First Place:© 1998 Laura Kitto, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
"Morgan & Gypsy"
Elizabeth (Izzy) Johnson raced out the back door of her 2 story white house and toward the pasture that was in her backyard. She lived in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Her parents were Morgan horse breeders so there were many horses in the pasture. Izzy ran up to Gypsy, her Morgan horse, that was standing at the fence waiting for her.
"Gypsy! Hi girl! How are you?" Izzy exclaimed. "It's finally summer! I don't have to go to school and leave you here alone anymore!" Izzy looked at Gypsy's barrel sides. "And how is your baby?" she asked. Gypsy nickered. She was an 8-year-old dark reddish brown paint standing 15 hands high. Izzy thought, I bet Gypsy's foal will be the most beautiful foal in the world, just like Gypsy was. She was very pleased for Gypsy. She was also happy for herself because she owned such a beautiful horse.
"Izzy! Come to the house please!" Her mother called from the back boor.
"Coming!" Izzy yelled. As she raced for the house she called over her shoulder, "Bye Gypsy, I'll check on you later!" She raced into her house and got the surprise of her life.
A little bluish-gray Miniature Horse stood in the kitchen. The Mini looked like a 4-year-old to Izzy.
"Oh, it's so cute!!" Izzy exclaimed in delight. "What's it for?"
"It is a she and she is for you," Her mother explained, "They put her for sale shortly before we went to see about getting a Mini for you. They said we could buy her and so now she's all yours."
"Wow! this is great," Izzy exclaimed. "Thank you!"
"We thought you could drive him in our old Mini horse wagon because you can't ride Gypsy this summer until her foal is born." Her mother's thought was wonderful to Izzy. But then a thought raced through her mind. "But I can't drive a cart or wagon," she told her parents.
"You'll learn," her father said. "She won't be too hard to drive because she is so small. I know you can do it. You are 12 now and very strong willed."
"I'll call her Morgan," Izzy said. Calling Morgan's name and leading her out the door she thought, We'll be great friends, Gypsy, Morgan, and me, "The Three Musketeers" "Gypsy! Come see your new friend!" Izzy called out. Gypsy came running up to the fence and she made friends with Morgan almost instantly. Izzy put Morgan into the pasture and started to walk toward the shed to get the wagon. She turned around to see what they were doing when she was about halfway there. At first she didn't see anything but then she saw Gypsy race out into the open from behind the bushes. Morgan was right behind her. Gypsy kept glancing over her shoulder to make sure Morgan was still there.
Suddenly, Gypsy let out a frightened whinny and shot off to the other side of the pasture. Morgan stopped and put her nose to the fence then ran away in freight. The neighbor's dog crawled under the fence. When he saw Izzy he took off for his house. When Izzy was 4 she had clubbed him over the head and he had been terrified of her ever since. Izzy hugged Morgan and Gypsy and then ran to get the wagon.
After Izzy learned to drive the wagon she drove Morgan around the pasture until it got dark. Then she unhitched Morgan and after putting the wagon away she raced to the house. By the end of the week she and Morgan were a great team and went driving every day.
A month passes and Izzy goes away to camp for a week.
"Mom, has Gypsy had her foal yet?" Those were Izzy's first words as she got into the car with her mother. Her mother was picking her up from camp.
"I'll let you find that out for yourself," said her mother. As soon as they returned to their house Izzy raced to the back and called Gypsy's name. No Gypsy. She called out Morgan's name. No Morgan. She searched the barn and the pasture but they were nowhere to be found. She kept yelling out their names and blowing her whistle. Morgan always came when Izzy blew the whistle. She got very worried and ran to the house to tell her parents. She found a note on the table saying her parents would be gone until Monday because they had a business trip to go on. Why didn 't they just come out and tell me ? They probably thought Gypsy was in the pasture, she thought.
She had stayed by herself for the weekend before but now she was frightened. She didn't know where her horses were! On the back of the note it said that if Gypsy had her foal to call the vet. "Well what if Gypsy has her foal and I don't know about it!" She screamed the last words at the top of her voice. "Morgan is so little she might get very badly hurt, " she remembered her father saying. "Especially if she is on one of the trails without human protection. "
Izzy knew she had to find her horses. She got 3 flashlights and extra batteries for each. She got some carrots and water, a bucket, and a foal halter and lead. She put all her stuff into the bucket and put the bucket into a backpack. Then, one flashlight in hand she walked to the path that she and Gypsy went on a lot. She walked for about 15 minutes and she came into the clearing with the lake where she and Gypsy had shared many lunches. She blew a long blast of her whistle. She heard something small hiding in the trees behind her and she turned around.
"Morgan, don't worry, it's me," she said. But then she realized Morgan would not be afraid of her owner that she trusted and loved. A shiver ran through her body and she started to back up towards the lake. She finally had the courage to shine the flashlight into the trees. Two red eyes gleamed out at her and her heart skipped about 5 beats. She dared not move or scream. It's a dog. What if he's already gotten Morgan and Gypsy? she thought. What if he gets me?
A pecan from the tree overhead hit her on the head and she looked up. The dog lunged out of the bushes and in a flash he had Izzy on the ground and was ready to tear her apart. Izzy screamed as loud as she could. Please someone hear me, she thought. The dog suddenly swiped his paw across Izzy's face leaving a big cut. She let out a yell and with sudden strength pushed the dog off. She tried to get to her backpack that she had laid near a tree so she could throw it but before she could reach it the dog knocked her over. She felt herself hit the water of the lake, the dog on top of her. She knew that if she didn't get the dog off of her she would drown. She screamed one last time before the dog pushed her under the water.
Then she faintly heard a deep roar. She had no idea what it was until the dog got off her and started toward whatever had roared. She got to the shore and looked up. She could make out the shape of a little horse-like figure.
"Morgan!" she shrieked. She got up and tried to help Morgan. Her head was throbbing but she tried her best. All of a sudden the dog knocked Morgan into the lake. Izzy, in panic, grabbed the dog by the back of the neck and tried to hurl it across the clearing. She heard it hit the ground and get right back up. She turned around, grabbed a stick, and hit the dog as hard as she could on the top of his nose. The dog tucked his tail between his legs and raced away.
She helped Morgan get out of the lake and hugged her. It had begun to rain so she tried to hurry. She gathered up her backpack and turned to Morgan. "Take me to Gypsy." She ordered. Morgan seemed to understand because she trotted off down one of the trails with Izzy on her tail. She led Izzy to a little clearing and she saw Gypsy Iying on the ground, a little foal that looked almost exactly like her at her side. Izzy could see the foal needed a doctor. It was shaking. She laid out some carrots beside Gypsy and filled the bucket with water. Then, calling to Morgan she ran off toward her house to call the vet.
When she and Morgan reached the house it was almost dawn and the telephone line was dead. There must have been some big electricity and phone line problems because of the storm, Izzy thought, /t may be worse in other places. Izzy almost panicked but then she remembered something. "Morgan, come on!" she yelled as she raced out the door. In record time she had Morgan hitched up to the wagon and they were turning onto the path. "Go Morgan!" Izzy yelled. Morgan took off at a fast canter and as they neared the place Gypsy was Morgan let out an almost war-like shriek. As soon as they stopped in the clearing Izzy jumped off the wagon and put the halter on the little foal (with Gypsy watching her like a hawk). Then with the help of Gypsy she got the foal to lay on a blanket in the wagon. They started off at a slow trot. Gypsy trotted beside the wagon to keep the foal quiet. As soon as they got to her house she knew they didn't have very far to go. She had been to the vet many times and that was exactly where she was going.
In about an hour they arrived at the vet and Gypsy's baby was taken into an examining room. They allowed Gypsy to come too since the foal was so young. The doctor came out about 5 minutes later and said, "She's a great little filly and I don't think she would have made it if you hadn't brought her here." Izzy smiled. "I gave her all her shots so you can take her home now but you'll need to watch her," the vet explained.
"OK"
"Izzy, are you OK yourself? You look like something the cat dragged in." The vet looked worried.
"I'm fine, the cut on my face hurts a little but other than that...," Izzy shrugged her shoulders. The vet just nodded.
On the way home Izzy thought about a name for Gypsy's filly. When the little filly raised her head to the sky and let out a little whinny it distracted her from her thinking. Izzy looked up and saw a little star. "Look," she laughed, "a morning star" The filly whinnied. "Morning Star?" Izzy asked the little filly. She actually seemed to nod and so she got a name, Morning Star. By the time Izzy's parents got home Morning Star could run around the pasture at an amazing pace. Izzy told her parents all about her trip. They took it very well. Izzy's mother fixed the cut on her face so it didn't hurt so much.
The next week Izzy was riding Gypsy on a trail. They were both surprised to hear a little whinny on the trail behind them. Izzy turned around and saw Morgan trotting behind them. She was just the right length away. Izzy decided to let her follow. As they turned onto a long straight part of the trail. Izzy moved Gypsy into a fast canter. She saw a big log up ahead and Izzy tried to stop Gypsy. But Gypsy was determined to jump the log so she sped up. Izzy and Gypsy were a great jumping team and Izzy trusted Gypsy to be safe. She got into jumping position and Gypsy sailed over the log. Izzy turned around just in time to see Morgan, who was coming at a fast gallop, leap over the log. She laughed. When they reached the clearing where Izzy had been attacked by the dog she dismounted and called Morgan over.
"You know," she said, "you guys have got to be the best horses in the world."
Yep, she thought as Morgan trotted over to the lake to get a drink and Gypsy started eating grass, Morgan and Gypsy, the best horses in the World.
© 1998 Laura Kitto
Note from the Judge: My, what an exciting story! So glad that it all turned out well in the end. Most dogs and horses get along nicely in the real world. This was an imaginative and well written story.
Second Place: © 1998 Lorinda Toms, Weed, California
"All 4 Nothing
As I looked at my list of chores I realized that most of my day would be spent around the barn.
My first chore was to clean stalls. I couldn't believe how such a little horse could make such a big mess. I began on the mares side and gradually worked my way over to the gelding side. When I finished that I moved outside to the stud pens.
When I finished that I began to clean the tackroom. It's amazing how full a tackroom can be for a horse you can't even ride. Surprisingly though when it was all organized it didn't look so large.
My last chore for the day was to wash the trailer. this was my favorite part, but it was the most important. You see the AMHA (American Miniature Horse Association) Grand Nationals was in 3 days. Luckily for us it was being held in our home town so we didn't have to drive that far.
I began dreaming about the competition while I washed the trailer. When I finished I cleaned up and headed towards the barn to make sure everything was secure. When I was done I headed inside for dinner.
After dinner I reviewed my entry forms for the show. I put Jed in the halter class, Fancy Nancy in the Amateur Jumping Class, and Hotty Dotty in the costume contest. I set my forms aside and got washed up for bed. Every night before I go to bed I gaze into the trophy room dreaming how much fuller it can become.
The next morning when I woke up, I ate breakfast and headed towards the barn to do my own little set of chores. I began by polishing Jed and Fancy Nancy's halter.
Jed was a palomino with a white blaze down his forehead. his halter is Oakey brown with silver conchos. His lead rope has a 4 inch silver chain and the leather lead has a silver tip. Fancy Nancy is a black and white paint with gorgeous blue eyes. Her halter is black with silver spirals. the chain is almost 2 inches long and the lead has a silver tip.
Then I began to put the finishing touches on Hotty Dotty's costume. then I rolled up the leg wraps. I cleaned up the tackroom and loaded the halters into the trailer.
Then I gave Jed and Fancy Nancy a bath, trimmed their manes and tails and shaved their whiskers.
I decided to take a break and go get the mail. Besides I was expecting a letter from my cousins. But inside the mailbox was a letter from the AMHA. I opened it. I felt the tears swell up in my eyes as I read it. "Dear Competitor, Due to certain circumstances, the Grand Nationals has been canceled. Sorry, AMHA Board of Directors"
I walked slowly back to the barn and unloaded the trailer. On the way back to the house I realized I was sick to my stomach. When I got inside I went straight to bed without even looking in the trophy room. I realized my dream was over.
The End.
© 1998 Lorinda Toms
Note from the Editor: We all know how hard the AMHA Youth work to get ready for the show ring, and we are so happy that this story was just a bad dream! Good luck to all the AMHA Youth this upcoming show season! Fill up that trophy room - all of you!!!
Third Place: © 1998 Holly Shema, Gainesville, Florida
"Spirit"
"Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes
ago," I complained to my mom.
"She didn't say that she would be here exactly at 10:00 AM,
she said around 10:00 AM," my mom replied.
My mom turned around and walked back towards the
house. As I watched her go, I turned back something caught
my eye and I saw a dark blue truck driving down our driveway
with a silver horse trailer attached to the back.
"She's here!" I cried and ran toward the trailer. When the
car stopped,! stuck my head in the little window and looked in
at him. My little miniature horse, Spirit He stuck his head toward
me and nuzzled my hand looking for a treat Carrie, my sister's
riding instructor, hopped out of the car and called, "He's here!"
Carrie came over to me and told me to get Spirit's halter
and lead rope. I put the halter on Spirit, hooked the lead rope,
and lead him out of the trailer. Everything was going great I
took Spirit over to his pasture and showed him his house. I
could tell that he really liked it
By then my mom and sister came out of the house to see
him. Spirit's clean red halter, draped his charcoal black coat.
He stood 32 1/2 inches tall and was 1 1/2 years old. Spirit was
very hungry and stooped his head down to eat.
I was very happy that Spirit was now with me. He stood
by his little house, his mane ruffled in the wind. He stood proud
and tall, like a little stallion should.
Note from the Judge: This is a every child's dreamcome true - a horse of their own to love and care for; I wish this dream could come true for all children.
Please See Contest Winners (Art, Writing, Photo)
Judge: Dr. Glenn Karlin
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