Chapter 1

"Mom, did you get the sheet out of the laundry room yet?"asked Maeve.

"Maeve, no I did not get the blanket out of the laundry room yet, I am still getting your lunch ready for today. How about you go down and get your sheet out of the laundry room?"remarked my mom.

"Fine, I will go get it but, by the time I get upstairs please be ready. I would like to go, I am going to be late," said I. Today is a big day for me, I am going to the USPC's(United States Pony Club) Championships down in Virginia in show jumping.

"Mom, I am putting the suitcases in the car and all of Cajou's stuff," said I. Cajou is a huge Belgian Warmblood horse that my trainer owns.

"Ok, make sure that you pack everything because once we leave we are not coming back and I mean it," stated my mom.

"Mom, do we have to sit in a car for 18 hours?"whined my sister.


"Yes, Fiona this is a huge show for Maeve and if you don't want to stay home with dad or your brother then you're coming with us," said my mom.

"Ok, fine, only because I really don't want to stay home with Frank at all or dad," stated my mom.

"It's four o'clock in the morning let's go. I still need to load Cajou onto the trailer before the trailer leaves without Cajou. Let's go!" I screamed.

"Alright, alright, Maeve cool it," quietly stated my mom.


"Everyone in the car?" asked my mom.

"Yes, mom everyone is in the car. We need to be there!" I screamed again.

On the car ride to the barn we sat quietly and pretty contently. Of course my sister fell asleep and my mom turned on her favorite radio station and I just stared out the window imagining what it would be like to see myself holding a blue ribbon in my hand with my teammates.

"Mom, drop me off by south aisle and can you please pull in behind south so I can load the trunk and other stuff in. Fiona when mom pulls in can you go up top and tell the trailer driver that I am coming up with Cajou in ten minutes please," I said. I ran to south aisle in which Cajou lived in and turned on the lights.

"Good morning horsies! Cajou we have a big day," I exclaimed. "Cajou, we are going to Virginia with other horsies from this barn. Please load onto the trailer, that's all I ask of you to do today and to be good on the trailer. I love you baby boy," I stated. I opened Cajou's stall and put on Cajou's halter. I led him into the aisle and clipped him to two cross ties.

"Maeve!" exclaimed Fiona.

"What?"I questioned.

"The driver said we are leaving in forty five minutes. No one else is here yet besides Carly," said Fiona.

"Ok, great, thanks, that gives me more time to get ready," I stated.

"You're welcome! I'll grab the buckets out of his stall and give one bucket to the trailer driver and the other two buckets, I will put into the car," said Fiona.

"Ok. Thanks Fiona!" I exclaimed. I left Cajou in the middle of the aisle tied up while I went out to my locker outside and around the corner of south aisle. 28-4-17, the lock on the locker opened and I grabbed the shipping boots for Cajou's legs and a hoof pick and ran out of the locker room. I ran back into south aisle and put the shipping boots down on the ground next to Cajou.

"Cajou, please stand still I have to pick out your hooves before you get on the trailer. It is a very long drive down to Virginia and I do not want you to be bothered because your hooves are not taken care of. So, please stand still," I asked. After I cleaned out his hooves which felt like it took an hour but really it only took five minutes.

"Hey, Maevey. Are you almost ready, we have to leave soon. You have twenty minutes before loading time. Carly are you almost ready?" asked Judy.

Thank God, Cajou was standing still while I was putting the Shipping boots on. The shipping boots usually took ten minutes to put on but, now they only took....."Maeve I put everything in the care even from your locker are you almost ready? Oh, and by the way I went up to the trailer and talked to him on where Cajou is going to go and he said when you get up there he will decide on where to put him. I also, saw other horses on there as well did you know about that," my mom rambled on.

"Yes mom, the horses on the trailer are other horses from all around the Metropolitan Region going to pony club championships east as well. Did you see Michelle yet?"I asked.

"Maeve, make sure you don't put a sheet or anything on Cajou and Michelle I just saw pull up," Carly said.

"Oh, Michelle she always is late," I said. Michelle is another girl on my team and so is Carly. The last member from our team is Rebekah and her horse Merlot is already loaded on the trailer.

As I was walking up the hill I saw the trailer lights with people gathered around the trailer. As I walked closer to the trailer with Cajou, I saw my whole pony club there clapping and wishing us good luck. It felt like the red carpet and I was walking on it with Cajou. When I got to the trailer everyone was shocked how clean Cajou was because he was grey and grey horses are very hard to clean. I was waiting behind Michelle and her horse Raegan. Carly was behind me with her horse Carly.

"Michelle how did you get her shipping boots on that fast considering you got here literally ten minutes ago," I asked.

"I have no idea. I literally put her on cross ties and put her shipping boots on," said Michelle.

"Hey, Maeve I just received a text from Andrea saying good luck and to remember about what she said in the lesson yesterday," said Laura our Pony Club leader.

"Ok, do you mind telling her that I will remember what she said and that I will update her every day on how things are going," I said.

"Ok," said Laura.

"Hey girl with the grey horse wait right here, I am going to get the horse behind you on first," said the trailer driver.

"Ok," I said. At first I didn't know what was going on but then I realized that Maui the horse that was behind me had to go into another trailer. The owner couldn't get him on the big trailer so he had to help them get on Judy's little trailer.

"Ok, I will take your horse now," said the trailer driver.

"Good bye Cajou I will see you soon. Please load and don't cause any trouble," I said. I was praying that nothing would go wrong. Please load, I was saying, please load.

"Come on buddy let's go," the trailer driver told him "easy does it, easy does it" the trailer driver said. Thank God Cajou loaded, that was one thing off my mind for now at least. Last but not least Raegan had to be loaded onto Judy's trailer because she didn't like to go on huge trailer's either.

"Ok, you gave me your water bucket right," asked the trailer driver.

"Yeah my sister gave it to you it is a dark blue bucket that says Cajou on it," I said. I hope my sister gave it to the right guy.

"Oh, ok I know where I put it. Alright everyone back up I need to close the doors and get out of here as soon as possible," the trailer driver said.

"Everyone quiet and listen to what the trailer driver is saying we do not need anyone getting hurt or ran over. Judy are you going to follow the trailer down or wait a little bit," Laura said.

"I am going to follow the trailer because he will probably take the shortest route and I have to make sure Cajou gets down ok," said Judy.

"Maeve, let's go. Judy is it alright if we follow you down?" asked my mom.

"Sure, Michelle's mom is also going to follow us down," said Judy.

"Ok then that's what we'll do, Maeve and Fiona let's go," my mom said.

"Bye guys see you down there," I said. I hopped in the front seat of the car and saw a little space for my sister to sit while the other space was occupied by Cajou's, luggage for us, and food for the way down.

"Rruuuuuummmmmmmmmm," the sound the trailer made when it started. We started to pull out of the driveway slowly. I waved good bye to my friends and left.


"Fiona can you pass me a banana please," I said. We are now in Maryland only an hour away from where we want to be in Virginia and the line of cars and trailers we are following is still going strong. Laura finally caught up behind us, Michelle's mom is still in front of us and so are the two trailers.

"Ok, I will try and find one, mom want anything," asked Fiona.

"Can you get me a diet coke Fiona please," asked my mom.

"Ok, here is a diet coke and a banana," said Fiona.

"Thanks Fiona, Maeve did you fill out your stall card yet," my mom asked.

"No I'll do it now," I said. I can't believe I totally forgot to write out my stall card.

"Ok, hurry up because now we are only fifteen minutes away from the Horse Center and once we get there we have to get Cajou and unload all of the stuff. Then we have to check in at the place then we have to feed, water, and help out the team before we go to the hotel. There is no down time once we get there. Do you understand?" my mom babbled on.

"Yes, I understand mom. Fiona you are helping as well and please do not run off. This is a big place and I do not have time to keep looking or wondering where you are ok?" I made clear to Fiona.

"Yes, Maeve I understand I will help you and mom," said Fiona.

When we finally got to the Horse Center in Virginia we pulled into the driveway and followed the two trailers to where we had to unload the horses and put them away. It was now noon and we finally got to where we had to unload the horses. My mom pulled enough distance away from the trailers so they can unload them. I got out of the car and walked over to where the horses were being unloaded. I saw other girls waiting for their horses as well. I also saw other girls from different regions looking at our region's horses coming off the trailers.

"Hey Maeve," said Michelle.

"Hey Michelle, why are these girls looking at our horses?" I asked.

"I have no idea maybe their jealous that we have a big fancy trailer and they don't I have no idea. I have to go get Raegan see you later," said Michelle.

"Bye," I said. I saw the other horses from our region being unloaded but, not mine. Then, I saw Cajou being unloaded, of course my horse had to be unloaded last. The trailer driver brought him down the ramp slowly so he wouldn't slip and break a leg.

"Who's here to pick up this horse?" the trailer guy asked.

"Me," I said.

"Come and grab him," he said.

Cajou started snorting obnoxiously and looking everywhere. The other girls from the other regions and even our region were astonished on how big my horse was compared to their little ponies. We walked into the barn and started to look down each aisle for our region. I finally found Cajou's stall, it was in between Maui's and Raegan's. I tied Cajou with a quick release knot to the stall while I waited for the shavings to be brought by Judy and Carly.

"Here Maeve I have a bag of shavings for you," said Caroline another pony clubber from our region "There are another two bags coming for you," said Caroline.

"Thanks. Can you take Cajou's shipping bandages off while I put the shavings into his stall please," I asked.
To be Continued...