Harper and the Horse Show Sabotage

Windy Creek Stables #2

by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

In Harper and the Horse Show Sabotage, the second book in the charming middle grade Windy Creek Stables series from author Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Harper and Presley must uncover the mystery behind who is undermining the stables before it's too late!

Every year, the team at Windy Creek Stables packs up the trailer and makes the trip to the famous Kentucky Horse Park for the best and biggest horse show of the year. Usually, the competition is Harper's favorite thing in the world, and she can't wait to show off for her new best friend, Presley, who is competing for the first time. This year, though, she's more than a little nervous. It's her first time competing against her old barn, Foxcroft Equestrian Center, and she isn't looking forward to seeing the mean girls who still ride there. Her anxiety only increases when she gets a midnight call that Isolde, her beautiful grey Andalusian mare, is sick.

Luckily, Isolde recovers, but when another Windy Creek Stables horse starts to show signs of illness, Harper and Presley know something is up. One sick horse is just a sick horse, but two sick horses are a mystery. The girls must don their detective hats and figure out who's sabotaging the stables before anything else happens . . . and ace their competition as well, of course!

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Kaitlyn Sage Patterson grew up with her nose in a book outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After completing her M.F.A., she moved to South Korea, where she taught English and started writing her debut novel. THE DIMINISHED will be published by HarlequinTEEN in April 2018, followed by its sequel in 2019.

When she's not staring off into space and trying to untangle some particularly troublesome plot point, she can be found in her kitchen, perfecting the art of the macaron; or at the barn, where she rides and trains dressage horses; or with her husband, spoiling their sweet rescue dogs.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Windy Creek Stables: Harper and the Horse Show Sabotage, by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book two in the Windy Creek Stables series. Harper is excited and nervous to compete in a horse show with her new team, including her new friend Presley. Harpers horse Isolde becomes sick, then another horse on her team becomes sick, what is happening? Harper has a mystery to solve, and a horse show to win! This was a good read, overcoming nervous, and jealous people, are good skills to have.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a cute horse story sure to please animal lovers. At times I felt like the book was a little too "woke" for my taste. I think a book doesn't have to include every single societal trope at once in order to be inclusive. I liked how the book felt like a modern-day version of the Saddle Club, and I'm sure parents who loved that series growing up will enjoy passing down that enthusiasm in a new way with the Windy Creek Stables series.

I am grateful to have received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Michelle M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 2. Middle Grade.
5/6
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian for giving me this eARC.
This middle grade book was book two in the Windy Creek series, and yet I had no problem picking it up. I have always loved horses, but I never had a chance to ride or spend time with them. I would read some horse books as a kid, but I’d say my knowledge of them (and the proper way to take care of them) is low. So I can not rate the validity of the horse information in the book. I did look up colicking though, and that all seemed right, so I don’t imagine the rest of the info on the different show events would have been wrong.

Harper was a fine narrator, and I’m glad she pushed her fears aside and stood up for herself and her friend towards the end of the book. The art in the book was very good as well! The horses are beautifully drawn, even if they are made of simple lines <3
I am definitely looking forward to going back and reading the first one, and I think I’ll get them both when the second one comes out! (Hopefully in paperback as I prefer it lol). I’m also looking forward to more books in the series and to see how all the characters become better friends!

[Brandi Conico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is no Saddle Club- sure, it has similarities, but it tried so hard to be inclusive it was too much. I felt like every time Harper had a thought it was about her "two moms"- like, we get it. Most people don't talk about both of their parents at the same time every single time they mention them, you would say- "my mom" or "my dad" more frequently than "my parents"- not to say that it wouldn't come up, but this was consistent throughout. Also, one of the vets identifies as Latinx, which I find offensive as do many of my Hispanic friends, I almost DNF at this point, but I just put it down and gave it a couple of weeks, then picked it up again.

Overall, cute story, great kids, but it tried too hard to be inclusive to the point it was obnoxious. I gave it a high rating because the story itself was good outside of the other comments. However, I wouldn't recommend it to my children. Me and my family are not the target audience for this book. Others may be and think they will enjoy it.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley

[Jame_EReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

👧🏻 review: I remember reading the first book and thoroughly enjoyed it. With this 2nd book of the series, I was quite impressed how the story kept the story remained interesting and captivating. The one thing I liked the most is I didn’t feel lost when I started the first page of the book because the author made sure that this one can easily be read as a standalone without any hangups from 1st one. The moral in the story is quite simple and perfect for young readers to follow and appreciate. While reading, I was thinking of the kindergartners and 1st graders whom I tutored and read at the library. It is a short, easy and fun read and definitely worth reading to your little ones.

[ErinTurnsPages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I enjoyed Harper's point of view and seeing Presley from a different perspective. There is a lot of inclusivity thrown into this series, which can feel a bit overwhelming. I wonder if some couldn't be a bit more subtle, but it didn't really annoy me. Two things I really loved was the emphasis on horse care and good sportsmanship amon the community and that you can love and ride horses without the need for competition, even while being a story surrounding competiton. I'm also really excited to see how Natalie plays into the series. I can't wait for book three!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha]

This is a nice mystery for middle-grade readers with a horse theme. The characters have good dialog and a lot of viewpoints are represented. Thanks to Net Galley for letting me read and review!

[Castille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book for young readers. Would recommend to any "horse girls" like I was growing up :)

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Harper is excited to be attending a competition at the Kentucky Horse Park, but is apprehensive about seeing riders with whom she worked at her previous stable, since they were so mean to her. She loves working with her friend Presley, and is eager to introduce her to competition. Harper's sister Marnie is creating content for Young Rider, an equestrian magazine, and is hoping to interview an Olympic rider who is at the competition. Natalie, the daughter of Tracie, who owns Windy Creek, is along for the competition, but a bit apprehensive, since she is very allergic to horses. Harper is eager to compete with Isolde, so when her horse is colicking in the middle of the night, she is disappointed that the two can't take part, although the health of her horse is the most important thing. When another horse comes down with similar symptoms, the girls decide to investigate to see if something nefarious is going on. The girls from Foxcroft Stables are incredibly mean to both Harper and Presley, even stooping to racial comments, since Presley is black. Are the girls so competitive that they would stoop to sabotage? With the help of Marnie, Harper and her friends identify the culprits and get footage of them. How will this affect the competition?

This is a great book for horse fans, and has tons of details about caring for horses, competition, and even equipment and clothing. There's some diversity with Harper and Minerva's two mothers, and even a tattooed Olympic athlete. The covers are great, and I'm sure that my readers who love horses will check these out frequently. I try to add a few horse related titles every year, so this is definitely a series I will purchase.