Silverstone: Perfection is Not Enough

Chapter 2

As I watch Naomi do her freestyle routine, my heart plummets down into my stomach. It's amazing. It's as if she's planned it before. There are loads of really hard movements, including a piaffe, which I've only ever tried once, and the attempt wasn't too amazing.

"Jess, you should probably go and get on, she's nearly done," Lilly says, looking at me sympathetically. I really hope it's not because she thinks I can't win. Although I think it probably is.

"Yeah, sure," I nod, and I go to find Blue. Luckily, the guy who put him away for me hasn't untacked him, so he's standing there with his saddle and bridle on, munching on his haynet. 

"I know you're tired, boy, and you did amazing, but I need you to just help me out again," I mumble as I undo his lead rope and slip off his headcollar. "Please, Blue. One more time."

He looks up at me tiredly, but I swear he almost nods.

"Thanks, you really are the best pony in the world," I throw my arms around his neck. "And even though Mr Prince Prance may be some sixteen two dark bay Warmblood or whatever, I know we can do this."

Using the mounting block in the warm up ring, I jump on, and do some circles to warm Blue up again, while trying to think about what I can do. I can't do all that stuff Naomi did. I'm even going to try. So what did that leave? 

The voice of my horse riding instructor, Leanne, comes into my head. It's not always the technical stuff that wins. It's also the bond between the horse and rider, the connection between them.

My heartbeat speeds up, as an idea comes into my head. Could I do it? Was it allowed? But the announcer did say that we could do anything. And if I was going to beat Naomi, I'd have to do something drastic. 

"Miss Brooke, it's your turn in thirty seconds," one of the stablehands informs me. I nodded, and the doors to the arena open, to reveal a very determined-looking Naomi. 

"Good luck," she says, still in a very cool tone.

"Thank you," I reply, not really taking her in. I nudge Blue, and for the second time in one day, we enter the huge arena to loud cheers. 

"And for the second time, Jessica Brooke, riding Lucky Blue!"

I walk him to the middle of the arena, and halt, saluting the judges. All or nothing. 

With a deep breath, I slip my feet out of their stirrups, and fold them over the front of his neck. An audible murmur of surprise goes around the grandstands, and I knot my reins. We've done this plenty of times in lessons. I'm riding with my seat and legs only.

I urge Blue into a trot, and rise with it. Riding in trot with no stirrups or reins is pretty hard, but once you manage it once, it comes easily. I use my legs to curve Blue in a twenty metre circle. The movement comes naturally to me. I've done this so many times with Blue in lessons that I couldn't count. At C, I pick up a medium canter, and ride the diagonal from F to H. Everything fades away and the only thing I can sense is Blue moving steadily underneath me.

Eventually, I realise I'm almost out of time, so I direct Blue back up the centre line. We pick up a pretty good extended trot, and halt squarely on X.

A single person starts clapping, and soon, the entire thousands of people are clapping, standing up. 

I got a standing ovation. 

We trot back into the warm up ring, and I don't get off, as I knew that I might be going back into the arena. Naomi nods as I come in, but carries on walking ten and twenty metre circles. She must be nervous. Lilly and my parents don't come in this time; they must be waiting to here the scores. Eventually, they come on.

"And the score of Naomi Streeke riding Prince Prance is...eighty seven point eight five!"

I wouldn't win now. Her score was too huge. The most I'd ever scored on a dressage test before was in the seventies. My first score had been a miracle in itself. And my routine was very simple, apart from the no reins and no stirrups.

"An exceptional routine, featuring many incredible technical features and very high-class movements that were amazing for a rider of her age and experience."

Well, that only tells me what I already know. 

"And now, the score for Jessica Brooke, riding Lucky Blue, is..."

I've practised so much for this. I put my all into it. 

"Ninety two point three four!"

I bury my face in Blue's mane, and wrap my arms around his neck. I've done it. I've won the scholarship. It's mine.

"Well done, you deserve it," a quiet voice says, and I look around to see Naomi smiling a small smile at me. Even though she means it, there are tears in her eyes.

"It should be yours," I reply, but she shakes her head.

"I guess the judges preferred your connection more to my stuff. Prince is amazing. I just guess I wasn't ready," she says, and she rides out of the warm up ring. The doors to the arena open and the stablehands gesture me through, and I go. Urging Blue into a trot, I enter. The loud cheers meet my ears, and I look around. My grin is so huge, I probably look like I'm grimacing.

A woman with auburn hair presents my trophy and rosette.

"Well done," she says, nodding, as she attaches the rosette to Blue's bridle. I gallop around in my lap of honour, waving to all the clapping people in the grandstands.

As I dismount Blue for the second time, my mum, my dad and Lilly envelope me. Everything around me is noise, people and horses, but there's only one thought running through my mind.

I won. I'm going to Silverstone Horse Riding Academy.