Whatever it takes

4

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"Okay, let's go." Donna says, starting the truck and stepping on the gas.
"We'll have plenty of time when we arrive there so we can take our time tacking up, I don't like to rush with the young horses." She tells me, looking at the road ahead of her.

"Great." I reply, looking out the window and listening to the music softly playing in the car. I had met Donna a few weeks ago, it was only my second week here. She helped me with the young horses and I helped her with other things.

After about 30 minutes we arrive at the show grounds. It's not extremely big. There's a canteen building and 2 arena's, one smaller than the other. The course was already set up in the bigger arena, and in the other one people were warming up their horses. This wasn't my first time going to a jumping show, I sometimes went with my friends back home, but I'm not really at home in the jumper world. I don't know how the pointing system works, or the penalties. But I guess I'll have to figure it out. Luckily I was only here to help Donna out.

After we find a good parking spot we get out of the car and walk towards the building on the side. "I just have to pay and register and then we can go tack up." Donna says, looking at me. She was a few years older than me, but we got along well. She's more of the 'no talking, go to work' type, but when you spend some time with her she softens up. She's been a great help to me so far.

After registering we get the first horse off the truck. We brought two young horses, both were five. Jester and Bentley. Donna broke them in last year and has been working with them ever since.

Jester is up first, he's calm as always. She starts first with Jester at 10:21, and she is up with Bentley at 11:13, so that's perfect. I hold the horse whilst Donna tacks him up, which goes quick because we already put on the bridle and boots.

"Okay, how long do I have to warm up?" She asks me, looking down at me. "about 30 minutes." I tell her, walking next to her on Jester.

Warm up looked good, atleast that's how I saw it. "He feels okay, just a bit lazy." She tells me, standing still on the other side of the gate. "It looks good." I tell her.

"Donna McCourt, get ready!" one of the organizers says from across the ring. "Good luck!" I tell her walking towards the main arena.

"Next up: Donna McCourt with King's Jester" I hear over the speaker.

They approach the first fence, clearing it. Everything goes well, except for the second last fence, where they have one penalty.

"Good job!" I tell her. "Yeah, that one penalty sucks but it's only his third time so i'm happy." she says, a smile playing on her face. Donna was a show jumper. She competes in the 1.45 classes, so the 1 meter class is child's play for her.

Jester and Bentley are complete opposites. Not only with riding but with everything. So it was no surprise that tacking up and warming up didn't go as smooth. "Would you just stand still for fuck's sake." Donna says frustrated trying to get the saddle on a unruly Bentley. After finally getting him tacked up, getting on is the next task.

"Okay, if you hold him I'll get on really quick." Donna says. I do as I'm told, but Bentley has other plans. As Donna put her foot in the stirrup, Bentley trots in a circle around me once more. But Donna isn't faced by his tricks and pulls herself on quickly. "Okay, that's done, let's go."

But not only the getting ready went bad, so did the warm up and their round.

"Five penalties, can you believe it." Donna exclaims with disbelief in her voice. "I know he can do it, he does it everytime at home but now?" She says frustrated. "Well, they all need to learn, experience is the only way." I say, packing up the saddle and bridle. "Well, your right with that one."She tells me.

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Another chapter! Sorry for not updating but I didn't have time to write, so this chapter is fairly short as well.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!