The Young Riders clinic is just days away and Emily and her father are still at odds over who she should take to ride. She wants to take Bluebird. He thinks she should ride Encore. He says the horse is a shoe in. That he will make Emily look good but Emily already knows she is good. She doesn't need a push button, emotionless horse to prove it and she still hasn't got to the bottom of the mystery about where Encore came from and the curiosity is eating her alive.
Meanwhile the Equestrian Federation is holding an official inquiry into the drugging allegations. Emily’s father will have to go and testify. To defend himself. And if he doesn't succeed there is the very really possibility that he will be permanently suspended.
So the clinic is really the last thing on Emily’s mind but she needs to impress if she wants her riding career to continue on the fast track. On the last day of the clinic there will be a competition and she has to win in order to be eligible for the Talent Scout series of shows. But there will be riders there who want to see her fail. Who don’t think she belongs. Can she put the past behind her and secure another win if she has to compete without her trusty jumping pony?