It wasn’t a race. It was the most amazingly wonderful, thrilling gallop, side by side, ponies and riders perfectly matched, the ponies running for joy, their riders whooping aloud.
When they neared the clump of trees at the top of the hill, the ponies slowed down and then stopped.
No one said anything, but they were all thinking the same thing. Wasn’t that brilliant? Wasn’t that exciting? Wasn’t that just the best feeling in the whole wide world?
The girls slid down from their ponies’ backs. They took the saddles off the ponies and then they swapped the bridles for head collars so the animals could graze while they ate their picnic.
In between mouthfuls of sandwiches and crisps, Sam and Meg chatted and laughed as if they’d know each other all their lives.
“I’d like to live like this for ever,” Sam said. “Just me and Alfred. And you two.”
“Me too,” said Meg. “Perhaps we should all run away together.”
“We could go and live somewhere wild. Scotland, maybe. Or Wales.”
“Find a cave in the mountains.”
“Or on the beach maybe? We could gallop across the sand every day. Maybe even swim with the ponies.”
“Merlin wouldn’t like that,” said Meg. “He was bad enough with the river. Imagine what he’d be like with the sea.”
The idea made the girls giggle all over again. And then Merlin and Alfred stopped grazing and looked at them with such surprise that it made the girls giggle more and more.
*
Meg and Sam had the most perfect day. But at last it was time to turn for home.
When they were close to Sam’s house, she seemed to shrink a little. And then her mother came out and happy, smiling, laughing Sam became quiet and shy and awkward once again.
“Good day?” Sam’s mother barked at them.
“Yes, thank you, Mummy,” Sam replied.
“Well, look sharp. Alfred will need a good brush down before you turn him out.” Sam’s mother turned to Meg, once more looking her slowly up and down. “Are you in the Pony Club?” she asked Meg suddenly.
Meg looked quickly at Sam. She could see her friend was feeling embarrassed. “Erm …” said Meg. “No.”
“Well, you should be. There’s a rally coming up soon. Come along to that. Sammy will tell you all about it. It’s lots of fun. And it will improve your riding no end.”
With that, Sam’s mother turned and went back in the house.
“Fun, eh?” said Meg, looking at Sam and pulling a face.
Sam smiled back. “I’ve never enjoyed them much,” she admitted. And then she added in a more cheerful tone, “But if you and Merlin were there …”
Meg grinned. “We’ll give it a go, shall we? If we don’t like it, we can always run away to the cave.”