Antonia and the Big Competition: The Rosenburg Riding Stables, Volume 2
Horse Currying Antonia was looking into her school bag again to see if she had packed everything she needed for the day when Karen the kind-hearted soul of the Rosenburg household called from the kitchen Breakfast Caroline Antonia hurry up please It’s getting late Antonia jumped down the stairs Her two favorite horses Elfin Dance and Snow White were waiting af ter all Twenty minutes later when she bounded into the row of stalls her father had already finished giving out the feed Good morning Papa said Antonia giving her fa ther a big kiss Hello Antonia Did you sleep well Antonia nodded and took the grooming kit from the ground Elfin Dance Snow White The two horses were standing next to each other in 6
their stalls Elfin Dance her long-legged chestnut geld ing with the stripe and Snow White her gray horse The two horses really couldn’t have been any more different she thought Just like every morning during the last six weeks since Elfin Dance had come to their stables a broad smile crept across Antonia’s face She stroked their necks and backs and ran her hand tenderly through their manes first Snow White’s and then Elfin Dance’s Snow White snorted softly as if she were try ing to call Antonia’s name Her nostrils snuggled into Antonia’s hand Elfin Dance on the other hand whinnied energeti cally and pranced impatiently in place Let’s go When are you going to get here he seemed to be saying Antonia put halters on both of them and led them out Come Snow White Elfin Dance don’t push like that We’re going right to the grooming area The morning sun was already sending down its lu minous rays bathing the farm in bright light Antonia tied Elfin Dance and Snow White next to each other on the hooks on the barn wall Elfin Dance’s coat glis 7
tened like polished wood in the sun Even though Snow White’s coat stood up shaggily in a few places she was the more good-natured of the two Antonia began the grooming with her She brushed the horse’s head and neck and then went over her back Snow White enjoyed it so much that she snorted softly This evening my love we’ll go for a ride again with Leona and Caroline I’m so glad that your leg is better after the accident Then Elfin Dance piped up requesting Antonia’s at tention And you you wild thing weren’t we lucky that Mr Bonhumeur left you and Asseem with us here at the farm When I think about that thunderstorm that almost ruined everything I still get butterflies in my stomach Mr Bonhumeur wanted to take you right back to France Mr Bonhumeur was a horse enthusiast from France Maria Antonia’s aunt who had a feeling for outstand ing horses and a practiced eye had bought several hors es for him at auction For a few weeks he had been having two of them train at the Rosenburg farm One of them was Asseem He was to be trained by Antonia’s older 8
sister Caroline with the help of Mr Sonnenfeld the riding instructor at the farm The other horse was Elfin Dance Mr Bonhumeur had been so impressed with Antonia’s calm and loving way with Elfin Dance that he had insisted that she train him with the best riding instructor in the area Mr Hegemann For my little girl and my prized horse only the best training he had specified in a thick French accent Then my Elfin Dance stays here on Rosenburg Farm Antonia got a finishing brush for cleaning and smoothing the horses coats and gave Elfin Dance’s back an encouraging pat with the flat of her hand
