Together we fly

Chapter II

The week went by quicker than I thought, school was boring as always before the summer holidays. We basically only watched movies and solved some riddles and quizlets. Friday rolled around. My final showjumping training before flying off to blue mountain. I brushed Delilah, my horse. She was a beautiful Palomino Danish Warmblood that my dad bought for me from a danish showjumper. I had Delilah since around 5 years. But I wouldn't take her with me to the blue mountain auditions, Delilah was a great showjumper who was placed up to 130 centimetres and up to 120 with me. But my trainer strongly advised me against taking her to the audition. We'd have to jump the horses 3 times that week and ride proper dressage exercises once. The rest of the week consisted of flatwork which was also graded. My trainer had said "This plan in a whole new Environment will be too stressful for you and for Delilah. It's better you take a horse from there that's already used to the environment and has done this schedule before." I was nervous, sure- I've ridden different horses before. But I've never ridden different horses than Delilah in a tournament. I brushed Samson, my trainers horse before putting his jumping saddle on his back. My trainer had lend me Samson to help me adapt to different horses and Parcours. I put the snaffle on him, it was a different snaffle than I used for Delilah. I usually rode with a Mexican bridle, this one was a snaffle bridle. I walked Samson into the riding arena. My trainer was currently setting up the jumps. There were only two crossrails one Oxer and my trainer was currently setting up a combination of two jumps. "Isn't a parcour supposed to have more than five jumps." I asked smiling. Usually my trainer set up complex parcour. "It's not about height Charlotte. It doesn't matter if you can jump a 1,60 if you fail at the easiest parkour." I began walking and trotting around the jumps. "We're doing a few individual jumps which we can build a little higher, to train your position, Samson tends to overjump a little. And the parcour is only for you to count your strides. Blue Mountain puts a focus on stridework." my trainer said. "Sure." I said, biting on my lip. "How do you know that?" I asked. My trainer sighed. "Remember Emily?" he asked quietly. Yes. I remembered Emily. Emily Garcia was one of the best jumpers in our stable. She was a year or two older than me. "Yep." I sighed. I always envied Emily Garcia a lot. Though I'd never actually admit it. "Emily applied for Blue mountain, I came with her. She had a clear round and a good speed but in the second round which was a fault and style. She messed up her strides." My Trainer said. "And?" I asked. I wanted to know if I had someone to avoid in Blue Mountain. Emily Garcia was someone that I did not want to meet again. "She didn't make it. She blamed the judges and chose to continue further in dressage." my trainer said. I started cantering around a few rounds before stirring to the crossrail. "Don't forget to count your strides." My trainer advised. I counted in my head 'one two- three. Jump' Samson flied over the jump, I wasn't ready for him to overjump. He kind of jumped out of the tack but I could manage to do an okay landing. "Not bad but you need to hold him back more. Again." my trainer said. As he built the crossrail into a small 75cm vertical. I cantered again, this time holding him back just enough. He jumped perfectly this time. "Not bad." my trainer said, raising the pole to around 85, and building the combination to the same height. "Okay Charlotte. First the vertical then, eight strides to the combination. One stride in the combination." I nodded and began cantering Samson towards the first jump. He took it well despite the stride not being perfect. The next run went smoothly and Samson jumped perfectly over the Oxer. "Okay fine, now we switch the Order of the jumps. First the Oxer, then the vertical, then the combination." my trainer demanded. "Uh- sure." I hummed. First was the Oxer where I unfortunately knocked a pole down, then a left turn to the vertical which I rode pretty good. The vertical was the highest jump in the parcour standing at 1.10 metres. The combination was always the hardest part you had to go straight in, straight out. And keep your balance. "Again." my trainer yelled out. "The distance to the Oxer was horrid; if you ride a distance like that Blue Mountain they are gonna kick you out before you could even prove yourself." he said, not mad but simply stating the obvious. I nodded. My trainer set up the jumps again. This time higher. Around 1.25. This round went smooth, despite Samson almost pulling me out of the saddle. "Not bad, Not Bad." My Trainer said smiling. "Okay I think that's enough for today." he said silently. "I think you're ready for blue Mountain. Wish you the best of luck." He nodded. "Thanks." I jumped out of the Saddle. And my trainer grabbed Samson's reins. Though I'd never wanted to admit it, I didn't feel ready for Blue Mountain in the slightest- if they rejected Emily Garcia, they would kick me out.