It was finally Kates Birthday at last she was turning twelve the age she was allowed to get her first horse and she was beyond exited. Two weeks before her Birthday she had gone to her local stables and picked out a gorgeous black mare named Phoenix.

She was so excited she was up at 7am even though he wasn't due to arrive till 12am that after noon.

Kate sat on the step of her house counting the seconds till 12am then eventually after all that waiting the horse trailer rolled into her drive. When Kate saw the trailer she could hardly wait to see her again. Meanwhile kate's dog Coco started to sniff the trailer to see what it was doing in his home.

Kate ran to the car door and

dragged her Dad out.

Kate watched lovingly as her Dad lead Phoenix into his brand new stable next to her older sister Janes black stallion Jets stable. Kate had spent all of yesterday preparing phoenixes stable till it was perfect. After Dad left Kate she started grooming Phionex but all of a sudden she heard a soft voice say hello she dropped her brush in fright but it didn't sound like her mom or Jane. She heard it again it said "why did you drop the brush? " Kate quickly picked up the brush and started to groom again but then she heard it again and this time it said "that's better". Kate got such a fright that she gathered up her grooming brushes and left the stable in a hurry.

Kate waited a whole hour till she went back to Phoenxes stable but as she walked in Phionex said "Where were you I have been waiting here for ages" Kate jumped a foot in the air and said "You can talk !! " "Well of course I can talk". "Now how about a nice ride I was cooped up in that trailer for hours." complained Phoenix. "No you weren't it was a five minute drive" said Kate. "Well it felt like hours to me." Shot back Phoenix.

"Ok ok we can go on a ride" sighed Kate "Excellent" replied Phoenix. So they went for a long ride on the beach. When they got back Jane asked Kate if she and Phoenix wanted to practice jumping with her and Jet. Kate looked at Phoenix and the mare simply nodded her head in answer. So the two sisters practiced jumping together.

The next day Kate and Jane went for a ride in the field and Jane suggested they have a race. Once again Kate looked at Phoenix and she nodded her head like she had before. So Kate replied with a yes As they looked for a stick to mark the start line Jane kept saying don't be sad when I beat you, Jets really fast and stuff like that. Kate looked at Phionex and realised the mare was rolling her eyes.

After a long time of looking for a good stick they found a perfect one and dragged it to the spot they wanted it. Jane started to count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO !!! Both horses took off at a gallop, Jet was in the lead but Phoenix was catching up and he actually over took Jet. Now Phoenix was ahead by a lot and the finish line was coming into view. Phionex crossed the line before Jet who was still quite far behind but then finally Jet and Jane crossed the line too.

Jane looked so shocked that Phionex and I had beaten her and Jet. However she said that I should enter Phoenix into the town horse race. I wasn't very sure about it because I was scared to race in front of people in case I fell off or made a fool of myself. So that night I talked to mom and Dad about the town race and why I didn't want to

enter it and they said if I can

beat Jane and Jet I was

well able to do the town

race.

So I Decided to enter the race. I told Phoenix and she said she was going to come first in the race. So the next week Jane and Kate were plaiting manes and polishing tack for the race. After they had loaded the horses into the trailer the girls got into the car and went to the place that the competition was being held. When they got there Dad helped them unload the horses. Then after they were safely in their stables Dad went to register them.

When they were all ready the man on the loud speaker said to all the racers to make their way to the start line and after everyone was ready he fired the gun and all the horses took off at a gallop. Phoenix was in the lead but not too far behind was Jet and another horse but then Phoenix put on a huge burst of speed and Phionex crossed the finish line first.