"Number 227, Arianna Munroe riding Subject Seven. Time: 64.2 seconds, no faults", the commentator announced over the loudspeaker. Ryan looked up at me, mouth turned up in a half smile.
"Looks like you'll be in the jump off round with Miss Perfect over there", Ryan commented. I shrugged, my confidence dimming after seeing her ride. Ryan noticed my expression and slapped my thigh playfully.
"C'mon, Tay, we both know you could beat her any old day. You'll be fine, trust me. You'll whip her ass and send her home crying", he said, trash talking. I smiled and leaned down to punch him in the shoulder.
"Trash talking isn't nice. You've got to admit, she is good and her form is perfect", I reprimanded. He laughed.
"Yeah, but a jump off is about speed, and you're the fastest rider I know. There's not a jumper here who doesn't ride as fast as you, and you know it", he replied. I smiled.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ry. I'll remember that when I lose", I said. Ryan shrugged.
"You're way to pessimistic", Ryan chided. I smiled.
"Let's just see who wins the jump off first." I swung out of the saddle and dropped to the ground. Ryan grabbed the reins as I loosened Sundance's girth, giving her some air.
"Well, I'd better go get Jailbreaker tacked up. I'm riding him in his show jumping class right after you finish the jump off. Good luck", he said.
"Same to you", I replied, before he disappeared back into the crowd. I watched him leave, before turning my attention back to the jumpers.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, now it's time for the jump off round. The contenders are Taylor Evans riding Silver Sundance, Arianna Munroe riding Subject Seven, and Dylan Argon riding Challenger", the loudspeaker announced.
I sighed. So there were three of us in the jump off - me, Arianna, and Dylan. I had heard of them both; they were both formidable riders. I was definitely going to have to amp up my riding ability and speed if I wanted to win.
I tightened Sundance's girth and recounted her saddle. Collecting my reins, I clucked to my mare and squeezed her sides. She moved forwards into a smooth trot, and I steered her towards the ring. The jumps had been moved, and I could tell that the course was designed to be a speed trial. The jumps were all lowered to 3'6", but they were closer together and more abundantly placed.
I stared at the course map. There were ten jumps in all. As I was looking at the map, I noticed that the hardest obstacles would bee the liverpool right before the rising triple combination. Luckily, I knew that Sundance loved water, so she wouldn't spook. I could be positively sure of that.
The first jump was a vertical, followed by a low stone wall and a combination. I'd have to hurry through the next three verticals before going for the Liverpool, and finally the triple combo.
"Good luck, Taylor." I turned in my saddle to see Kayden riding up to me on Mazie. I did a double take, barely managing to keep my jaw attached to my skull. Kayden looked amazing, her light brown hair tied neatly into a pony tail, her show jacket immaculate and pristine. Beneath her, Mazie was groomed to perfection, not a hair out of place. The pair looked like they were born to ride together.
"Wowed, Kayden, you look... wow", I gushed. She laughed and let go of the reins to flatten a stray hair on her face.
"Thanks, I think", she joked. She rubbed Mazie's neck affectionately. "Lets dole out compliments after we compete, though."
Under me, Sundance stamped her hoof irritably, impatient to get going. I smiled and collected my reins.
"Well, I'd better get going, but I'll see you later", I said before turning Sundance in a circle towards the jump off ring.
I trotted my mare towards the other two contestants in the jump off. We all gave each other terse nods before turning our attention to the attendant at the starting gate.
"Alright, here's the jumping order: Arianna Munroe riding Subject Seven, Dylan Argon riding Challenger, and Taylor Evans riding Silver Sundance. Line up!"
I moved aside to let the other two riders go ahead of me. Sundance pulled at the bit, clearly unhappy that the other two horses were in front of her. I smiled and patted her neck, calming her. She stopped frisking but still huffed unhappily.
"Now entering the ring; number 278: Dylan Argon riding Challenger." I watched as he entered the ring, but because I was at the back of the line, I couldn't see his round. All I could hear was the roar of the crowd every so often, their thunderous applause when his ride was over. As he exited the ring, the voice over the loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Number 278, Dylan Argon riding Challenger. Time: 58.37 seconds, no faults". I pursed my lips. 59 seconds was an extremely hard time to beat; I'd need to ride as fast as I possibly could and just hope that I wouldn't knock a rail. I knew Sundance would try to rush her fences, but I also knew how careful she was about getting her knees up.
"Number 227, Arianna Munroe riding Subject Seven." In front of me, Arianna nudged her horse into the arena. Instead off watching her ride, I focused on my mare. She danced beneath me, itching to get going. I rubbed her neck and smooched to her, smiling at how willing she was.
"Number 227, Arianna Munroe riding Subject Seven. Time: 58.35, no faults." I exhaled loudly. I forced myself not to get nervous, loosening my grip on the reins. Sundance flicked her ears towards me, listening intently. She settled down, completely focused on the jumps ahead.
"Our last competitor: number 107, Taylor Evans riding Silver Sundance." I took a deep breath and tapped my heels to Sundance's side. She immediately picked up a smooth canter, and we swept into the arena. I centered her around the arena, getting her used to seeing the course Her ears were pricked, and I could tell how eager she was to start jumping.
As we came around the arena, I directed Sundance towards the first jump, a black and white striped vertical. We cleared it easily and sped towards the wall. Sundance faltered for a moment, ears flicking back in a second of indecision. I encouraged her forwards with my knees, and together we flew towards the jump. 1-2-3-jump! We leaped over the jump and powered towards the next vertical. We popped over the jump, speeding towards the next. We made it over the next two jumps, flying through them as quickly as possible. I tried not to look at the clock as we raced towards the liverpool.
Sundance tensed underneath me for a moment, eyes rolling in a sudden minute of nerves. I steeled her antics and pushed her towards the jump. She trustingly followed my cues, and as I lifted up in her saddle, she leaped off the ground, powering herself over the liverpool. Not wasting a second to see if we made it, I pushed her towards the last combination - a triple.
We powered over the first part of the combo, leaving air to spare. I pushed Sundance to lengthen her stride as we galloped two strides towards the second part of the jump. I rose into the air, my mare following my body. We vaulted over the jump and towards the last vertical. This one was at an angle to seem uneven and confuse the horse. I kept my legs firmly against Sundance's side, refusing to let her duck out.
Sundance bunched her muscles and powered over the jump. The sound of her hooves thudding onto the ground boomed out like a cannon amongst the silence of the crowd. I slowed my mare to an easy canter and tried not to sneak a glance at the stopwatch, too afraid of the results. Instead, I rubbed Sundance's neck and cooled her down, cantering her around the outside wall.
"Number 107, Taylor Evans riding Silver Sundance. Time: 58.27, no faults." Applause erupted in the arena, and it took me a second to realize that we'd won the jump off. Sundance pranced under me, as if she knew, too. We trotted out of the arena, heads held high.
"And the winner of our jump off is number 107, Taylor Evans riding Silver Sundance", the voice over the loudspeaker announced. Applause erupted from the crowd, and the energy level in the arena skyrocketed. I smiled and patted my mare's neck, giving he all the praise she needed. Together, we walked back into the arena to accept our ribbon before taking a victory lap around the outside of the ring, basking in the glow of victory.
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Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the way, way delayed update! I've been so busy with school and extracurricular activities, and I just had to put this story on the back burner for a while. I'm back now, and raring to share with you the rest of Taylor's journey. Enjoy!
