Burning Desire

Chapter One

{ A / N - Another horse story! Hope y'all vote, comment and enjoy. }

{ A / N - I recently posted a new story called 'All We Have Is Now.' It's not a horse story but I do believe it's better than this one, so if anyone reading this checked out my new story, I would greatly appreciate it. }

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Adrenalin flooded through my veins as I entered the arena. The roar of the crowd threatened to deafen me as I urged the gelding forward into a canter, trying to keep my hands light and steady on the reins. Organised Chaos was a sensitive horse, and I couldn't infect him with my nerves.

As the crowd began to settle, I cantered the talented mount around the arena to let him eye the jumps. The course was complex and the jumps were intimidating, but my future depended on this clear round. One pole would cost me my place in the qualifying table for Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event – an infamous world-class equestrian event I'd dreamed of competing at my entire life.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the final phase of Southern Pines Horse Trials. Our next rider to tackle this demanding three-star show jumping course is twenty one year-old Madison Evans and her experienced eighteen year-old mount, Organised Chaos," the commentator's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, filling the space in the arena and bouncing back across it.

Organised Chaos, affectionately known as Harry, arched his muscular bay neck over the bit and leaned into my contact. He was in top form, and confidence radiated from every stride, which only sparked assurance in me, too. The first bell pierced my ears, signalling we had less than a minute to start our round. If we didn't begin before that, we would be disqualified.

I kicked the gelding on firmly, and he broke into a powerful canter through the start flags. Focus gripped me as I set my gaze securely on the daunting first fence before us. The crowd fell silent, watching my every move in anticipation. My heart pounded in my chest and I could feel my pulse resonating through my fingertips.

"Easy, Harry," I murmured to the gelding. He snorted, the sound vibrating through his whole body, as he launched himself into the air with a sheer rush of power. A fleeting sense of freedom pushed out every emotion in my body as we cruised over the first fence, injecting hope and excitement into my bloodstream. As we landed, I was brought back to reality and immediately shifted my concentration onto the second fence, an innocent-looking vertical.

Harry was an experienced mount with endless scope and a heart that kept on giving. Even though I was a relatively new competitor in international eventing, he was a very rideable horse and loved his job. I didn't have to ask twice for him to pop over the next vertical effortlessly with his ears pricked.

Surging towards the next fence, I sat quietly in the saddle and allowed Harry to move forward and carry me over the fences without interfering. He appreciated my light yet steady grip on the reins as we powered around the course effortlessly, flicking his fetlocks clear of every fence.

I collected him as we approached the double combination. The fences were painted in vibrant colours that threatened to encourage the horses to back off instead of taking their rider nicely into the fence. But what Harry lacked in courage, he made up for in heart and eased over the combination soundly once I urged him forward with firm aids.

After the combination, just one oxer separated us from the crucial qualifying points I needed to attain if I was to make my dream come true and earn a place at Kentucky Horse Trials. I could feel my heartbeat rattling my ribcage, pulsing through my fingertips, pounding at the back of my throat. The pressure burned in the lining of my skin.