Deer Hill Riding Academy

Chapter 7

I'm currently grooming Cherry for our Advanced Showjumping lesson. I called my family last night and told them how great it was here. They were overjoyed with the fact that I got into the advanced team.

"How is she?" Clara asks. Her dark hair is pulled into a plait and she is wearing a pale yellow riding shirt with beige jodhpurs and, obviously, her riding boots.

"Pretty good, actually. Hopefully Mrs. Helen will be happy with us." I reply while I slide Cherry's saddle on top of the lilac saddle pad. I always choose matching outfits for Cherry and I, resulting in me wearing a short-sleeve lilac riding shirt.

Clara laughs. "Mrs. Helen only ever likes Holly and Max, no one else." She says, waving her hand as Taya walks past.

"Worth a try anyway." I shrug as I finish putting Cherry's tack on.

...

Mrs. Helen has got us all lined up on the outskirts of the arena as she informs us what to do.

"Okay, everybody, can Max go first?" She smiles at Max. Clara starts nodding, and I follow along.

Max trots Wendigo around the arena before he canters to a tall 1.15m oxer. Wendigo clears it with ease and lands perfectly before he continues cantering to a couple cross rails. They're skinny and tall, and I find myself gulping as Max pushes Wendigo into them. Wendigo bounds over the jumps, almost faltering with the last one.

"Wonderful, Max!" Mrs. Helen says. Holly basically smothers Max with compliments, and even though the guy is a jerk, I feel sorry for him.

"Can I go next?" I ask. I really want to get on Mrs. Helen's good side - if she even has one.

"I suppose so." She nods her head. I squeeze my legs and Cherry trots eagerly into the arena.  We do a large circle before Cherry directs herself towards the first jump. I give her the aid to canter and we head towards the oxer with confidence.

Cherry and I leap over the oxer pretty easily, and as soon as we land I start to stress about the skinny cross rails. Regardless, Cherry and I head towards them and Cherry attempts to bounce over them.

I hear the clip of her hoof against the last jump's pole and then the unpleasant sound of the pole hitting the sand of the arena.

Cherry slows to a trot whilst I pat her neck gently. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Clara nervously playing with her hands.

"That was a good first jump there, but oh, my, gosh. How can you not clear those cross rails? I thought you were going to be better than this. This is your first warning - get up to five, and you'll be knocked down to the intermediate group." Mrs Helen glares at me. I gulp, trying to hold back tears.

"Ok." I say. My voice sounds croaky and Clara gestures for me to walk over to her. She puts her hand around my shoulders as we watch Holly walk her horse into the arena. She kicks aggressively, and her horse responds with a couple pigroots. Luckily for Holly, she sits in fine and picks up a canter towards the first jump.

"Good, Holly!" Mrs Helen comments as Holly and Princess clear it. Might I say, just. Princess canters to the cross rails and bounds over them, not knocking a single one. Well, maybe that's because Holly fell off on the first one.

Mrs Helen rushes into the arena to help her as Princess gallops around, consistently bucking.

"Clara! Elise! Max! Go catch her!" She yells at us. Clara and I dismount and try to corner Princess. Princess barged towards me, and someone pulls me out of the way. I feel myself hit one of the fences, but not too hard.

"You alright, Elise?" Clara asks, brushing the sand out of my hair. She glances at Max, who has successfully gotten a hold of the yet to be calmed down Princess.

I nod, getting up and brushing off the gritty sand that collected on my clothes.

"Training's over." Mrs Helen calls out. She is assisting Holly limp over to the sick bay, which is conveniently placed right between the jumping arena and the cross country course.

...

After Clara and I put away our horses and have a shower, I wait for her to cook some raspberry and white chocolate muffins for her food tech assignment.

Clara places the tray of warm muffins on the bench in our dorm's kitchen and smiles nervously at me.

"I do hope they are alright - I'm not the best cook, to be honest." She says.

"Well, I'm game enough to try them anyway." I reach towards the tray before Clara stops me.

"That's a nasty bruise you got from the fence." She says, slightly pressing a purple spot on my upper arm.

"I know, right? Thanks for pulling me out of the way of that crazy horse, by the way." I reach out to hug her, but she steps back.

"I wasn't the one that pulled you out of the way, it was Max." Clara says, raising an eyebrow at me. My eyes widen in shock.

"Seriously? I thought he was catching Princess." I ask, my cheeks a bit warm.

"No, that was me. He took her off me though, the jerk." She sniffs sarcastically and pulls a pouty face.

Well, isn't that drama at its finest? If you have any ideas for the next chapter, make sure to comment them for me. Also, if you can then please vote!

-Xoxo, Hannah.