02x09 - The Home Straight

[bunniefuu]

Who is that?

It's Max...

isn't it?

VeronicaThat's not Max.

Max isn't as hot as that.

StevieHe's acting like Max,

like he owns the place.

Let's go see who it is.

Hi.

Who are you?

I'm Andrew Regnery,

Drew to my friends,

which includes all of you, I'm sure.

I'm Max's cousin.

Max decided at the very last minute

to start a term earlier

at the French riding college,

so...here I am.

I'll be looking after things till Max gets back.

Do you ride horses?

I learned to ride right here, years ago.

I'm not brilliant, but I get by.

So, who will be taking the lessons?

As you know,

Red has just completed his instructor training,

so he'll be managing that department.

So things will just carry on as normal?

Unless I can see something

that could be improved.

I've just finished a degree

in business management,

so I'll change what needs to be changed

from a business point of view.

In fact, that's one of the reasons

why Max asked me here.

Drew seemed very nice.

He sounded better educated than Max.

What are you going to say about me

when I leave, Veronica?

Hey, you guys, wait up!

[Sighs] Pepper!

Come on!

[Pepper growls]

You're not even trying!

Are you deaf?

Hey, Kristi,

that's not very nice.

We'll ask Drew to buy us some new school horses.

How would you like that done to you?

How would you like to ride the slowest,

laziest school horse there is?

Pepper's useless!

He's not lazy.

Are you, Pepper?

Maybe he's sick.

We may as well go back anyway.

This trail is blocked by the tree.

Plenty of firewood in that.

CaroleMax should have a look at Pepper.

He's not himself.

Not Max, Drew.

Oh, yeah.

[Pepper grunts]

Maybe he's got just a touch of colic.

No, he's not sick.

He's just old.

His working days are over.

My thoughts exactly.

That can't be right.

I learned to ride on Pepper.

Me, too.

And me.

I'd say that's the problem.

He's .

LisaSo...

What will happen to him, Drew?

He'll be put out to pasture for a while until...

Until what?

Until he has to be put down.

[Gasps]

Oh...

LisaIt doesn't seem right.

Sort of dumping him because he's old.

After all he's done for us.

And it didn't help having Kristi

trying to run him around like a yearling.

I wasn't!

VeronicaThat's not fair, Stevie.

It was going to happen, anyway.

Yeah, well, Kristi made sure it happened

sooner rather than later.

RedCome on, everybody.

It's nobody's fault.

It's just the way things are.

LisaWe have to do something.

I bet you it would be different

if Max was still here.

That's not true.

Pepper's a working horse who can't work anymore.

That's what happens.


ManKnock, knock.

Anyone home?

My name's Bud.

Good day.

Deborah told me I should come down

and introduce myself.

RedBud's going to stay a few days.

If you have any questions

about anything to do with horses,

fire away.

Yeah, well, I've been a jockey,

I've been a blacksmith, a cartwright;

jack of all trades,

master of none.

Ha ha ha!

Ahh...

Why the long faces?

One of our school horses

has been struggling a bit lately,

and, well...

Pepper's come to the end of the road.

Pepper?

Appaloosa gelding,

about hands?

That's him.

How do you know Pepper?

Well, I started working here at Pine Hollow

over years ago as a kid

and on and off since then.

Well, I taught Max and Drew how to ride.

I met Pepper's poor old mum Licorice,

well, over years ago.

She had a tough time foaling.

I spent most of the night with her.

Well, I must say hello.

[Pepper nickers]

Ahh.

We got a lot of catching up to do, old fella.

Haven't we? Hey?

Looks like you and me are in the same boat.

Two old-timers...

whose time's running out.

Drew?

Yes...um...

Carole.

If we take turns riding Pepper,

we promise to nurse him along.

And that way Pepper will last for years.

It'll work, Drew, we promise.

You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?

We've thought the whole thing through, Drew.

Pine Hollow is a business,

and there's a lot of expenses at the moment.

The last thing we need are vet bills

for an ailing horse.

The insurance is due,

so is the feed bill.

And we need to buy in more wood

for next winter.

I know where you can get free firewood.

Where?

Last week's storm brought a big tree down

in Fox Valley.

It'd last two winters.

Yeah, but listen, girls.

Labor is money.

If we're gathering wood,

we're not doing something else.

We'll gather it.

And how will you get it back here?

There's no way this wagon is going anywhere.

LisaYeah, it's ancient.

BudAh, what a beautiful wagon.

Yeah, except that it's half-rotten.

Oh, yeah, but the chassis's fine.

Yes, I'll have this looking as good as new

in a couple of shakes of a lamb's tail.

Really?

Well, I told you I used to be a cartwright.

That's until they, um, fired me.

Ahh, but that's another story.

[Girls giggle]

It was just so mean of Stevie

to say it was my fault.

Oh, a new low,

even for the Saddle Club.

In fact, this whole place is going downhill lately.

Max taking off without warning.

School horses getting old.

And strange old men wandering around.

We should just get our parents

to sign us up somewhere else.

I've thought about that,

but everywhere else is probably just as bad,

I mean, for the advanced riders.

Like us.

Particularly if you've been cursed

with being sensitive.

It's a curse, all right.

Red, Can you come help us


do up the old wagon in the barn?

Who's "us"?

Bud, Phil, Carole, Lisa, and me.

Sure!

What about you two?

What about us?

We're going to chop firewood

when we finish the wagon.

Come and help.

You've got to be joking!

We're here to perfect our riding skills,

not our wood-chopping skills.

Pine Hollow is definitely going downhill.

Well done, everyone.

Yeah, I'd be happy to hire you as apprentices

any day of the week.

Look, just like new.

You make it look so easy, Bud.

Ha ha!

That's because it is easy.

That's if you can read the grain.

Read the grain?

See where the grain's not so close together?

That's its weakest point.

It should split like a charm.

Easy when you know how.

[Chuckles]

StevieIt's stuff you can't learn from a book.

LisaIt's stuff that has to be passed down.

CaroleFrom one generation to the next.

PhilLike if you're splitting wood,

you've got to read the grain.

Read the grain? What?

[Carole laughs]

It's just my bad luck

I can't be there tomorrow.

Nice one, Phil.

We've lost a stable-hand at Cross County,

so the rest of us have to pitch in.

VeronicaHave you guys looked

in the mirror lately?

Somebody needs a shower.

CaroleNo deodorant will stand up

to hours of wood-chopping.

I'm happy to take your word for it.

What about splinters?

What about them?

And we're doing it again tomorrow.

Ugh...

You kids just are so not grown up.

Let's get out of here.

It could be catching.

[All giggle]

The Saddle Club have finally flipped.

Mmm.

LisaOpen your eyes.

Did some kind elves come and do this

while I was sleeping?

There were good elves:

Lisa, Stevie, Carole, Phil, Red,

and their leader, Bud.

You guys are the best.

Thank you.

Drew,

now that we've saved you all that money,

does that mean Pepper's going to be OK?

DrewLook, it's...

It's not just about the money.

You girls have feelings for Pepper,

but you've got to learn

that mightn't always lead you to do

what's best for him.

He's had a good life, but it's over now.

Please, Drew.

Sorry, girls, I don't want to talk about this anymore.

[Stevie sighs]

He's moping because he can't be

with the other horses.

You feel sidelined, don't you, Pepper?

I'd feel so bad if I wasn't allowed

to be with my friends.

Yeah, like if you guys were out having fun,

and I was cooped up inside by myself.

Maybe one of us should stay with him

and keep him company.

Yeah, take turns.

He looks brighter already.

I'll take first go.

BudYou girls are special.

You're good with old wagons

and good with old horses.

StevieWe feel so sorry for him.

Poor Pepper, all on his lonesome.

You got a real fellow feeling for animals.

Animals can teach us so much.

He knows I've come to say good-bye, haven't you?

Say good-bye? Are you leaving?

Yeah, I'm heading back to the city on Thursday.

You like it more than here?

Of course not,


but Drew and Deborah

aren't having an easy time at the moment.

I don't want to overstay my welcome,

and I like to pay my way.

We're really going to miss you, Bud.

I'll miss you folks.

And this fine place.

I'd like to stay, but it's...

not to be.

I'm sure the Regnerys would love

to have you stay longer.

Well, even if they would, I'd...

I'd have to find a job.

I feel really useless without a job.

Yeah...[Sniffles]

Yeah, I must be getting a bit of a cold.

See you later, girls.

[Nickers]

Red put the other horses out

so Pepper's got company now.

He's happy again.

We've got to find a way to make Bud stay.

And save Pepper.

VeronicaYou really are little miss fix-its,

aren't you?

Well, somebody has to do something.

It's just the way things are.

What a pathetic thing to say!

Knock off the wood- chopping, Stevie.

It's making you weird.

Well, if weird means caring,

then give me weird every time.

Veronica,

let me ask you something.

Bud wants to stay at Pine Hollow,

but because of lack of money

he has to go back to the city.

Fair?

LisaAnd after a lifetime

of being a good, faithful horse,

Pepper is just given the brush-off.

Fair?

I didn't say it was fair,

it's just reality.

StevieWell, I don't like that sort of reality.

You can't do anything about it.

You can always do something about it!

Yeah, like what?

Miner's Creek!

Of course! Brilliant!

You guys are spending way too much time together.

You are way weird!

The old cottage at Miner's Creek.

Bud could live there.

VeronicaBut it's too old and dilapidated.

That's what they said about the wagon.

Who owns it?

The rich guy with the angora stud.

Mr. Lomax!

Let's call him and see what the rent is.

Keep his head up!

Keep his head up, Kristi!

Why?

Because Barq looks like a hack,

and you look like an amateur.

Here, I'll show you how it's done.

I'm pulling his head high,

and he's looking good,

and I am looking pretty good myself.

[Sighs]

You don't know everything, Veronica.

I never said I did,

but I know what matters,

and keeping a horse's head nice and high matters.

BudNot always,

particularly if you're jumping him.

A horse judges distance better

if it sets its head one way and then another.

I won the Grand National this way,

but that's another story.

Well, yes.

Thank you so very much.

I spent two weeks in France

at Monsieur L'Ouverture's school.

Funny, he didn't mention it.

Oh, maybe he didn't know.

And maybe it's not true.

Oh. Try it!

You'll see what I mean.

As if!

Mr. Lomax isn't using the cottage,

and nobody else is,

so why won't he let us have it cheap?

Why are rich people so mean?

That's how they get rich,

because they keep everything

for themselves.

If we could scrape together a month's rent...

LisaBut Bud doesn't have a job, remember?

One thing at a time.


Hey, we could chop more wood

and sell it for rent money.

Yeah.

Tim's timber yard buys wood.

Let's go.

Rich people are not mean!

No...

We're just careful.

The old guy's right, isn't he?

Yeah.

Garnet's more confident

if I don't pull his head up.

Same with Barq.

How come your hero L'Ouverture

didn't mention it?

I guess because Bud was riding horses

when Monsieur was still in short pants.

We owe Bud an apology.

[Garnet whickers]

I've got a better idea.

[Phone dialing]

VeronicaHello, Mr. Lomax?

It's Veronica Di Angelo here.

Look, I'm really interested in renting

that dilapidated little cottage of yours

at Miner's Creek.

And I'd like to mention, also, that my father,

as president of the golf club,

is looking at your membership application

right now.

Yes.

And I'd like to say, also, that...

the cottage and your membership are,

shall we say...

not unrelated.

[Chuckles]

Oh.

Too kind, Mr. Lomax.

Our families do go back a long way,

you're right.

My father will call you tonight.

Good-bye, Mr. Lomax.

Have you been there all that time?

Quiet as a mouse.

You sneaky...

I heard every word, Veronica.

I wouldn't be calling me sneaky

if I were you.

You are so sly.

We seem to have that in common.

We have nothing in common.

Are you sure, now?

You don't know me.

And you don't know me.

Perfect.

I can see straight through you, Veronica.

[Laughs]

X-ray vision eyes.

You play too many computer games.

I thought what you did just then for Bud

was real nice.

Well...

I did it to show how pathetic

the Saddle Club are.

That's what you tell yourself,

but I know different.

Stick to computer games, Scooter.

I'm way out of your league.

Maybe...

maybe not.

bucks for all that wood!

What a rip-off!

And we had to unload it ourselves.

It hardly paid for your oats,

has it, Napoleon?

VeronicaSo?

Didn't work out, eh?

We got bucks for the whole wagon load.

A daylight robbery.

Gee, you are pretty smart, aren't you?

What I'm saying is that

if you couldn't achieve something

with your combined talent,

then, gosh,

what would you think of someone

who could do it all by themselves?

What are you getting at, Veronica?

You have been running all over the countryside

chopping down whole forests,

but you couldn't get the cottage, right?

Your point being?

How good is someone

who scored the cottage rent-free

with one phone call?

Did you?

How?

The golf club did the trick.

You hit Mr. Lomax with a golf club?

[Girls laughing]

Sort of.


Way to go.

Good one, Veronica.

Hi.

How nice of you to arrive after all the hard work.

Hey, I told you,

I've been doing chores at Cross County

until we get a replacement stable-hand.

You need a stable-hand at Cross County?

I told you we did.

What about...

Lisa and StevieBud!

They're back!

Did you get the job, Bud?

No.

I didn't have the right qualifications

to be a stable-hand.

What?

Who says?

Is it true, Drew?

But I got an even better job.

How come?

Cross County is starting up a new tourist heritage venue

with a blacksmith shop, et cetera.

And they want me to be a consultant.

Me, a consultant!

Ha ha ha!

So I've finally made it.

That's fantastic, Bud.

Drew, um...

could you do me a favor?

Sure, Bud.

Well, I figured I might get a bit lonely

up at that cottage up at Miner's Creek.

Would you consider giving me

old Pepper for company?

Why, sure, Bud.

You're very welcome to him.

If that's all right with you girls?

Of course.

Excellent.

Pepper would love it.

[Laughs]

[All laugh]

LisaWe always told you

you had a lot of future in front of you,

didn't we, Pepper?

[Pepper whickers]

You may be ,

but you're still a fine specimen.

In fact, you look as strong...as a horse.

[Girls giggle]

You and Bud are going to live

happily ever after,

aren't you?

But that's another story.

[Girls laughing]

Saddle Club Girls♪ Hello, world

♪ This is me ♪

♪ Life should be ♪

♪ Fun for everyone ♪

♪ Life is easy if you wear a smile ♪

♪ Just be yourself, don't ever change your style ♪

♪ You are you ♪

♪ I am me ♪

♪ We'll be free ♪

♪ Hello, world

♪ This is me ♪

♪ Life should be ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm, yeah ♪

♪ Fun for everyone ♪