The Eventers

Chapter 9- Emily

In the end, I got first in cross country, and was schooling for show jumping. Erica was in the ring with me as well. Matt and his mom were watching, and with the way she looked at me, I had a feeling she was doing a little bit more than just cheering me on. I asked Bentley for a nice canter. He responded perfectly, picking up a collected pace. I schooled him over some 3'0 verticals, then walked him out. Erica was having trouble with her horse. The strawberry roan didn't like the height and kept running out.

"Try leg on the right side accompanied by a small tap of the whip." I commented. Erica glared.

"Well, if it's that easy, then you get up on her and do it yourself!" She retorted. I nodded curtly, feeling Matt's mom watching me. I dismounted, and tied up Bentley. Erica handed me her reins. I noticed her spurs were huge. I didn't have anything on. I mounted again, getting nervous butterflies in my stomach.

Trotting out on the rail, I felt into the mare's rhythm, and tried to find her perfect pace. A quick canter transition, and she was good to go. I took her over some poles first. At the sight of the five stride pole line, she tensed. I patted her, and added leg.

When she went to run out, I touched her with my leg and added a smack of the crop. She went over the poles. Next up, the real jumps.

I directed her to a 3'0 vertical, and she tried to shake my position to make it harder for me to keep her from running out. I egged her on, and with a touch of the crop, she was over the fence. I even took her over a course. Patting the mare, I dismounted and handed the reins back to Erica.

"See? Just first-fence-itis" I said. Mrs. Morrison and Matt clapped, and I smiled to myself as I mounted Bentley back up.

"Rider 108, Emily Ford on Bentley's Blue Sky, hunter over fences 3'3." The announcer called. Mrs. Morrison cheered. Oh crap. Here we go. Again. I latter Bentley and entered the ring.