They had been looking forward to this morning; to the day when they would try their ponies properly, to the first ride on the new mounts, and it had turned out a succession of disasters.

The Trelawnys have three new ponies, the first they've ever had. The Hendersons have four ponies, and they've ridden all their lives. They think they're experts. The Hendersons think the Trelawnys are useless, and they don't hold back from telling them so.

An attempt to organise a musical ride with the two families and other local riders is a complete disaster, and the Trelawnys strike off on their own. They begin jumping, and as they jump stranger and stranger obstacles, they and their friends start to become trick jumpers.

Can they save their local show with what the tricks they've learned?