Champions in the Making // UTS Sequel

Chapter One

I can do all things through he who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

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The bell tinkled from the judges box, signalling for me to begin my jump-off. I ran through the course one final time in my mind before urging my dappled-grey mare, Breeze, into a strong rocking-horse canter. She pulled against the bit, eager to gallop. I smiled through my fluttering nerves at her antics, hearing the timer beep almost-silently as we shot through the start flags.

The moment we had the first jump lined up, Breeze leapt forward, judging the distance perfectly as I let her take the reins from my hands. We soared over the metre-fifteen oxer, landing softly on the perfectly-manicured grass indented with the hoofprints of a hundred horses.

Breeze broke into a gallop as we headed to the intimidating wall, I pressed her forward, determined to clear the wall. Ear pricked forward, she pushed off from the ground, I felt her muscles tense as we flew over it with miles to spare. I sat up in the saddle as we landed, my black gloves tightened as I gripped the leather reins tightly. My eyes shifted to the next jump as she chomped against the bit, her head raised high in the thick muggy air. I leaned forward into her bouncy canter as we turned a tight corner to the next; a double combination. The first jump was a black-and-white upright, filled with life-sized chess pieces, and the second a matching oxer, both set at a large metre-twenty. While walking the course, this double had stood out to me, due to it's strange striding, and I'd decided to take it as a long -and risky- one stride. Most of the previous riders had stuck safely to two strides, but this was a jump off, and I was determined to win.

She snorted, throwing her head up sharply as we faced the combination. I tightened my hands on the reins, feeling the supple leather hard against my hot gloves. I released the reins, allowing a strong take-off, before flying over the first in the combination easily. It felt like a millisecond between landing the first jump, and soaring over the second, a good two metres from the foot of the jump. I snapped forward quickly, using my body weight to push Breeze up and over the oxer, and everything seemed to fall into slow motion as we soared over the jump. The huge crowd went silent and a feeling of freedom filled my body. A grin fell to my face as we landed and I was brought back to reality, Breeze throwing in a small playful buck.

There were only four more jumps; one triple oxer, set at max width and height, and one triple combination which involved a two strider and a three strider. The triple oxer was a good fifty metres away, but I knew that the scarily wide jump would need a decent run-up, and I pressed my calves to Breeze's side, taking a wide corner in order to allow us a good run-up. She jumped forward into a gallop immediately, eagerly leaping forward into a strong gallop, her head held high and nostrils flaring as foam dripped from her mouth.

Thoughts crowded my brain, every single tip and instructions I'd ever been told came to mind. I shook my head, dismissing the overwhelming thoughts, remembering the most important thing. Striding. The ground thundered underneath me and I forced myself to look up and sit tall.

"Three, two, ONE!" I hissed out loud, pressing my ankles to her sides in one final push of encouragement before we flew into the air, over the enormous jump. I ignored the golden rule of showjumping- my gaze flicking down to see Breeze's knees tucked up neatly underneath us as she cleared the jump with miles to spare. I grinned as a wave of adrenalin washed over me, my face was pressed against her sweaty neck and I watched the crowd speed past. I couldn't believe I was here, competing in the very thing my mother did for a living, her soul living on in her daughter. I felt a wave of pride, imagining her pearly white smile spread over her face as she clapped nervously from the side-line.