Disguised In Lavender

Part 45

Trash talk was common at shows but really only if you knew the other rider, otherwise it was kind much more friendly. Lauren didn't mind sitting taller in her saddle than usual, considering everyone was older it was a small advantage. "Lauren Blaine will go after James Anderson." The judges called, waving their hands to separate the riders back towards the trees where they could watch. Lauren spun Ducky and asked for a canter from the walk, leading the first into the trees with Dalla behind her. "You just can't leave me alone can you." She huffed a touch more agitated as she wheeled Ducky towards Dalla who only smirked and moved away. Trust someone like the devil to get on Lauren's nerves when nothing else would, hot bitterness surged to her throat. The judges were watching though, you could feel their eyes on you even when they weren't so scary looking up close.

Life or death, it's how every show felt but now it wasn't just a ribbon on Lauren's shoulders. She thought of Ann, how perfectly wonderful it would be to win the money and keep the promise she'd made up. "Begin please." James was a stout boy on a thick looking palomino stallion, a few hands taller than Ducky, maybe 16 hands. The gates burst open and they came flying out, James hand tight in the poor boys mane with his neck jerked back. The way he ran made Lauren cringe, his forelegs jutting out as he dug for ground with the whites of his eyes showing. "Give him his head." She whispered under her breath, slackening her own reins out of pity for the gorgeous palomino already sweating. The duo approached the first jump and cleared it by centimeters, nicking the top bush and leaving a dent. No wonder, the boy still didn't give his stallion any head and the jump had slowed him even more. "You're not going to survive that oxer." Lauren commented again as they neared the painted double trees with a coffin jump filled with water.

Splashing told Lauren she was right, a sharp whiny and the siren of the course guards made her flinch. It wasn't a bad accident, that was exactly why the coffin was filled with water and not an empty ditch like it used to be. Ducky shook his head nervously, the racket that the palomino made irked him along with the other horses. "Please step up, Lauren Blaine." The judges came over the loudspeakers as someone caught the palomino by his dangling reins. She looked over her shoulder, scanning where the treeline and training ring began in front of the hotel doors. Along the fence was a line of people in heavy black winter jackets that covered them from the freezing wind. "Lauren Blaine." Her name came over the speakers again and she begrudgingly clicked Ducky forward. Still scanning the fence for Ann, there was Tanner, waving for her to move up, Mr. Terence yelled for him to sit down. She could have gone into the hotel, Lauren thought solemnly as she steered Ducky towards the course.

If she cleared the jumps easily enough it would still be a matter of time between her and Dalla, which she couldn't win. Lauren pulled herself onto the stirrups, sitting above the saddle and keeping her head low against her gelding. She could almost feel his heart racing through his veins, tangling her fingers in his mane steadily. In a second the bell would clang and they'd have to leap forward, first jump at an angle over the oxers. Clang, the tight ropes along the gates pulled them open, splitting them like a crooked smile. Lauren dug her heels in and whistled sharply, shifting back as Ducky sprang forward with a snort. She let the reins go slack, keeping only a small ring connecting her to the steed, forcing her heels down. They spun a wild left, if Lauren reached down she could have grazed the sharp cut blades of grass. Straightening again, Ducky leapt upwards, a second too late but Lauren pulled his head back, forcing his forelegs tighter. Cleared, she let out a soft breath, flattening her palm against the geldings neck in congratulations.

Watching the course ahead, the oxer jumps a meter away, the duo was racing towards them. 1,2,3, up, Lauren pulled back on the reins again then let them go in a series of two as the three jumps flew by. They'd lose time on the multiples since Ducky slowed down to see them properly but he was faster than she'd thought. He pumped his neck, chewing for his head as Lauren held him tight to a slim course, one slightly to the left. If he could clear the coffin and land right headed then they could cut the loop towards the water. Ducky took the coffin with ease, giving a small buck of joy but shaking his head as Lauren tugged him back down. He didn't land straight and now they'd lose a second in correction, she held her breath. Breathe, the glasses jump, a hedge with wooden circles cut in the center was their next obstacle. It led to a twisting race of fallen trees behind the forest then another coffin and bounce jump into a drop. Other than that, the riders would face a surprise of assorted box jumps before rounding back to the finish line.

Ducky took the coffin with a high leap, almost jolting Lauren forward as she fought back for his head. He landed with a right lead, already facing the next jump perfectly, Lauren smiled to herself, clicking her tongue. For a half blind horse he was doing fine but even the most well trained cross country mare would bolt at water. Ducky wouldn't even be able to see it at the rate they took it, Lauren took a gulp of air as they splashed forward. The gelding didn't even falter at the change of terrain, he held pace and sent buckets of water upwards. It coated Lauren's sides in freezing droplets but she clung to Ducky as he charged ahead. At the ridge was a fallen tree jump, Lauren tapped the gelding beneath her forward, swallowing back a smile. They weren't through yet and their time was hardly legendary if you put it up against Dalla's past. Up, Ducky took the jump with a small nick, stumbling with his footing as Lauren hauled his head back. "Go on." She whispered in his ear, her eyes already straining in the shadows of trees to the next jump.

Next was a set of oxers, a rough spin to even more water jumps, from their position Lauren could make out the finish. It was guarded by a weaving maze of wrought iron gates and progressive coffin jumps before the stretch. Ducky gave a snort of determination as he spotted the oxers, pulling against Lauren's reins for more. He should store some of this energy if they were ever going to finish, the rider held him steady. One, two, three, and four oxers cleared with little more than a half second pause between them. The funny thing about oxers is with a pause everything feels like an eternity and Lauren was already sweating. Her jodhoppers clung to her legs and the belt stuck her in the stomach, making it difficult to breath.