“Someone dropped a match onto some hay,” Nancy said. She guided him in the direction of the showgrounds. “We’ll fill you in while we go to meet Lee Anne.”
The trio made their way to the showgrounds. The area was crowded with horses of all sizes, colors, and shapes. Some were saddled and carried riders. Others were being walked, washed, or groomed. In one of the rings, several equestrians rode their mounts in small circles.
“There’s Arena One.” Nancy pointed to a flat rectangular area bordered by a low white fence. Twelve black letters on white boards were posted around the arena. “And there’s Lee Anne.”
Lee Anne was striding toward them, her arms filled with towels, jars, and sprays, which she dumped in a bucket under a tree. Nancy was about to introduce Ned when Lee Anne waved toward the arena. “Michael’s just going in! If we hurry, we can watch from the hillside.”
As they climbed the grassy slope, Lee Anne said, “I felt bad about leaving you, but Michael gets upset if I don’t help him. There he is now.”
Nancy sat beside Ned and Bess just as Michael and Curio trotted down the center of the arena. The pair halted in the middle. Picking up the rein in his left hand, Michael dropped his right hand and nodded to several people sitting at a table under a canopy.
“He’s saluting the judge,” Lee Anne whispered.
Ned leaned closer to Lee Anne. “What do all the letters around the arena mean?”
“The letters let the rider know where to execute each movement. For example, Michael knows he must halt and salute at the letter X, which is the center of the arena. Now he’s tracking right at C and executing a circle at R…”
Ned and Bess stared at Lee Anne in confusion.
“Just watch,” Lee Anne said with a grin.
Nancy tried to concentrate on the horse and rider, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the fire. Who had set it? she wondered. And why?
“Nancy.” Lee Anne nudged her. “See the man under the big oak tree? That’s Klaus Schaudt, Aristocrat’s owner.”
Nancy glanced at the man, noting his steel gray hair and military posture. A delighted gasp from Lee Anne drew her attention back to the arena. Michael and Curio were charging past, the horse’s front legs reaching out.
“Did you see Curio’s extended trot?” Lee Anne exclaimed. “Perfect!”
As the horse and rider rounded the corner, Nancy could see a look of intense concentration on Michael’s face. At the letter V, Curio broke into a smooth, rocking canter, then cantered diagonally across the arena. Nancy thought Curio looked as if he were dancing.
“Next is the piroutte,” Lee Anne said. She held her breath as horse and rider executed the move. “Perfect,” Lee Anne murmured as Curio spun in a neat circle.
“That was beautiful,” Nancy said. She watched as Curio trotted in place, lifting his legs high as if prancing to music. “I’ve never seen a horse perform such difficult movements.”
“That’s called the passage,” Lee Anne explained.
“Wow.” Bess whistled. “Getting a horse to dance must be tricky, but Michael makes it look easy.”
“That’s how it’s supposed to seem. The horse should look as if he’s performing on his own, but believe me, Michael’s working hard.”
Five minutes later Curio halted in the center again. When Michael saluted the judge, Lee Anne jumped to her feet and cheered loudly.
“Let’s go congratulate him,” she said. Picking up her bucket, she took off toward the arena exit.
Ned, Nancy, and Bess walked down the hill. Michael and Curio had stopped under the tree. Lee Anne held Curio’s reins. Michael had dismounted and was loosening the horse’s girth. Klaus Schaudt stood between Lee Anne and Michael.
As Nancy approached, she could see that Curio was breathing hard, his nostrils blowing in and out. Taking off his top hat, Michael handed it to Lee Anne. His hair was matted with sweat, and his mouth was pinched in an angry line.
No wonder, Nancy thought as she drew closer. Schaudt was admonishing him sternly. “Your flying changes were rough, Michael. The passage was only passable. Your scores will never get out of the low sixties if you don’t work on those two movements.”
Nancy stopped a few feet away, Ned and Bess behind her. Michael’s face was bright red. Lee Anne stared down at the reins in her hand.
“We didn’t get enough time to practice the test during warm-up,” Michael said through clenched teeth.
The man frowned at Lee Anne. “And why not? You were supposed to coach him.”
“I—I’m sorry,” Lee Anne stammered. “There was a fire in one of the stalls and—”
“A fire?” Michael whirled to face her.
“Whose stall?” Schaudt demanded. “One of our horses?”
“No,” Nancy said quickly, stepping toward the trio. “I’m Nancy Drew, Lee Anne’s friend.” Taking Schaudt’s hand, she shook it firmly, then introduced Ned and Bess. “The horse belonged to a woman named Valerie Dunn. When it bolted from the stall, it bruised the sole of its hoof.”
Michael snorted with amusement. “Too bad for Valerie, though I’m sure glad she won’t be able to compete against me.”
Nancy was surprised by his unsportsmanlike comment. Did he really mean it or was he just reacting to the pressure?
“Ha!” Schaudt scoffed. “If you don’t improve your performance, Valerie could beat you with a lame horse.”
Turning his attention to Nancy, Ned, and Bess, Schaudt smiled so warmly that Nancy found it hard to believe he was the same person who had just chewed Michael out. “It’s nice to meet you and your friends, Miss Drew. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
With a nod of his head, he strode off across the showgrounds. Michael scowled, then jerked the reins from Lee Anne’s hand and led Curio away.
Lee Anne blew out her breath. “Sorry you had to hear that. Klaus is very demanding, and he’s been especially hard on Michael these past few days.” She flashed them an apologetic grin. “Which means Michael’s under tons of pressure. He hasn’t been himself lately.”
“I know how intense sports competitions can get,” Ned said.
