Stevie murmured. After Lisa’s departure she had remounted Topside and begun her dressage test. Topside was behaving beautifully, as usual. Stevie didn’t like to be cocky—or at least not too cocky—but she couldn’t help thinking that they were having the best ride of anyone in the class. The gelding’s black tail swung rhythmically in the sun as they trotted down the long side. He looked confident, and so did Stevie. “One-two, one-two,” she hummed to herself. “Steady as a rock, that’s right, boy, one-two, one-two.” On the exact moment that they crossed the letter A, Topside cantered. His canter was so smooth that all Stevie had to do was sit up straight and think about her own position. She imagined that she was a grand prix rider at the Olympics. When they came down the center line, Stevie was actually a little sorry that her ride was over. She had to turn back into a D-3 Pony Clubber as soon as she saluted. “As good as I would expect on a horse like Topside,” Max commented.
