Road To Victory

Collection

“Collect him!” Lauren barked from her seat on a bright green jump. “He’s not on the bit!”

“No shit, Sherlock,” I muttered under my breath, as I lightly tugged on the reins to slow Azure, the gelding I was riding. He was a stunning dappled grey, and had kind eyes, but trust me – this guy was nothing but spunk. He was a Percheron cross, but he behaved like a green Arabian. Mrs. Seedler, a Grand Prix rider, owned him, but she usually spent more time riding her other gelding, Legacy.

It had been about 5 months since the MaClay’s, and I had never been doing better. Lauren was putting me on more and more challenging horses, like Azure. Tequila too, had improved. She jumped almost 5 feet now too. We had won a few more competitions, getting the blue each time.

“Heels down!” Lauren yelled again. “And soften you’re hands, maybe give him more rein. The more you pull on him, the more he’ll pull back.”

This time I gave a quick nod and pushed my hands down and towards him as I turned him in a circle. I could feel him slow underneath me as he calmed himself. 

“Good job,” I praised Azure as I eased him to a walk.

“Great!” Lauren said, crossing her legs as she studied my position. “You rode him very well, which is saying a lot. Not many people can control him like you just did.”

My lips curved in a grin. “Yah hear that?” I crooned to Azure, quickly wrapping my arms around his neck as he boredly played with the bit in his mouth.

Lauren smiled and stood up, picking up her coffee. “You can trot him and warm him up a bit more. Then we can start jumping!” She moved to the fence, where Rachel was, leaning against the tall tree that grew right by it. “How’s she doing?” I heard her ask, but couldn’t hear Lauren’s response.

Lauren explained the course to me. It was complicated and challenging, but I was up for anything. I pulled Azure back a few steps and stretched in the leather seat of my saddle. “Whenever you’re ready,” Lauren said softly, gesturing with her hand to the first jump. It was only 3’6’’ because Azure couldn’t jump much higher than that. After it, the jumps got lower or stayed at the same height. But, there were 2 combinations, one wall and a Liverpool. From what I heard, Azure hated water.

I nodded, visualizing the course. 7 strides from the oxer to the double. Then let him go over the Liverpool and immediately take the rein back for the fragile fence that comes next. Okay, got it.

Azure burst forward, like a recoiled spring as soon as I tapped him with my heels. We glided over the first jump like it was nobody’s business, but I could feel the anticipation rising. Azure pulled on my hands. Can I go, can I go, he seemingly asked. No, I told him, pulling back on the reins. Not yet. He snorted, but responded to my discrete cues. The double ahead came and passed as we took it on, leaving it behind us. Another oxer, then a sharp turn to a 3’6’’ jump, decorated with colorful flower boxes.  4 more jumps, I said to myself. It was as if Azure read my thoughts because I could swear I felt him give a sigh of relief. Can I go? Please let me go now! the gelding pleaded, but I had no choice but to stop him. We flew over the oxer and I counted the strides in my head. 4, 5, 6, 7 – Liftoff!

Lauren said something but I couldn’t hear. I heard nothing when I was jumping. Absolutely nothing.

The second double was over before I knew it. Azure asked again, Now? Let me. I smiled softly, letting my fingers get a rest as I gently replied, yes. Yes, Azure.

He galloped forward, storming towards that Liverpool and gliding over it, landing with inches to spare. Now comes the hard part. My wet palms and icy fingers griped the reins through my gloves like my life depended on it.  Surprisingly, the grey responded flawlessly. In fact, I looked down, to make sure this was the same horse.

“Keep your eyes up!”  Lauren bellowed from her seat on the fence.

My eyes shot up, attentive and confident as Azure aproached the fence. I held my breath as we flew over the fence. Silence. I curved over Azure in my two-point, lightly pressing into his neck, but not so either of us would lose balance. His front hooves made contact with the ground and I instantly gave him all the rein he needed; all the rein he wanted. Excited, the gelding pounded forward, his hoof beats rhythmically pounding against the hard ground. Over that last jump we went, and the two of us were done. Rachel and Lauren clapped and smiled proudly.

Panting heavily, Azure halted as soon as I pulled on the reins, awaiting comments from my trainer.

“Katherine,” she began, and I winced, because usually when she said my name, it was usually because I did really horrible, or really good.  “That was perfection.” My eyes relaxed and I exhaled heavily, a smile dancing across my face. “I’ve never seen someone slow him like you did after that Liverpool. I saw you give him that rein, and I thought that the both of you would never make it.” She laughed and shook her head in disbelief. “But you did.”

I giggled excitedly, listening to my trainer’s praise. It made me feel good, accomplished.

“Take Azure back. Give him to a groom, you’re probably tired, and you still have to work Tequila,” Lauren told me, but I shook my head. “I can do it.  Rachel can help me with Tequila while I put Azure away, right?” I twisted in my saddle to look at her and she nodded happily, walking to where my stirrup was. “And then maybe I can warm Tequila up for you?” she suggested, waggling her eyebrows playfully.

I stuck my tounge out playfully, but nodded. “Sure, you know where all her stuff is, right?”

“Duh,” Rachel replied, skipping off to the tack room. She was one of the handful of people who I trusted with my mare. She wasn’t the best rider, but she was pretty good. I had taught her how to walk, trot, and canter. We even did some jumping from time to time, but I could tell Rachel preferred flatwork.

I removed Azure’s bridle, leaving the reins looped over his neck just in case he decided he wanted to go for a run.

It took more time getting him untacked then I had expected, partially because he nipped me every time I pulled the girth up so I could loosen it.

Rachel was already working on Tequila, Lauren instructing her. Rachel could pass for my twin, I thought. People would always ask us if we were. After all, she was only a few centimeters shorter than me, and weighed about the same. The only noticeable difference between us was that Rachel was a lot tanner, plus she had brown hair, while mine was black. And she was prettier (but she always insisted that I was).

“My turrnnn,” I called in a sing-songy voice, tapping my knee with my silver crop.

Rachel smiled and swung off the saddle. “Want a leg up?” she asked me, and I nodded. “Good luck, she’s feisty today,” my friend teased as she jogged out of the ring, avoiding the other riders.

“Okay, Katherine, warm her up a bit more.  We’ll be trying a Puissance today,” Lauren told me. She looked pretty excited, but I could feel Tequila wasn’t liking the idea of leaping over that wall. The whole mood in the arena changed and I gulped. Something felt wrong. Really wrong. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That's Azure in the picture. Because I know you love him...