Star Dancer Read Online Free PDF

fun of The Enemy. But the other part of himwas enjoying walking with Mr O’Gorman, being part of the world that included Star Dancer. Ger was in that world just for a day, and it would end when he went home. But while it lasted, he could pretend it was his own world, his own place. He could pretend that he had a father too, and a shining horse to ride, and a nice clean home to go to with a hot meal waiting.
    He could pretend. He wouldn’t let his gang take that away from him.
    They followed, watching. He could feel their eyes on him. And somehow he knew they would spoil it for him if they could, just for the fun of it.
    ‘Here’s the dressage ring,’ Mr O’Gorman said suddenly.
    They stopped to look at it. It wasn’t a ring at all, Ger saw, but a neat rectangle with a smooth grassy surface. There were letters on little boards around the edges, and some people sitting in a sort of booth at the end. A man on a horse was just trotting at an angle, very fast, across the ring, and the people in the booth were watching and nodding and writing something down.
    ‘Let’s get a seat,’ said Mr O’Gorman. He climbed some steps to a bank of seats, and Ger followed him. He did not pay much attention to where they were. He was trying to keep his eyes on the horse in the dressage ring. It had rounded the corner at the end of the ring and slowed to a walk, then it lifted its front legs and began doing that beautiful slow gallop Star Dancer had done the day before. The one that looked like a rocking chair.
    Mr O’Gorman sat down and patted the seat beside him. ‘Here, lad. What’s your name?’ he asked politely.
    ‘Ah, Ger. Ger, sir.’
    ‘Well, Ger. Do you like dressage?’
    Ger started to tell a story, but he could not think of one, not with his eyes full of the beautiful horse dancing in the ring in front of him. ‘I never saw it before yesterday,’ he said honestly. ‘But I … I do like it.’
    ‘Like’ did not seem to be strong enough, but he didn’t know what else to say.
    ‘I’d rather watch showjumping myself,’ Mr O’Gorman said. ‘My wife used to be a showjumper, you know. Suzanne’s mum. She rode at White City and Dublin, all the big shows. She even knew Pat Smythe.’
    ‘Did she?’ Ger asked. He had never heard of White City or Pat Smythe either. More horse language.
    But it could be learned. He could learn it. Already today he had learned how to use a curry comb and a hoof pick and how to put a saddle on a horse.
    He settled down happily beside Suzanne’s father to wait for Star Dancer.

5 – Learning the Ropes
    ‘ YOU ’ RE NEXT ,’ ANNE’S VOICE CALLED . ‘Come on, Suzanne.’
    Suddenly Suzanne’s mouth went dry. It always did just before a class. She drew a deep breath and made herself pat Dancer’s neck once more, for luck.
    ‘Here we go,’ she said to him under her breath.
    They left the schooling area and followed Anne across the pavement to the main ring where the dressage was being judged. Suzanne was aware of people glancing at her and Dancer as they passed, but she tried not to think about anything but the test to come. Enter the ring, keep Dancer very straight, halt squarely, salute, move forward promptly …
    She was allowed a warm-up circle around the outside of the dressage ring before she entered. This was to give horse and rider a chance to look at everything and settle down. Suzanne glanced at the stands as she rode, trying to see her father, but it all seemed to be one white blob of faces.
    Then the bell rang and she turned to enter the ring.
    ‘Now, Dancer,’ she whispered. ‘For me.’
    They were all alone, with everyone watching. One girl and one horse. Every step they took would be judged. The slightest mistake would show. A number of adults had already ridden the test, cutting up the grass and leaving a track around the edge of the ring. Some of them, Suzanne knew, were very good and had very expensive horses.
    But Dancer was good too. Let’s show them how