Off To Duncan's Paddock.

This is a horsey short story published in SADDLE UP AGAIN, a wonderful collection of horse writings compiled by Sydney author Mary Small and published as a Bluegum paperback by Angus & Robertson in 1995. The book sold out its first print run and has never been reprinted, but is available in libraries, and sometimes pops up in Scholastic Book Club.

Julie loves having horse riding lessons in Commonwealth Park every Saturday afternoon. But one Saturday she's forced to ride a strange horse called Cobbitty and disaster seems certain.

This story is based on the fact that I did go riding every Saturday in Centennial Park in Sydney from when I was eight years old, and Bonny, Cobbitty and Ramazan were all horses at Challis Riding School. My favourite instructor was David Duncan who often took my class to ride in the Police paddock, where we did jumps or played polocrosse.