January Story Contest
The Horse Detectives part 1
By: T1e2s3s4o5r6a7
Age: 10Chapter 1
12 year old Lisa Rea walked down the crowded hallway to her first class of the day, science. She had medium long brown hair and dark blue eyes and she wore blue jeans and a purple shirt with a picture of a black horse. As she turned a corner Lisa bumped into another girl. The girl’s books fell and scattered on the floor. “Oh! Sorry,” the girl said, “I wasn’t looking where I was going!”
“Its OK,” Lisa said as she bent down to help the girl pick up her books. As Lisa picked the books up she saw one of her favorite books, Phantom Stallion, Wild Horse Island, The Horse Charmer. “Do you like horses,” Lisa asked.
“I love them,” the girl replied “oh by the way my name’s Jen Lowie.”
“Hi Jen, I’m Lisa.” Jen had medium blond hair and crystal blue eyes she was wearing blue jeans and had a light blue shirt on.
“ Oh no, we better get to class it starts in three minutes,” Jen said looking at her watch.
“What’s your first class?” Lisa asked.
“Science,” Jen replied.
“Great, mine to, now lets go,” Lisa said walking towards the room.Chapter 2
It was lunchtime and Lisa and Jen where sitting and talking horses.
“Do you have a horse?” Lisa asked.
“Yes, her name is Golden Sundance she is a palomino quarter horse I got her when I was nine.” Jen answered “ do you have a horse?”
“Yes my parents run a breeding farm and she’s a Arabian out of Midnight Dancer and Storm Dreamer, her name is Dream Dancer, Dancer for short.” Lisa replied.
“What color is she?” Jen asked.
“Black with a mark like a ballet shoe on her forehead." Lisa replied
“She must be so beautiful,” Jen said.
“Why haven’t I met you before?” Lisa asked.
“I was just moved from 5th grade to 6th grade.” Jen said.
“Well I’m glad you did,” Lisa replied.
“Do you normally sit alone?” Jen asked.
“No but my other friend, Kate is sick today.” Lisa replied.
“Does she like horses?” Jen asked.
“Yes Kate has a paint mare, Paint the Night,” replied Lisa. The lunch bell rang announcing the end of lunch and the two girls headed off to there separate classes.
Chapter 3“Hi mom,” Lisa called as she bounded into the house.
“My someone looks happy,” Mrs. Rea said as she came into the kitchen.
“Yes I meet a girl, Jen she just moved up to 6th grade and she loves horses,” Lisa replied
“Great now why don’t you go ride Dancer” her mom said.
“I’ll just go change” Lisa called as she ran up the stairs.
* * * * * *
An hour later Lisa was riding along the trails along her parent’s property. As she rounded a bend in the trail she saw a golden palomino in front of them. “I wonder who that is?” she asked Dancer. Lisa gave her a quick nudge and Dancer quickened her trot.
* * * * * *
As Jen rode along she thought about her parents. Recently they had been fighting a lot and it was getting annoying especially since they where always fighting about her.
Recently it had been about her and barrel racing and when ever she came into the room they would stop and act as if nothing was wrong but she always knew by the way that they looked. She snapped out of her thoughts as she turned around to see who it was.
* * * * * *
When the rider turned around Lisa saw that it was Jen at the same time Jen saw that it was Lisa. “Hi Jen,” Lisa said as she came beside them.
“Do you do you ride here a lot?” Lisa asked
“Yes I come out here when I want to be alone with Sundance or when my parents are fighting,” Jen said. Lisa could see that Jen was unhappy about parents.
“Do you want to come to my house tomorrow” Lisa asked.
“Yes” Jen's face broke into a smile.
“Time for me to get home” Lisa called as she turned around.
Chapter 4After a long day of school Jen came home to her parents fighting. “Jen wants to do barrel racing so bad!” her mother shouted.
“I know that I also know it’s expensive and dangerous, I’ve judged so many barrel races and at each one at least 4 riders fall!” her dad yelled.
“That’s another thing” her mom yelled back “you come home after judging one and you tell us about it. Then when Jen started wanting to do it you started to only tell us stories about the riding accidents!”
Jen had heard enough quietly she slipped into the kitchen and wrote a quick note.
I went to Lisa’s house I’ll be back about 6pm bye.
Then Jen ran to the barn.
She got Sundance’s halter and slipped it on. Then she put her into the crossties and began grooming her. Then Jen went to the tack room and put the brushes back exchanging them for her saddle pad. After putting it on she went back and got her black western saddle she brought it over to Sundance and put it onto her back. Then she began tightening the cinch after tightening it a little bit Jen unclipped and walked her around then finished tightening the chinch. Jen returned her to the crosswise and then went back to get her black western bridle. She slipped it on and then untied Sundance.
7 minuets later she arrived at Lisa’s house. Lisa was sitting on the front porch as they rode up but she quickly jumped up and ran over to them. “Hi Jen,” Lisa called “you can put Sundance out with Dancer I’ll show you where she is, oh and Kate is coming over.”
“Ok great” Jen replied.
The girls put Sundance in Dancer’s paddock. Sundance stood by the gate as if surveying her new surroundings. Dancer curiously came over to checkout the new horse, they sniffed each other and then began racing across the paddock.
“Go Sundance” Jen yelled.
“Go Dancer” Lisa yelled. “I guess we better go wait for Kate.”
“Ok” Jen agreed. The girls ran back over to the front porch.
After a little while they saw a beautiful black pinto with white patches galloping up the driveway. “There she is,” Lisa said pointing and the two girls ran out to greet her.
“Hi Lisa,” Kate said as she swung out of Night’s saddle.
"Who are you?" she asked with a questing glance at Lisa.
"I’m Jen Lowie" Jen said as she shook hands with Kate.
“Did you just move here?” Kate asked.
“No I moved up a grade so now I’m in sixth grade instead of fifth,” Jen responded.
“Ok,” Kate said “great to meet you.”
* * * * * *
“This is Midnight Dancer” Lisa said 15 minutes later. “she’s Dancer’s dam and her sire is in the stud barn. They walked down the isle with Lisa introducing each of the horses “now for our prized mare Red Velvet!” Lisa exclaimed.
Chapter 5In side was a beautiful red chest mare with a strip and four white stockings.
“She’s beautiful” Jen whispered.
“I’ve seen her so many times but I can never get over how beautiful she is,” Kate said running her hand down Red Velvet’s face.
“I have a surprise,” Lisa’s eyes danced with excitement.
“What?” asked Kate.
“I’m not telling,” Lisa teased “but I'll tell you at the sleepover.”
“What do our parents know about it?” Jen asked.
“Yes, my mom arranged it,” Lisa said.
“Great!” Kate exclaimed.
* * * * * *
Later that evening after a dinner of pasta and a dessert of root beer floats the girls retired to Lisa’s bedroom to listen to the radio. “What is the surprise?” Kate asked.
“Red Velvet’s going to be breed to Summer Storm!” Lisa burst out.
“Awesome!” Jen and Kate yelled. They quieted down as the next song started. Before the next song the radio announcer interrupted the music.
“Before the next song we have an announcement to make. We have had several horses stolen from the breeding farms in this area most recent is the one that happened at Black Rock Breeding Farm last night. Please contact the police station with any information.” Stunned the girls turned and looked at each other.
“Don’t they only have about 25 security guards and a security camera for every stall?” Jen asked.
Only Kate said they have more like a camera for every inch and a guard for every horse” Kate said.
Then how did they get in?” Jen asked.
I bet its in the morning news paper Lisa said I’ll go get it Lisa yelled as she ran down the stairs. A few minutes later a breathless Lisa came into the room. It made the first page Lisa said excitedly
At about 11:30 PM June 2 2010 black rock breeding farm franticly called the police to report the thief of their stallions fire flame and snow devil and td two of there mares winter wonder land and little lady. A security s guard heard the back door close but it turned out to be two other guards coming in for there shift after making his last round the security guard left the barn to the two other security guards. But thee two guards said that they had come to the barn at 12:30 not 11:30 and that when they arrived the office looked like it had been tampered with and a the time from 1130 – 1200 was missing and then they discovered the horses missing. Unfortunately the police where unable to get fingerprints form the crime scene any information is know please contact the police station.
“Wow, I can’t believe that they tricked the security guards” Kate breathed.
Chapter 6Lisa woke up with a start confused she then she heard it again she realized it was the sound of horse hooves on asphalt and then a shrill whinny. Lisa raced to the window and through it open all the way then she heard voices. “Do you have a lead shank?” a man asked
“I’ll get it Charlie a man answered
“Hurry Jack!” Charlie said. Another whinny came from the shadows and Lisa recognized Summer Storm “Oh no,” Lisa said whispered “oh no.”
She ran over to Jen and Kate wake up she said pulling the covers off of them wake up she said as she started getting dressed.
“What?” a groggy Jen asked.
“The horse thieves are here and we are going to ride after them and get Summer Storm and Red Velvet!” Lisa said hurriedly. That got them both up in a flash. The girls raced down stairs and Lisa wrote a quick note, went out for a ride we'll be back.
Chapter 7The girls quietly snuck out the back door and around the barn entering through the back door. Then the girls went to the tack room.
“We are going to ride western” Lisa whispered. The girls got their horses halters and lead lines then they put them on.
“I’m glad that the horses are still clean” Kate whispered as they quickly through on their saddle pads and then their saddles. The last thing on was their bridles. Leave their halters and lead lines on and then tie the lead lines to there saddles, oh and here is a rope” Lisa said giving them all a roper’s rope.
“Hook it onto your saddle horn with the strap.”
The girls led their horses out of the barn and mounted, there was no trailer in the yard when they came out.
“There’s only one way out,” Kate said sensibly “they have to have gone that way.” The girls set off at a brisk canter down the dirt driveway. Finally after trailing the truck and trailer for about two miles it turned onto another dirt driveway. The girls stopped in the road looking for a trail. “There’s one,” Jen said pointing to a barely visible deer trail.
“I guess it will do,” Lisa said turning onto it. The trail led into the woods parallel with the road.
“What’s that?” Jen asked pointing too the road.
“It looks like a barn,” Kate said.
“Let’s go see,” Lisa suggested. The girls quietly slid off their horses and tied them to a tree, and then they silently crept into a bush by the barn. “Lets get the horses unloaded then we can go grab something at the gas station,” Charlie said.
“Ok” Jack, said. The girls stayed put in the bushes to keep watch.
Chapter 8
After waiting for about an hour the girls heard the men come out of the barn "half of them needed more water,” jack said.
Ok Charlie said
Let’s go the men unhitched the trailer and then they drove away. The girls ran to the barn and slipped into closing Lisa felt along the wall and after a few minuets she found one and flicked it on. Light flooded in the barn and after her eyes got adjusted Lisa looked around and recognized a couple of the stallions from black rock breeding farm and several from posters she had seen or that she had seen on TV. The girls started to open the stall doors. Finally when there was only a few stalls left Jen left to get the horses. When she came back Kate went over and mounted, while Lisa ran to the barn and unbolted the barn door she swung it open then she ran and jumped on dancer. Gathering her stirrups just as the horses bolted out of the barn.
Chapter 9Kate and Jen went on either side of the large herd while Lisa went at the back they had the horses go at an easy trot. Just after turning onto the road that lead away from the barn Lisa saw the thieves truck come up behind them she thought that they where going to run them over but they turned up the dirt road to the barn. Oh no Lisa whispered. Hike she yelled get up the horses started a faster trot then Lisa remembered her rope she grabbed it and began twirling it. The horses started to canter suddenly, the thieves’ truck came barreling down the road Lisa saw it and yelled, “gallop!” Jen and Kate looked back, saw the truck and urged their horses into a gallop the horses seeing a race began galloping. It was dawn when they turned onto the mane road people where starting to go to wok and the road was getting busier by every second.
“Ya ya!” Lisa heard yelling. She looked back and saw Jack standing on the top of the truck and twirling a rope people pulled over shouting and taking pictures the truck was gaining on them so Lisa began twirling her rope and pushing her horses even faster the horses bolted up Lisa’s long dirt driveway. Lisa’s parents hearing the commotion ran out of the barn. They stared open mouthed for a second then they ran and opened a paddock gate the horses ran in with the thieves still following and jack still yelling and standing on top of the truck. They where so intent on there quarry they did not even realize that they where in the paddock and that the police where coming up behind them. When the girls where finally had a moment to themselves Lisa said, “That was so much fun maybe we should start up a club!”
“Yea! How about the Horse Detectives!” Kate asked
“Perfect!” Jen and Lisa yelled and then they all highfived.