Kate's Challenge: #3

In "Kate's Challenge", 16-year-old Kate Wiley and one of her good friends, Dara Cooper, are leaving their home state for a month to attend Langwald's Training Camp in Vermont. While there, Kate is pushed to her limit by Tommy Langwald (aka "Fangwald", the instructor and owner of the estate), who not only gives Kate a hard time (though he is just as hard on some of his other students), but uses his crop on her horse, Night Owl, at one point in the story. This final action causes Kate to reconsider whether or not she wants to remain at Langwald's, despite her longtime dream of being an Olympic equesterian.In addition to her problems with Langwald, Kate has to deal with Trevor Williams, one of her classmates who has a crush on her. Kate feels something for him in return, but she also has a boyfriend back in Connecticut. Will Kate remain loyal to Pete (her boyfriend), or will her newfound feelings for Trevor override that relationship?The one part of the book I began to have my doubts about was concerning Casey O'Connell, another of Langwald's students, who begins to develop an eating disorder halfway into the book. While this story line could have turned into a poor example for young girls by showing that starvation is the only way to make you happier and more likable, the author thankfully avoided this mistake by creating a more acceptable resolve to Casey's overindulgence.Overall, I thought "Kate's Challenge" was a great book for preteen girls. This series is also ideal for horse lovers. There's a glossary in the back of the book (which is customary in all Blue Ribbon books) with equestrian terminology, something I'd recommend more novice readers peruse beforehand if you're unfamiliar with horses; otherwise, you might find yourself flipping back and forth through the book.

I love this book !!! I love eventing and I had the exact same thing happen to me as my horse was going to go much higher !!! But I wish Kate would realise that Northern Spy was the horse 4 her!!