~Book One of the Silverstone Series~
Silverstone Horse Riding Academy. It's the dream of every young rider. Over three quarters of the students who attend will go on to become professionals. Olympic show jumpers. International dressage riders...
"So, what did Lucy say that you'd be doing in these 'tests'?" Bertie asks, as she helps me tack up Arrow; Tabitha and Rose are waiting for us by the outdoor.
"She just said dressage and show jumping," I reply, thinking back. "I've been doing some walk and trot work."
"Any pole work?"
I shake my head.
"Maybe you could now? I mean, we're all here to help you."
"Yeah, okay. Good idea."
After we've tacked Arrow up, and we've headed outside, Bertie goes over to Rose and Tabitha, and I ride into the school. Arrow shifts impatiently under me, pawing at the ground.
"Okay, boy," I say quietly, stroking his neck. "Come on then, let's go."
We do some walk-trot transitions, and he goes well for most of them, apart from some jogging in the corners.
Then, Bertie and Rose lay out the poles, while Tabitha measures out the distance in between them.
"Cool, Jess, go!" Rose shouts over, and they jump back over the fence around the school. I take a deep breath, and urge Arrow into a brisk trot towards the poles.
Surprisingly, he trots smoothly over them, his trot automatically lengthening to match the distances in between them. I circle back round, and canter him over them. Again, he goes perfectly.
"Well, that's unexpected," Bertie comments.
"I had an image in my mind of him doing bunny hops when he saw them," Rose says. "I think Jess fell off again, in this vision."
Bertie and Tabitha glare. At this point, all Rose has to do to explain herself is just helplessly shrug.
"Do you want us to set you up a jump, Jess?" Tabitha asks.
"If you don't mind, honestly," I bite my lip. "They're heavy."
"It's fine," Rose laughs. "Trust me, when you've been dragged half a mile over a stupidly huge field by a Mustang that really needs to be gelded soon, this is nothing."
They set up a small jump, probably about thirty centimetres, and I put Arrow into a slow canter, and almost get unseated when he does a giant leap over it.
Rose bursts out laughing, Bertie is trying not to, and Tabitha just looks thoughtful.
"Hmm," she wonders. "I think he's just ignoring it. He thinks it's too small for him. The approach and getaway was almost perfect. Let's put the jump up."
So that's how I end up jumping the horse that has thrown me off - twice - over an eighty centimetre jump. Which, by the way, is big on a horse as nervy as Arrow.
When we finally decide to put Arrow away, it's about half three in the afternoon, and I'm proud of my horse.
Well, he's the school's horse. But I'm borrowing him.
"That was really good, Jess," Tabitha comments, grooming Arrow while I sort out his saddle. "I didn't think you'd manage a jump, never mind eighty centimetres."
"I know," I grin. "He's amazing."
"He's a bit like you, actually," Tabitha says. "He's strong, and he has tons of potential, but my guess is that he feels nervous, and insecure. He probably also feels like he doesn't really belong here, too. Am I right?"
I stare at Tabitha, but she just carries on brushing Arrow. "How did you know?"
"It doesn't take a genius," Tabitha sighs. "You do belong here, Jess. You won the scholarship competition, and you are an incredible horse rider." She stops brushing Arrow,band looks at me. "In a way, you deserve to be here more than any of us. We didn't have to compete, we didn't have to be tested. We just paid our way in." She passes me the brush. "Think about it." And she opens the stall door, and walks out.
And I'm left thinking that maybe she was right.
• • •
"Alright, class! Can everyone please switch to an extended trot?"
This lesson is not going well for me. Okay, it's Monday, and dressage isn't usually my best subject, but it normally goes better than this.
I keep mixing Silver's elongated stride with Arrow's bouncier one, she seems really short, and I'm just generally all over the place. I've been working too much with Arrow; not enough with Silver.
Mrs Knight, our dressage teacher, who was also the teacher who met us first on our first day, doesn't look too pleased with me either.
"Jessica! Your hands are far too low! And what's happening to your back? Straighten up, please!"
I even mess up leg-yielding. Silver goes too far to one side, and I'm thrown completely off-balance. When Miss is done pointing out everything that went wrong, I rejoin the end of the ride, and I hear Kennedy snicker, "She can't even leg-yield. Maybe she just couldn't afford any proper teachers."
I try not to let it get to me. And fail.
Maybe Lucy was right; maybe I actually am good at horse riding.
But Kennedy also has a point. I can't afford the best teachers. I can't afford the bet horses, the best tack, the best anything. I'll always be stuck on the second-best.
And I also clearly can't ride a horse as sweet and well-willing as Silver, because Miss calls me over when the lesson is finished.
"Miss Brooke, I had high expectations of you from what I heard from Lucy."
I just look downwards, my eyes burning.
"But clearly, your talent doesn't stretch to dressage. I know about your other horse, but just because you're working with another equine doesn't mean you can just kept yourself ride so badly with another one." She sighs. "Everyone has a bad day. But, Jessica, you do need to balance things. Don't let your education slip for one horse."
"I know. Thanks, Miss," I say, and ride Silver out, dismounting when I leave the school. I ignore everyone else in the barn, and lead Silver into her stall. I bury my face in her neck, and let one tear slide down my cheek.
"You were great, Silver," I pat her neck gently. "It was me who messed up."
She nuzzles me, as if to say, 'No, you didn't.'
"Everyone keeps saying that I deserve to be here," I whisper. "But do I really?"
I sigh, and then compose myself, bottling it all back up.
I'll find a way to balance Silver and Arrow. I have to.
a/n: Hey guys, so, I just have something to say...
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