Nancy Sanderson

Summer of the Spotted Horse Nancy Sanderson

Sixteen-year-old Samantha Kelly has pinned all her hopes, and her tuition to vet school, on an Appaloosa race colt she hand raised on the family farm in Southern California. Unfortunately, when she arrives at the race track for the summer, she discovers that her trainer-father has lost his license and disappeared. Race trackers she has known since she was ten are giving her the cold shoulder, and a grizzled old cowboy seems to be stalking her. Join "Sam" as she struggles to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance while trying to get two-year-old Sierra Warrior ready for the all-important California-Bred Appaloosa Futurity. Meet some really interesting race track characters like Uncle Billy Norton, who used to train for movie stars and has a million stories, and get to know the teenagers - Samantha's best friend, Tracy; Sleezy Slade Lang, Samantha's arch-enemy; and his brother, Jeff, who is as nice as Slade is nasty. Best of all learn about the horses - big, beautiful and in their prime as racers. It's a whole summer at the county fair, good times and bad - what kid could wish for more!