-2nd place- (South park/Equestrian Au/ Style)

~Tight smiles~

POV: Kyle Brofloski

I stood in front of Sugars stall unfazed. It was early morning. Five thirteen, maybe?

I took her lead rope and started to analyze a plan. I'd lead her out, tie her to the cross rails..

I did this every day, why is it suddenly so hard?

"Nobody is here, we have all the time in the world." I said to Sugar more trying to convince myself.

I slowly opened her stall. She very carefully stood in the corner. Her breathing was calm as she stared.

I slowly moved forward as I fidgeted with the lead rope.

Sugar moved her head up so I could access her halter.

CLIP

I took a deep shaky breath before leading her to the cross rails.

Don't look back. Don't look back. Just keep going.

I tied her to the cross rails and entered the tack room.

Everything was going so slow. I'd usually be done tacking and grooming right now.

Sugars hooves hitting the ground interrupted my thoughts.

I grabbed the tack quickly and set it on a stool near by. Jimmy must've groomed Sugar because she was pretty much spotless.

I started to slip on her saddle pad. She let out a neigh and itched her leg.

I shuffled around looking for her correct girth when everything suddenly went silent. Yes, you could hear Freckle munching aggressively on hay and the chickens outside making a fuss about who gets the strawberry but otherwise, it was just me and Sugar.

I dropped everything and stared her in the eye.

My eyes were slim and my mouth was glued together. I felt my lips tug into a small smile.

"Hi baby." I calmly said.

I slowly put my palm on her snout as she started whip her tail around and winnie.

"Alright, wanna go in the ring?" I started to pat her neck and grab the tack.

No response, shocker.

I slipped on her saddle and tightened her girth.

TIME SKIP TO THE RING

It felt weird in the saddle. It was one incident, how could it have affected me so much?

I shook my head attempting to get rid of the thoughts and started to walk around the big ring.

I held my hands up high and my heels down. I didn't want to trot. I was scared to trot.

I walked around the ring five times before I even had the confidence to build up a very slow paced trot.

I trotted a couple of times over poles and went around the ring trotting posting two, and sitting three. I liked Sugars sitting trot, it was calm, slow and you barely moved from the saddle.

I started an extended trot and started to practice my circles.

Add leg, keep my hands up, look over my shoulder, turn my torso, add more leg.

Leg, leg, leg, turn.

I had some seven circles before I started a low key slow canter.

I started to canter over some poles and pick up the pace.

Ok, I'm gonna do it. I'm going to go over a cross rail. It's small, you've got this, just relax.

I do another quick canter around the ring and start to head towards the cross rail.

I kept my reins steady and my fingers tight praying that Sugar didn't try to sneak out of it.

Click click

We were going in a straight line, well, as straight as Sugar will canter, and approached the jump.

Her two front legs went up first and I two-pointed.

Her back legs lifted and her front legs immediately hit the ground and she was once again striding.

That wasn't so bad, eh?

I tugged on her reins and she came to a sharp stop as I pay her neck and look towards the others jumps.

I squeezed my heels as she started to trot.

"Up ahead, vertical." I calmly said to Sugar.

Her hooves started to go in the rhythm of a canter and I felt her neck go up. We're jumping.

I slid my hands up her neck and dug my thighs in her saddle so we don't take off while I'm distracted two pointing and leaving back preparing for the drop.

Sugar hits the last pole but I brush it off and start to do a sitting trot towards a higher cross rail.

I had my confidence back. Kyle and Sugar. We were the inseparable group.

I trot towards a higher cross rail and Sugars hooves barely even leave the ground as she jumps.

"Back to normal, baby!" I squeezed my eyes shut and shot an hand in the air.

Once I opened them I saw a kid who's about five, staring at me with her mouth wide open and drool, I believe, coming out of her mouth.