horses into position. He looked nervous and out of sorts to her, not his usual steady self. When the logs were hooked, she heard him shout, “Candy, Suzie, walk up!”

  The team moved toward the first set of obstacles. They made a good pass, but on the second set Jordan thought the team went a little wide. Daniel looked behind him as he walked, keeping a steady eye on the load to make sure the logs were skidding where he wanted them.

  The crowd uttered a collective “Oh!” when one of the poles hit a marker and moved it several inches. Daniel made it through the rest of that pass okay, but after he turned his team to make the final run back through, he hit two more markers before reaching the finish line.

  Jordan felt badly for Daniel. Nerves must have gotten the best of him. He’d had many perfect runs in the field at his farm.

  They sat back and watched a few more teamsters compete, but those men had even more faults than Daniel. It reminded Jordan of just how tough this competition really was.

  The spectators suddenly got to their feet and applauded. Jordan craned her neck to see what was happening and spotted Mr. Sutton driving his team up to the set of logs. She leaned forward to get a better view. He was supposed to be the best of the best. And although she didn’t like the man, she could probably learn a lot by watching him.

  Mr. Sutton gave his team of Percherons the cue to begin, and Jordan watched in reluctant admiration as the man made the entire run with only one small fault at the end. He was in the lead now. Jacob was the last competitor of the day and he had his work cut out for him. She looked over to where he stood waiting for his turn. He pulled the hat from his head and smoothed his hair. Jordan knew he was thinking the same thing she was: Sutton would be almost impossible to beat

  “Jacob’s up now,” Nicole said, clapping along with the crowd. “And Star looks great!””

  Too nervous to speak, Jordan watched her friend position Star and King for the hooking of the load. The horses looked every bit as beautiful as Sutton’s team had. She leaned forward to get a better view and held her breath, waiting for the command to start.

  “King, Star…walk up!” Jacob called to his team.

  The horses leaned into their collars and strained to get the load moving. There was a moment of hesitation when Jordan was sure Star was going to pull for the outside fence, but Jacob steadied his lines and guided the horses toward the markers.

  Jordan’s heart pounded in her chest. She gripped the seat in front of her as she watched every move Jacob and his team made. Jacob kept his eye on the horses and the logs, calculating the movement of the poles as they went. The crowd let out an enthusiastic yell when the team completed the first pass and made the turn to come back through the markers.

  Star’s ears swiveled, and Jordan sucked in her breath as the evener at the back of the harness rigging started to rotate, meaning one horse was pulling more than the other.

  “Star, no!” she cried as she saw the telltale sign: Star Gazer was contemplating a run to the outside fence. She felt lightheaded and forced herself to breathe deeply again.

  Jacob hollered to his team and made a quick correction on the reins, forcing Star Gazer back in line with King. The horses strained with the weight of the logs and made it past the first marker and onto the next.

  The crowd got on its feet, cheering wildly. Jacob was almost to the end of the markers and he hadn’t hit a single one of them yet.

  Jordan stood up and cheered with the crowd, urging King and Star on to a clean finish. When they passed the finish line, Jacob’s dad ran to help him unhook the team. Mr. Yoder patted his son on the back, and Jacob waved to the crowd as they shouted their approval.

  “It looks like we’ve got our only clean round,” the announcer told the crowd. “But give the judges a moment to compare notes and make a decision. While we’re waiting, I need all contestants to move to the center of the arena, please.”

  It took several minutes for the competitors to line their horses up. Jordan nibbled her nails while she waited to hear if the judges had seen something that the crowd might not have. After a few more minutes, the judge entered the ring with an armful of colorful ribbons and a large trophy.

  The microphone crackled as the announcer prepared to call the places. “In fifth place we have Daniel Miller.” The crowd clapped as the judge stepped forward and awarded Daniel a fifth-place ribbon. The boy smiled and held the ribbon in the air, then moved his team out of the arena. Third and fourth places went to people Jordan didn’t know. The crowd quieted for the calling of the last two ribbons.

  “I’d like everyone to give a round of applause for all our competitors,” the announcer said. He waited until the noise died down, then continued. “As many of you know, Gilbert Sutton has been our Log Pulling Champion for the past four years in a row and he’s done a fine job again this time around.” The crowd applauded and whistled.

  Jordan
’s heart sank. Did that mean the judges had found a mistake on Jacob’s part? Had he hit a marker that the crowd couldn’t see and Sutton had won again? Nicole reached over and squeezed her hand.

  The announcer continued. “But our first place trophy this year goes to Jacob Yoder, who guided his team to a faultless run and turned in a time five seconds faster than Sutton Farm’s team.”

  Jordan let out a whoop of glee, jumping up and down and hugging her mom and Nicole. “They did it!” she cried.

  Mr. Sutton accepted his second-place ribbon and Jordan didn’t think he looked too happy about it. But he stepped over and shook Jacob’s hand before leaving the arena.

  Jacob’s dad joined him in the arena and accepted the trophy for his son while the first-place ribbon was attached to Star Gazer’s bridle. The crowd rose and let out another deafening cheer.

  “Jacob Yoder…” The announcer dragged out the name, making it sound like an echo. “Take your team for a victory lap!”

  Jordan’s heart swelled with pride as she watched Star Gazer and King move out confidently in a high-stepping trot while Jacob ran behind them, guiding them around the ring.

  When they completed the lap, Jacob brought his team to the center of the arena and lined up beside the others. Star and King pawed the ground and shook their heavy manes, eager to be off again.

  Mrs. McKenzie turned to Jordan and gave her an approving look. “That was a really nice thing you did for Jacob,” she said. “I’m very proud of you. I wasn’t so sure about things when you first brought Star Gazer home. But you’ve done a lot of growing up since then, and you’ve worked really hard. I think that maybe we just might keep that lovable ol’ fuzz ball.”

  “You mean it, Mom?” Jordan couldn’t believe her ears.

  Mrs. McKenzie nodded. “Unless Mrs. Cannon comes up with an offer we absolutely can’t refuse,” she teased. “We do have your college fund to think about.”

  Everyone laughed and Jordan grinned broadly. “If it means keeping Star Gazer, I’ll shovel a gazillion driveways to pay for college.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” her mother said.

  As they made their way down to the arena, Jordan connected eyes with Jacob and he waved for her to join him.

  “Hurry up, you guys,” Jacob called. “The photographer is waiting!”

  He slapped Jordan a high-five when she reached him, then he handed her the reins to the winning team. At Jordan’s puzzled look, he explained. “You saved the day, Jordie. If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t be standing here with a blue ribbon right now. This belongs to you just as much as it does me. After the photo, I want you to take your own victory lap with Star Gazer and King.”

  Jordan smiled so big, her cheeks hurt. As she looked at the crowd, she wondered why she had thought it so important to prove herself to all of them. The people who really counted were right here in the photo with her.

  They posed for the camera, then Jordan asked Mr. Miller to hold the reins for a moment while she walked to the front of the team and took Star Gazer’s proud head in her hands. The mare lowered her muzzle so Jordan could plant a big kiss on it. “Next year,” Jordan promised. “We’ll get our chance at competition. But for now, let’s show ’em what we’ve got.”

  Jordan gathered the reins from Mr. Miller and took her position behind the team. “King! Star!” she shouted to be heard above the roar of the crowd. “Trot up!”

  author’s note

  Known for their large size, kind temperament, and steady ways, the draft horse has a proud history dating back hundreds of years.

  Through the centuries, the draft has been a war horse, a carriage horse, a freight puller, an artillery/gun horse, and a steadfast plow horse that has helped farmers feed nations. While today drafts can be seen in horse shows or on the trails, they are also still used as the main source of tilling the land in Amish Country in the Midwest.

  The draft horse is gifted with a wide body, deep chest, thick powerful neck, large muscled hindquarters, and short powerful legs.

  Chris Platt and her draft horse Celah

  Despite their short legs, the draft is a tall horse, usually standing between 16 to 18 hands high at the withers. (A “hand” is 4 inches, a measurement derived from the average width of a human hand. “Withers” refers to the ridge between a horse’s shoulder bones.) The tallest drafts have been measured between 19 and 21 hands. An average draft horse can range between 1600 and 2200 pounds, with some smaller breeds weighing less, and other larger breeds weighing more.

  Information regarding some of the most popular breeds of draft horses can be found at the following websites:

  The Percheron Horse Association of America

  www.percheronhorse.org

  The Belgian Draft Horse Corp of America

  www.belgiancorp.com

  Clydesdale Breeders of the USA

  www.clydsesusa.com

  The American Shire Horse Association

  www.shirehorse.com

  about the author

  CHRIS PLATT has been riding horses since she was two years old. At the age of sixteen, she earned her first gallop license at a racetrack in Salem, Oregon. Several years later, she became one of the first women jockeys in that state. Chris has also trained Arabian endurance horses and driven draft horses. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Nevada in Reno, she decided to combine her love of horses with her writing. Chris lives in Nevada with her husband, six horses, three cats, a parrot, and a potbellied pig. Her previous books include the award-winning MOON SHADOW, STORM CHASER, WILLOW KING, ASTRA, RACE THE WIND, and many books in the popular THOROUGHBRED series. Visit chrisplattbooks.com for more information.

  All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2011 by Chris Platt

  Cover illustration copyright © 2011 by Paul Bashem

  Cover design by Maureen Withee

  ISBN:978-1-4976-3722-1

  This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

  345 Hudson Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

  EBOOKS BY CHRIS PLATT

  FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA

  Available wherever ebooks are sold

  Open Road Integrated Media is a digital publisher and multimedia content company. Open Road creates connections between authors and their audiences by marketing its ebooks through a new proprietary online platform, which uses premium video content and social media.

  Videos, Archival Documents, and New Releases

  Sign up for the Open Road Media newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.

  Sign up now at

  www.openroadmedia.com/newsletters

  FIND OUT MORE AT

  WWW.OPENROADMEDIA.COM

  FOLLOW US:

  @openroadmedia and

  Facebook.com/OpenRoadMedia