Summer Love

chapter 10

I woke up the next morning with a text on my phone saying 'Good mornin beautiful. Call me when you're done with chores, and I'll be out to help you get ready for tryouts this afternoon. <3 your BF' Oh gosh he was so sweet. I threw my covers off and pulled some jeans and work boots on making my way downstairs and heading out the door. I had a little skip in my step while I whistled and worked. At nine o'clock I finally called Sawyer, telling him that I was done, and he said he would be over as soon as he could.

I pulled out all my tack that I would be using later today, and started on cleaning it. I was in the middle of putting my bridle back together when something covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" Someone said in a very bad high pitched voice.

"Hmmm...Let me think. Zeus?" I laughed turning around in their arms to look up into Sawyer's eyes. "Aww man. Well, I guess you're pretty close." We laughed and walked over to the tryout arena. I hadn't noticed all the trailers that had pulled in, and all the riders by the arena checking out the competition.

"I don't think I can do this. There's too many people, and, and I just can't." I said starting to freak out just a bit.

"Hey hey hey. Chill okay? You'll be fine. I'm going to make sure you know everything you need to so that you make it onto our team. We only let the best ride with us, so you're a shoe-in for winning." Sawyer said pulling me into a hug and kissing my forehead trying to calm me down.

I took a few deep breaths and nodded my head. "Okay, let's do this now before I chicken out again." Sawyer led me up to arena board so I could memorize the course. I then fetched Zeus and started grooming him. After grooming I asked Sawyer oh-so-nicely to finish cleaning my tack while I went back to the house to change. I looked through my nice riding clothes and chose a light blue quarter zip with mesh sleeves, and paired it with my gray struck breeches and black snaffle belt. On my way out of my room I saw my silver rolex watch and quickly grabbed it. I ran downstairs and grabbed my newly cleaned tall boots and GPA show helmet that had my black Roeckl Chester gloves inside.

I hurried back to the barn where Sawyer had tacked Zeus up with my clean white square pad and my gray and blue ogilvy half pad and all my squeaky clean tack. "You ready?" He whispered in my ear.

"Oh, um...no, but i'll do it." I said buckling up my helmet, and grabbing my gray and blue ear bonnet and bridle. I put the reins through martingale runners and connected them around Zeus' neck. I led him out to the arena, and walked around to his right side to tighten the girth. "Oh my gosh! You even braided his mane for me?"

"I told you. I know what coach looks for and how to win. Dress to impress." He smirked and slapped my butt. I turned and glared at him and mounted Zeus. I warmed up in the warm up arena, then when I was ready to start jumping, Sawyer pulled me out of the arena and had me jump away from the competition. "I don't want you to psych yourself out from seeing your competition. And I want to save your talent as a surprise for everyone else."

"Thanks Sawyer. Now let's get going before I change my mind." I said picking up a trot and trotting up to the small grid. I landed in a canter and came up to the diagonal oxer. I then pulled Zeus to a walk.

"Oh my gosh! Codie. You are even more amazing than I thought! You are totally going to kick some serious toosh out there!" I looked over to the door and there stood Lindsey.

"Thank you. I'm really nervous right now."

"Well don't be. You're in the hole." My face dropped. Two more people and it was my turn.

"C'mon Codie. You have no need to worry." Sawyer said rubbing my leg. They walked out to the arena, me following along side them. I stood at the gate when the ring steward, we hired for the occasion, came up to me saying they were ready for me to go in. Nodding and walking into the ring is the last thing I remembered before going into competitive mode.

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"Oh my gosh! Codie you were awesome out there!" Emily said as she came running up to Zeus' stall.

"Hey Em. When did you get here?" I asked hugging her.

"Mom said that you were riding today and I wanted to watch you. So she dropped me off a little while before you rode." She said all giddy.

"Well do you think I deserve the spot on the team?" I asked taking a seat on the tack trunk outside the stall.

"Only of course! You're the best rider I have ever seen!" she said throwing her arms in the air.

I started laughing, "Okay okay. Keep your voice down. We don't need to spook any horses now do we." I hoisted her onto my back and walked out of the barn and met up with Sawyer and Lindsey. Sawyer pulled Emily onto his back and pulled me into his side.

"You three stay right there." Lindsey said running ahead of us a little bit and turning around to take a picture of us. We smiled and waited for her to say it was good. "Aww...you look like a cute little family. You're too cute together." Lindsey aww'd.

We continued walking to the ring to see who was getting the spot. We sat talking when Sawyer pulled me to the side leaving Emily with Lindsey.

"What's up?" I asked curiously as he leaned up against a tree.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date tonight. You know in celebration of today." He said gesturing to all the riders waiting for the announcement.

"But I don't know if I've made the team yet or not."

"Codie, you are going to make the team. You are one of the best riders I have ever met. And this is more in celebration that you rode in front of people and actually tried out for the team. Making the team will just be a bonus. So will you go with me?" He asked holding my shoulders so I looked directly at him.

I couldn't help but smile as I replied, "Of course I'll go on a date with you...Boyfriend." Sawyer pulled me into a hug a spun me around.

"C'mon, let's go back and see if they're ready to announce who made the team." I nodded and we walked over to Lindsey and Emily while holding hands.

"Have they said anything yet?" I asked sitting next to Emily. She shook her head and returned to talking with Lindsey. A few minutes later we heard a speaker start crackling as they turned it on. Oh gosh they were ready. I wiped my hands on my knees to keep them from sweating too badly.

"Hello, and thank you to everyone who came out and tried for a place on the Northern Wyoming hunter/jumper riding team. Now since we represent all of northern Wyoming, we will only be choosing the best. However we did something a little different this year. We would like to officially announce that we have created a junior varsity team as well as adding to the varsity riding team. For the JV team we would like to congratulate the following riders. MiKayla Herbert, Jodie Wainwright, Joseph Thompson, Alexia Ballerini, and Trevor Williams." Kari announced. Everyone cheered as the riders walked into the center of the arena with Kari and the other assistant trainers. When the cheering died down there were whispers going around about the fifth rider.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to mention. Instead of the four represented riders, we are starting to now have five. One will practice with the team, and go and support the team at shows, and can show as well, but their scores will not be counted unless they take the place of another rider on the team. Therefore the fifth rider is now our 'jump rider'." Kari told everyone to clear up the confusion.

"Now for our new members of the varsity team. Would the current Varsity team members please join me in the arena. Sawyer Armstrong, Lindsey Sprouse, and Annie West." They made their way to the center. "Now to relieve you all from your stress, I would like to congratulate the following for making the team." Everyone held their breaths as she began to read the names.  

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Thank you for everyone who is reading my story. I hope you are enjoying it. Please tell me what you think, and what you want to see.

Codie's riding outfit in Media