The Saddle Club befriends Raffael and his mother, itinerant workers, who arrive at Willow Creek with their beautiful horse Diablo. Then Raffael is accused of horse-theft by a local farmer. Melanie and Ashley set up a Pine hollow newspaper called “Hoofbeat".
The Saddle Club helps Raffael to rescue his horse, but he is forced to offer it for sale when his family’s life savings are stolen. Lisa is especially saddened by Raffael’s departure.
Peeved that Lisa was named captain of the Navigation Riding Team to take on Cross County, Veronica sets out to prove that Phil is poisoning their horses so that his club will have the advantage.
Stevie’s judgment is clouded by her attempts to camouflage a pimple, while Veronica arranges to have a potential Olympic champion on Kristi’s team will win the prize of having their photograph in a prominent equestrian magazine.
