Galloping Hills Academy Book 1: Secrets

Chapter 16- Race!

On Wednesday I got up and headed out to the stables with Katelynne . We had a good four days and I was so happy to not have any more kidnappings.

"Do you think Mr.West will be hard on us?" Katelynne asked.

"Probably, since the show is this weekend and advanced team tryouts are the weekend after." I answered her.

"Yeah, I'm so nervous about the show, I have Jumpers and Cross- Country." Katelynne said.

"I'm showing in show jumping and cross-country." I answered back.

"Well, let's start getting ready, I cant wait to be in the ring with Carson." I said as we entered the stables.

"Okay, see you in the ring." She said back.

I walked into Justin's stall and greeted him. I put on his halter and hooked him to the tie ring in his stall. I got out my purple curry comb and started getting the mud from yesterday off his coat. He had gone outside after yesterdays shower and rolled. I had gotten some of the mud off but I had to finish it today before my lesson. When I was finished with the curry comb I grabbed the hard brush and whisked it over his coat. I quickly finished that and the soft brush and moved onto his hooves. Then I brushed out his mane and tail. I got his saddle, girth, and saddle pad out of his tack box. I placed the purple saddle pad on his back and then lightly put the saddle on top. I secured the girth and put on my helmet. I got his bridle and he willingly took the bit, I could tell he was ready to work.

"You ready boy?" he nickered ever so softly and I led him out of his stall and to the biggest out door ring. Katelynne was already in there with Edward and Isabelle. Carson wasn't here yet and I was anxious to see him. I mounted Justin and started walking around. Less than five minutes later, Carson walked into the ring on Cherokee, I rode over to him.

"Hey, how was your day?" he asked as I approached him.

"Good, I just couldn't wait to see you. How was yours?" I smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Mine was good too except I couldn't wait to see you." He said smiling back. I tried not to blush and get all OMG-a-guy-likes-me and keep my cool.

"Would you two stop flirting and start riding." A snarky Isabelle snapped.

We ignored her and I threw a smile over my shoulder at Carson and he did the same.

Throughout the warm-up I kept looking at Carson and smiling. Once, Isabelle caught me and gave me the look like stop making googly eyes at your boyfriend and practice already but I ignored it.

Mr. West walked in and signaled for us to line up in front of him.

"Good morning. Let's go ahead and get started. Move out to the rail and do a sitting trot. Today we are going to work on dressage."

I urged Justin forward and sat deep in the saddle to his smooth trot.

"Do a working trot and cut across the diagonal." He instructed.

"Very nice Natalie. Carson, try to get Cherokee more in between your leg and hang. Add more leg pressure and shorten your reins a little."

Carson did as he was told and Cherokee looked amazing at a working trot.

"Do a leg yield. Does everyone know how to do that?"

"No sir, I don't." Carsonn said.

I heard Isabelle scoff behind me. I turned around and glared at her.

"Natalie, show him how to do a leg yield please."

I shifted my weight to the outside, moved my inside leg behind the girth, and moved my inside rein slightly forward and backwards to encourage him to bend. He did a perfect leg yield and tried to hide my giant smile. I looked at Carson and I could tell he was trying to hide a smile too. He did the leg yield perfectly and Mr. West worked us for another 20 minutes, working us through various different dressage moves and Carson didn't know most of them which meant I had to keep glaring at Isabelle every time she scoffed at him.

After our lesson I asked Katelynne if she wanted to go on a trail ride and she said yes. I texted Sadie and she said she was coming too. Carson also came, fifteen minutes after our lesson we were walking across the field to the trails.

"So, I can't wait for the schooling show. But I'm also so nervous. I can't believe its in TWO days!" I said half excitedly, half nervously.

"I know! Carson, what classes are you doing?" Katelynne asked him.

"I'm doing Show-Jumping and Cross- Country, I didn't know what to pick so I just picked the same classes as Natalie. Sadie, isn't the beginner team competing in there own levels too?" he asked, giving Cherokee a slight pull on the reins because he was getting a little too fast.

"Yeah, I'm competing in 2'2 jumpers and 2'2 equitation." Sadie answered.

"Want to gallop across the field?" Katelynne asked.

"Let's go!" we all said together.

I squeezed my legs against Justin's side and he surged into a flat gallop, which surprised me. We all knew it was a race even though know one said that. I held him back and I could see Sadie behind me with Carson beside me and Katelynne in front of us. Cherokee inched his nose in front of Justin's but I still held him back. At about 150 feet in front of the woods I let Justin go and he unleashed his speed and we sprang to the lead. We made it to the woods a few seconds before Carson with Katelynne and Sadie tied for third.

"Nice job Nat. Way to use jockey techniques." Carson said, giving me a high five.

"Wow, you cam out of know where." Katelynne said, out of breath. She must have been kicking Cheyenne a lot.

"Well, I used jockey technique. Everyone knows that you hold back and then let them go on the stretch, I used Sheldon Russell's signature technique." I said proud of Justin.

"Wow, well, next time I race you, I will know exactly how to win. Thanks Nat!" Carson teased.

"Okay, lets go back, we might be late for class is we don't." I said.

We trotted our horses all the way back and I gave Justin to Ty. I didn't want to leave Carson for a second, but I didn't want to be a clingy girlfriend. Carson and I had a few long kisses before we said good-bye for an hour and a half. Yeah, I know, its pretty bad the we don't want to leave each other for an hour and a half but we are quickly growing closer and closer.