Leap of Faith

  About the Book

  Turning down her place at the Royal Academy of Sport for Girls is one of the hardest things Chloe Humphries has ever done. Months later, she is still devastated, until an unexpected letter arrives offering Chloe a scholarship to attend! With a nervous but excited heart, Chloe sets off with her beloved horse, Honey. However, starting two terms later than her classmates was never going to be easy, especially with the Academy showjumping competition looming.

  Can talented showjumper Chloe overcome her fears and find a way to outshine her rivals?

  CONTENTS

  COVER

  ABOUT THE BOOK

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHARACTER PROFILE

  OTHER BOOKS IN SERIES

  READ ON FOR AN EXTRACT FROM THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SPORT FOR GIRLS: IN TOO DEEP

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE

  To my family – Dan, Abigail and Rowan.

  Thank you for all your love and support.

  I could feel the blazing sun beating down onto my back, seeping through my shirt. The warm wind rushed past my face, cooling my sticky forehead. I adjusted my fingers slightly on the reins and gave a firm kick with my legs. Honey instantly responded and sped up into a gallop. I lowered my body as my horse gathered pace. I could hear the dry, crackling grass crush beneath her hooves as she thundered across the earth. A few of our cows offered a lazy moo as we passed by. I could hear Honey breathing intensely as we began to climb Gumtree Hill, the steep slope which bordered our property. I encouraged her with a quiet Come on, girl. We broke over the crest of the hill and I pulled her up. Honey relaxed her pace down to a slow walk. I stroked her soft neck. When she stopped I lifted my leg over her sturdy body and slid down from the saddle.

  ‘Phew, that’s a steep hill, isn’t it, Honey?’ I puffed, pulling an apple from my saddlebag. Honey greedily took the gift with a whinny of thanks. I gently hooked her rein onto a spindly branch and pulled my water bottle from her saddle. I gulped down big mouthfuls. I pulled off my helmet and tossed it under the tree.

  I squinted as I scanned down the hill to the scene below. It was a long way down to our property, and I could see the dry trail we had just ridden along, which snaked its way up the steep hill. Honey wasn’t a young horse but she sure was fit. Below us, I could see the dam – half empty – and our cows lazily meandering about the paddock.

  They looked thin.

  I sighed. The grass below us was brown and yellow. It had once been so lush.

  ‘We just need rain, don’t we?’ I said, looking over at my horse. Honey’s deep brown eyes seemed to understand and she huffed sadly. Her light brown coat was dusty from the gallop through the paddock and her mane hung tattily over her eyes.

  I took another sip of my water and reached into my pocket. My fingers wrapped around a folded envelope. I pulled the envelope from my pocket and there on the front beamed my name: Chloe Humphries, followed by my address. I ran my fingers over the name and address of the sender, which was printed neatly in the top left-hand corner of the envelope. The Royal Academy of Sport for Girls.

  I breathed in sharply.

  Turning the envelope over, I prised open the seal with my fingers. I slipped my fingers into the envelope and slowly pulled out the letter inside. It was several pages long and was folded into thirds.

  ‘This is it, Honey,’ I said shakily. Honey nodded in encouragement.

  I opened the letter carefully and started to digest the words on the page.

  Dear Chloe,

  Thank you for your application for a place in the equestrian program with the Royal Academy of Sport for Girls. We are delighted to inform you that you have secured a place at the Academy, to begin in Term One of Year 7. Along with your place comes residency within our boarding house.

  Enclosed with this letter are the details of your acceptance, including school information, uniform requirements, stabling information and a schedule of fees for both tuition and boarding.

  Congratulations, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year.

  Yours sincerely,

  Mrs M Brunette (Principal)

  I read the letter again, just to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. Honey let out a soft whinny, as if to say, ‘So, what does it say?’

  I looked up at her with wide, shining eyes. ‘We’re in, Honey. We are IN!’

  I leapt to my feet and wrapped my arms around her warm neck. I nuzzled my face into hers and she nibbled at me affectionately.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ I said, still trying to comprehend everything that was happening.

  Suddenly, a rush of uncontrollable excitement pulsed through my body.

  ‘I’m iiiiiiiiiin!’ I yelled at the top of my lungs, throwing the letter into the air. My voice echoed across the property below and in the distance, the cows responded with a congratulatory moo.

  I slipped my helmet onto my head and hooked my foot into the stirrup. Throwing my weight up and over Honey’s back, I gently pulled the reins and directed her back down Gumtree Hill. As soon as we hit the bottom of the steep hill, I kicked Honey into a fast gallop. Her hooves thundered across the ground as she raced home in what can only be described as a shared excitement. It was like she knew. The wind whipped through my clothes and sweat trickled down my face as I pushed Honey faster and faster. We raced past the dam and over to the paddock. I leapt off Honey and ruffled her mane.

  ‘I’ll be back in a sec!’ I said as I locked the paddock gate behind me.

  I pulled my helmet off and began to run as fast as I could to the house. I burst through the front door and yelled ‘I’m in!’ as loudly as I could.

  Mum and Dad ran out from the kitchen with alarmed expressions on their faces.

  ‘Chloe, are you okay?’ Mum cried.

  ‘Mum, Dad, I’m IN!’

  ‘In what?’ Dad asked, shaking his head.

  I held up my letter and waved it in front of them.

  ‘The Academy. I’m in. It’s here in the letter – they want ME!’ I began to dance around the room with my arms in the air. It felt like the happiest moment of my life.

  But I suddenly noticed that I was the only one making all the noise. I lowered my hands and turned slowly to face my parents. To my surprise, they weren’t cheering or high-fiving me. They were just standing there with a weird look on their faces. It was like they were frozen. Why weren’t they happy for me?

  ‘Chlo,’ my mum said lightly, holding out her hand.

  My excitement instantly rushed out of me. I could tell there was something wrong. Something terribly wrong.

  Why were my parents just standing there? Why weren’t they smiling? Maybe it was because they were sad about me moving away to boarding school. Yes, that had to be it.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ I said reassuringly, ‘you’re not going to miss me that much. I’ll be home every holidays!’

  ‘Oh, it’s not that,’ Mum said gently, pulling me by the arm into the lounge room. ‘Sit down, sweetie.’

  I sat down with a curious feeling in my stomach.

  Mum nodded to Dad.

  ‘Chlo,’ Dad said gently. ‘We were going to speak to you about this today, actually. We didn’t think the letter would arrive so fast.’

  ‘Speak about what?’ I said, my voice wavering.

  ‘About
the Academy. I know what a huge process it was auditioning for a place – the show jumping competitions, the application forms, the interviews – you handled it all very maturely. We are so proud of you.’

  ‘Right,’ I said, frowning.

  ‘But even when you first applied, we always told you that we’d have to reassess how things were going on the farm in the new year before we could guarantee that all this could happen. We always said we couldn’t make promises.’

  I shook my head lightly.

  ‘It’s just … this damned drought!’ Dad said, rubbing his forehead anxiously. ‘The farm is suffering and when the farm suffers, we all suffer.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ I asked, tears pricking my eyes.

  ‘Chlo, we can’t afford the Academy fees,’ Mum said quietly. ‘It’s not only the tuition, the boarding fees are just as high. Then there’s the uniforms, stabling of Honey at the Academy – it’s thousands of dollars a year that we just don’t have.’

  My mind began to whirl. ‘But … but … maybe I can get a job over summer, or a job in the city. I’m sure they’d let me work at the Academy. Or maybe I could get a loan? Or sell the other horses …’ My voice sounded high-pitched and weird.

  My mum shook her head gently. ‘I’m so sorry, darling. But it just can’t happen.’

  Tears began to fill my eyes and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  ‘You can keep doing lessons at Thornton Equestrian and you’ll be with all your friends at Appleby High …’ Dad offered softly.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening. All this work to get into the best sports school in the country and now I couldn’t go. The Academy was supposed to launch my equestrian career. I wanted to train for the Olympics. I wanted to ride! Not at Thornton stables down the road – I wanted the Olympics!

  Mum opened her arms for a comforting hug. But I turned away from her.

  ‘No! No, this is so unfair! How could you do this?’

  Tears welled in Mum’s eyes.

  ‘Chlo, please,’ Dad started, but I didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Turning abruptly, I ran out the front door, slamming the flyscreen on the way out.

  Tears streamed down my face, drying in long silvery streaks on my cheeks in the summer sun. I raced down to the paddock and flung open the gate. Honey looked up suddenly with worried eyes. She was still saddled from my morning ride. I grabbed a spare helmet which was hanging on the paddock gate and slipped it over my head. Without explanation, I launched myself up onto Honey’s back and kicked her into a canter.

  How could this happen?

  I kicked again and Honey gained speed as she bolted across the farmland. I cursed the dust that was blown up under me – stupid drought! This drought had cost us everything, including my future. I closed my eyes and bid Honey to ride faster. She ran as fast as she could go, under my instruction.

  It wasn’t fair!

  ‘Just take us away, Honey,’ I yelled through tears. ‘Just take me far away.’

  Six months later …

  I moved the computer mouse to the heading ‘Gallery’ and clicked on the link. Slowly, the images began to pop up one by one. A dark brown horse with a shining flank was leaping gracefully over a bar. The rider’s jodhpurs were crisp and clean and the horse’s mane was pulled into a neat braid. The rider had a frown of determination on her face but her eyes seemed to sparkle. I clicked onto the next image: three horses poking their heads out of the stable windows. Three girls stood by, laughing as if one of them had just cracked a hilarious joke. One held a carrot for the horse. I scrolled down further and opened another image. A dressage rider was mounted on her horse. Her back was straight as she sat poised and dignified. Her horse stood tall with its head cocked curiously to the left.

  I moved my mouse, clicked on the ‘About Us’ tab and read over the words which I’d looked at a thousand times before.

  The Royal Academy of Sport for Girls has been creating champions for over fifty years. Girls at our Academy not only excel in their chosen sport, but are encouraged to achieve excellence in all facets of life – from academics to sport to leadership opportunities.

  Photos of girls standing on championship podiums sat alongside the text. Some of them were in athletics uniforms and some were in swimming tracksuits. Tiny gymnasts stood with medals hanging around their necks. An entire basketball team were leaping for joy with a trophy in the middle of them.

  I sighed wishfully.

  I closed the window on the computer screen and stood up. I glanced at myself in the hallway mirror, which hung just outside the study. I was wearing maroon tracksuit pants and a white polo t-shirt with a maroon buttoned jumper – the official uniform of Appleby High. My long, dark brown hair hung freely down my back, just below my shoulderblades.

  It had been a tough six months getting used to the idea that I wasn’t going to be an Academy girl. I knew it wasn’t my parents’ fault – the drought had taken everything from us and they were as heartbroken as I was. The truth was, as sad as I felt about the whole thing, as long as I had Honey with me and I could still ride, I was going to be okay.

  I went to the front door and slipped on my shoes, which lay idly where I’d kicked them off on my way in the day before. As I walked out the door, I felt the early morning sun instantly warming my face. Another dry, warm day, even in the middle of autumn. I jogged lightly down the front steps and through the grass, heading towards the stables.

  ‘Good morning, Honey!’ I sang as I entered the stables. Honey’s head jerked up and she gave a nicker of a greeting. ‘Nice to see you too!’ I laughed as she nuzzled into my shoulder. I gently stroked her soft nose.

  I grabbed a brush from the stable shelf and began to brush her in long sweeps. She sighed happily. Honey loved a good groom.

  ‘Today I have to do a presentation in English, Honey. And you think your life is hard!’ I tried to swallow the nerves at the thought of standing up in front of my whole class.

  Honey grunted sympathetically.

  ‘You see, Honey, I could do a thousand speeches in front of you. But people? People are the scary ones.’

  Honey nodded in understanding. If only I could be as confident with people as I was with animals. Animals were so easy – easy to understand and so loyal. But I was never sure about what people were thinking, and it always made me seriously shy.

  Honey suddenly pricked her ears.

  ‘Chlllooooeeeeee!’

  I could hear the faint call of my mum in the distance, back up at the house.

  ‘Oh man. I forgot to feed the chickens again. I think Mum is going to be mad!’

  I put the brush on the stable shelf and gave Honey a quick kiss on her velvety nose.

  ‘I’ll be back later,’ I said, winking at her. ‘Coming, Muuuum!’ I yelled out the stable door.

  I jogged from the stable and across the withered grass towards the house. On the doorstep, I could see Mum waiting for me, with Dad standing next to her. Odd. Usually Dad was off doing his chores from five o’clock in the morning. We rarely saw him at breakfast as he ticked through his list of jobs around the farm. Something was up.

  I quickened my pace, worried.

  ‘What’s up?’ I huffed as I approached them, slightly out of breath. Both my parents looked at me with sparkling eyes, holding back a grin.

  ‘Come inside, Chlo,’ Dad said with a smile. ‘We have something to tell you.’

  I went into the kitchen and sat down at the table with my parents. There were papers spread out on the table and I immediately thought that perhaps one of our cows had won a place in the city show this year. That would be good news.

  ‘Chlo, we received this letter in the mail,’ my mum began, unfolding a piece of paper. ‘Would you like to read it?’

  I took the letter from my mum and began to read.

  Dear Mr and Mrs Humphries,

  We write to inform you that the Academy has been endowed a new scholarship for the equestrian program. The scholarship stipulates t
hat the recipient must be a showjumper and covers all tuition and boarding fees.

  It is with great pleasure that we offer this fully-funded scholarship to your daughter, Chloe Humphries, for tuition and boarding at the Academy for the entirety of her high schooling years. We were greatly impressed with not only the showjumping abilities of your daughter, but also her academic record and her hard-working attitude. We would be delighted if Chloe could join us at the Academy, starting in Term Three of this year.

  Enclosed are all the relevant details regarding stabling, uniform and boarding information, all of which are included in the scholarship.

  Please reply in writing informing us of your decision.

  We hope this is the beginning of a fabulous new journey for Chloe as a Royal Academy of Sports student.

  Yours sincerely,

  Mrs M Brunette (Principal)

  I looked up at my parents with wild, disbelieving eyes. They both could not stop smiling.

  ‘Wait, does this mean …’ I said, shaking my head.

  My dad nodded. ‘That’s right, Chlo. You are a Royal Academy student! That’s if you want to be,’ he added.

  ‘Of COURSE!’ I squealed, jumping out of my chair and hugging my mum tightly. ‘So, this scholarship means you don’t have to pay for the school fees, right?’ I asked. I really didn’t want to add any stress to my parents’ lives during this tough time on the farm.

  ‘That’s right.’ Mum smiled. ‘It covers all your school fees, boarding, stabling of Honey, uniform – everything!’

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt like I was dreaming and at any moment I would wake up and find myself asleep on my desk in a double Maths class at Appleby High.

  My mind began to spin. I was so excited, but at the same time I was terrified. Going to the Academy meant leaving the countryside and living in the boarding school with a group of girls I’d never met. Those girls had already been in the Academy together for six months and I would be the only new person. But to be able to ride Honey in those amazing facilities was like a dream! I’d have to get to know a new instructor but the idea of competing as a showjumper for the Academy was such an amazing thought. And to start in Term Three – that was only five weeks away! Even though butterflies danced nervously about in my stomach, my eyes glistened with excitement and pride.