Spirit Riding Free

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free © 2020 DreamWorks Animation LLC.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Illustrations by Maine Diaz

  Cover design by Ching Chan. Cover illustration by Maine Diaz.

  Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

  Visit us at LBYR.com

  First Edition: February 2020

  Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  Library of Congress Control Number 2019947037

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-45515-2 (pbk.), 978-0-316-45516-9 (ebook)

  E3-20200109-JV-NF-ORI

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Lucky Prescott snuggled in under her soft comforter. A fresh spring breeze blew in through the open bedroom window and rustled her new blue gingham curtains. The sun wasn’t even up yet, but it was already starting to get warm outside. Everyone was predicting that the next few months in Miradero were going to be warmer than usual, but Lucky didn’t mind. The weather made it feel as if it were already summer, even though it was still a few weeks away. Lucky couldn’t wait for the seasons to change. She was looking forward to spending the upcoming summer with her best friends, Pru and Abigail, riding their horses through their wondrous, well-trod trails before heading off to boarding school at Palomino Bluffs Riding Academy in the fall. They had it all planned out. The goal was to have as much fun as possible and go on even more horseback rides than last year. Plus, Lucky reasoned, what better way to beat the heat than feeling the wind in her hair when she broke into a gallop? Lucky was glad that her horse, Spirit, felt the same way.

  After a quick yawn and stretch, Lucky quickly fell back into her sweet dreams of summer. She had barely begun snoring again when the clatter of something bouncing off her windowsill caused Lucky to bolt upright in bed. A small brown circle lay on her flowered rug, illuminated by the dim light of the early morning.

  “What in the world could that be?” Lucky whispered to herself. She hopped out of bed and crouched down to inspect it. She picked up the circle and its crumbly edges began to break off in her hand. It was a biscuit! Not just any biscuit, either. It was one of Abigail’s homemade horse treats. Before Lucky could investigate any further, another treat came barreling through the window and hit Lucky right in the shoulder! The treat exploded into a hundred oaty bits and made quite the crumbly mess. But Lucky couldn’t help giggling as she shot over to the window and stuck out her head. “Abigail? Pru?” she whispered to her friends down below. “What are you guys doing here? It’s practically the middle of the night!”

  “Lucky, did you completely forget our plan?” Pru whispered back. Lucky racked her brain. Admittedly, her mind still felt a bit foggy with sleep.

  “Plan?” Lucky replied. “Were we going to have a slumber party?”

  “No! We’re going on a dawn trail ride. I’ve been promising Boomerang that we’d watch the sunrise from his favorite spot for weeks!” Abigail answered, a little too loudly for the hour. “And we brought breakfast.” She patted the top of her wicker picnic basket. Lucky licked her lips, imagining what baked goodies Abigail had created this time. She knew it was still dark outside, but Lucky couldn’t help it. Whenever she woke up, she was immediately in search of a snack. It also didn’t hurt that Abigail’s knack for baking and sweets was unparalleled in Miradero.

  “Oh yeah! Of course,” Lucky replied with a grin. “Just give me two seconds and I’ll see you downstairs!” Abigail and Pru gave a little cheer and clapped their hands in delight. “Shhh!” Lucky called out. She had already asked her dad and stepmother, Kate, for permission a few days ago, but she didn’t want to wake them or her new baby sister, Polly. Once that baby woke up, she was all sorts of adorable trouble.

  “Okay, it’s been two seconds!” whisper-shouted Abigail in between fits of giggles. “Hurry up, Lucky!”

  Lucky quickly dressed in her favorite outfit: saddle-worn jeans and a white top. But she waited to put on her shoes. She was careful to carry her cowgirl boots down the stairs, lest they clunk too loudly on the wooden steps. She grabbed her satchel and swept silently through the kitchen, tossing three crisp Rojo Delicioso apples, a block of cheddar cheese, and a canteen of water inside. Then she was out the door.

  By the time Lucky, Abigail, and Pru arrived at the stables, Boomerang and Chica Linda were already making happy snorting sounds and pawing at their stall doors. Even Spirit had arrived and was pacing back and forth. Clearly, the horses were just as excited as the PALs and were gearing up to stretch their legs to ride free on the open trail.

  “Don’t worry, Boomerang,” Abigail assured her pinto gelding with a loving pat. “We’ll be out there in no time! Well, maybe a little time because you’re not wearing your saddle yet. But it won’t be much time. Anyway, I’m probably wasting time right now talking about time this whole time.…” Abigail giggled and then nodded to Pru. “Let’s saddle up!” The two girls sprang into action, giving their respective horses a short brushdown and securing soft blankets at the top of the horses’ withers. Then they took the brown leather saddles off their racks and began to wrap the straps around the horses’ midsections. Spirit was actually a wild and free horse, so Lucky never used a saddle to ride him.

  As Pru tightened the buckles on Chica Linda’s saddle, Lucky ran her fingers through Spirit’s silky mane. Even when he got little tangles in it, Lucky was always impressed by how soft it was. “There you go, Spirit. Ready to ride?”

  All three horses whinnied and kicked in response. Luckily, the barn was far enough from the Granger house that they didn’t wake anyone. Lucky, Abigail, and Pru hopped on their horses and took off for the trails. Shivers of excitement ran down Lucky’s spine as the fresh spring air hit her face. What a thrill!

  By the time the girls reached the crested ridge of Hideaway Hill—one of the PALs’ favorite secret spots—the sky was changing into a canvas of brilliant orange and three shades of pink.

  “Over here!” Pru exclaimed as she lay out a blue-checked blanket. There was just enough time to set up the picnic breakfast before the sun began to peek over the horizon. Lucky was just about to bite into a warm biscuit slathered in butter when she felt a familiar muzzle and warm breath snorting in her ear. Spirit had bent down, sniffing her to signal that he was hungry, too.

  “Whoops. How
could I forget?” Lucky laughed. She reached inside her satchel and tossed the apples to Boomerang, Chica Linda, and Spirit. Three crunches later and the apples were completely gone. “Look, Spirit!” Lucky pointed at the painted sky. “Isn’t Miradero beautiful? I hope we get sunrises like this at Palomino Bluffs.”

  “I’m sure we will, but we’ll probably be way too tired from all our new classes to wake up and see them,” Pru replied. “But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Have you seen all the new badges the Frontier Fillies have to offer?” Pru pulled a booklet from her bag and began to flip through it. “There are so many new activities to try! They even have dressage! Do you think I can earn the advanced badge?” Even though Pru was new to the sport, she’d had lots of experience training horses in the rodeo style.

  “Absolutely!” Abigail chirped through a bite of cheese. “Your dressage skills have gotten better and better, Pru. Soon, you’ll be a rodeo and dressage champion. You’ll be so famous that people will want your autograph and Chica Linda’s hoof-stamp.”

  “We’re going to need a pretty big ink pad for that.” Lucky nodded in agreement. “But I’m sure we can find one.” If it hadn’t been for some sneaky behavior on the part of one of the other competitors, Pru might have won her recent dressage competition. But that was all in the past. Now the PALs were looking ahead—and their future in the Frontier Fillies and at Palomino Bluffs Riding Academy looked as bright as the sunrise!

  “What else can we try? Oooh, look Boomerang! Intermediate mane-braiding!” Abigail called out. Boomerang responded with an exasperated snort. The three girls leafed through the pages of the booklet together, circling the activities they were interested in.

  Suddenly, Lucky’s eyes landed on a gold emblem that looked like a sheriff’s badge. On it were the words Trail Trainer. Lucky pointed excitedly. “Trail Trainers!”

  “What’s that?” Abigail scrunched her nose inquisitively.

  “I actually don’t know,” Lucky admitted. “But whatever it is, I think we need to do it. It looks official and important. Just look at that shiny symbol.”

  Pru cleared her throat and read aloud: “‘To become a Frontier Fillies certified Trail Trainer, the Filly must display the utmost poise and proficiency for horse training. Candidates will complete and present a demonstration to prove that they have mastered the necessary skills for training an unfamiliar horse. Some example tasks include: cleaning hooves, bathing, haltering, leading, and groundwork as well as various more advanced voice commands associated with riding horses, packhorses, performing horses, and draft horses.’”

  “An unfamiliar horse?” Abigail asked. “Like Boomerang in a silly costume? He definitely has experience as a performing horse from when he was in the El Circo Dos Grillos with Pru.”

  “I think that it means you can’t use Boomerang.” Pru shrugged. “That way they know you can train any horse instead of just the one you already have.” She pointed at the booklet. “Whoa. It also says here that Trail Trainers get all sorts of cool privileges like first pick of campsites at Jamborees.”

  “What? That’s incredible! We have to do it,” Abigail insisted. “From PALs to Trail Trainers!” She held up her water canteen in a “cheers” motion. But nobody joined in.

  “Wait a second… you have to be able to train any horse?” Lucky’s excitement began to drain out of her. She regarded Spirit. Watching him stand there with his strong muscles and his kind face gave Lucky a sense of pride. But he was a wild horse. Lucky had certainly learned to ride him, but not in the usual way. It was as if they had their own language, and it was anything but traditional. She couldn’t really call it “training.” In fact, Lucky had never really learned to properly train a horse at all.

  “What’s wrong, Lucky?” Pru asked, reading the conflicted expression in Lucky’s eyes.

  “It’s just that… maybe you and Abigail should try to become Trail Trainers without me. You two have experience in traditional training. Spirit and I have… our own way of doing things.” Lucky slumped down. “That’s probably not what they’re looking for.”

  “Lucky, are you even hearing yourself?” Pru replied. “Spirit is a wild horse and you ride him without a saddle! That’s amazing! I think you can definitely handle learning some basics. Plus, Abigail and I will teach you.”

  “Really?” Lucky brightened. “Even if we have to start with the super-easy stuff?”

  Abigail nodded and smiled. “I think we all could use a refresher. We can start first thing tomorrow! Maybe not this early, though…” Boomerang and Chica Linda stomped the ground in agreement. Spirit nuzzled Lucky as if to say he liked the idea, too.

  Pru, Abigail, and Lucky all cheered. It was settled. They were going to ace the Trail Trainers test, and they were going to do it as they did everything—together. Now all they had to do was find some willing horses to teach. “Come on!” urged Lucky. “Let’s go find Kate! Maybe she’ll let us borrow Tambourine.”

  Chapter 2

  The girls galloped all the way back to Miradero, partially because they were trying to beat the heat, but also because they were so excited by their new goal. By the time they’d reached the ramada, Al Granger was packing up his saddlebags and getting his horse’s tack ready. He looked surprised to see them. “What are you three doing up already?”

  “Remember, Dad?” Pru rolled her eyes. “Sunrise trail ride?” She was pretty sure he was just pretending to have forgotten, since it had been the only thing she’d talked about all week.

  “Oh right.” Al smiled to himself. “Were the sights as breathtaking as you girls hoped?”

  “Even better,” replied Abigail. She swung her leg over Boomerang’s back and hopped down from the stirrup. “The sky looked just like Lucky’s shirt after that time Polly threw her mashed sweet potatoes at her! Orange splotches everywhere…”

  “Sounds, uh… stunning.” Al chuckled. He hoisted up a bag and secured it to the side of his horse’s saddle. “Well, I’m glad you had fun. I’d love to stay and chat longer, but I’d better get a move on. I’ve got to get there early if I want to bid on a good horse.”

  “Get where early, Mr. Granger?” Lucky asked, ears perked up. Did he just say he was going to get a new horse? New horses need to be trained! thought Lucky. Training a new horse would be way better than borrowing Kate’s horse.

  “I’m heading over to the Silverlode Spring Equine Auction,” Al replied. “It’s much bigger than the one in Cannon City. I’m going to find a new draft horse for the ramada. It’ll be good to have a big, strong horse around to lend a helping hoof.”

  Immediately, all three girls looked at one another. They didn’t even need to say anything to know what the others were thinking: Nevermind Tambourine—they’d find a horse of their own! “Dad! Let us tag along!” Pru begged, putting on her sweetest face. “Please?”

  Al hesitated. “I don’t know, girls.… It’s a long trip and I need to stay focused on my goal.”

  “We won’t be any trouble. In fact, we can help you find the best horse to bid on!” Pru insisted. She could be very convincing when she wanted to be and, as a result, Al Granger found it very hard to resist his daughter’s charms. He looked to Lucky and Abigail, raising his eyebrows, then back at Pru. He sighed and shook his head with a chuckle, defeated. “All right, you girls can come. But remember—eyes on the prize. We have a job to do.”

  “We won’t let you down,” Lucky said with a smile.

  The Silverlode Spring Equine Auction was bustling with activity. The last time the girls had been somewhere so crowded was when they’d visited Calliope Bay to meet Madame Gummery, the headmistress of Tides Run. Lucky was supposed to have had an interview for the academy, but kept managing to embarrass herself in front of the headmistress. It had all turned out okay in the end, but Lucky just hoped that their adventure today would go smoother than that one.

  “Look at all of these beauties!” Pru exclaimed to her friends as they followed behind Al, trotting along on Chica Linda, Boome
rang, and Spirit. “We’re definitely going to find you a good horse here, Dad.” Sure enough, tons of gorgeous horses of varying breeds and sizes were everywhere they looked. Most of the animals were either being groomed by their sellers or led to the auction stalls. The air was sweet with the scent of warm hay and sunshine.

  Lucky, Abigail, and Pru were careful to give their own horses reassuring pats to remind them that they were only here on a mission to buy a horse, not sell one. Spirit, especially, got nervous in situations like this since he’d been wrangled himself, first by Mr. Granger’s mesteñeros, then again by Harlan Grayson. The mischievous man had even sold Spirit in the Cannon City auction, so it was understandable that he might feel a bit tense.

  “It’s okay, boy,” Lucky assured him. “I won’t let anyone auction you ever again.” Spirit responded with a satisfied snort. “Now, let’s go rack up over there!” Lucky pointed to an empty horse rack standing apart from the auction stalls.

  “All right, I’m gonna go survey the options,” Al said, hopping off his horse and racking up next to Chica Linda, Boomerang, and Spirit. He gave the PALs a wink. “You three stay out of trouble, now. Remember our deal, okay?”

  Lucky, Abigail, and Pru nodded in unison and waved to Al as he disappeared into the bobbing sea of cowboy hats and horses. Then they took off for the covered stalls, eager to inspect all the beautiful horses for sale. Abigail also had her sights set on the popcorn stall, so they had to stop there first.

  “Look at this guy,” Lucky said, drawn immediately to a sturdy stallion with a mottled brown-and-white hide. He tossed back his shiny mane and let out a friendly greeting as the girls approached him.

  “He looks strong,” Abigail remarked through a mouthful of buttered kernels. “And a little like Boomerang. I like him.”

  “Let’s see a little more about you, buddy,” Pru said to the horse, inspecting the handwritten stat card, which hung from a little rope on the front of his stall gate. “Just as I thought! He’s an Appaloosa. Appaloosas are known for their tractability, good sense, and remarkable stamina. Might be a good option.” Pru was taking her mission very seriously.