Road To Victory

Beauty & Waffles <3

okkkkkkkkkkay. so it's 12:37 a.m. and i just finished this. i REAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY love this chapter. so i'm dedicating it to MsAutonomous who's pretty much my biggest fan. ^_^ so uhm yeah. hope you enjoy. and forgive grammer errors. i is sleepy. ♥ 

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“Now entering the ring is Number 89 – Katherine Collens riding Fancy Does It.”

I sighed, knowing that it wasn’t the name that should be getting called right now. Nontheless, I sat up straighter, pushed my heels down, and shortened my reins so that I was keeping contact with Fancy’s mouth. He was a hunter horse, and I was starting to get worried. I had experience with them, but not much. They might be push button and dead broke, but if you’re not used to the long, lanky,  sweeping strides than may the Lord have mercy on your soul.

I stopped him mid ring and pushed him back into a trot, sitting it. Here goes nothing, I though, pinching his sides with my polished spurs. He immediately responded, breaking into a very rocky canter.  I can do this, I told myself, sitting deeply to his canter as I barely moved out of the saddle. The course probably wasn’t particularly challenging, but it was so different aboard Fancy. He may have been shorter then Remmey by many hands, but his stride was without a doubt longer -  hence the knocked rail at the first jump. And the second. Oh, did I forget to mention the sixth jump as well?

But at the end of the course, I started to get a hang of his gaits and was pulling him to a trot. If that would’ve been a hunter class there was no way we would’ve placed. But my equitation always stood out, even if I was riding a school pony in a need of a clip and so I was somehow being called back into the ring and announced for 6th place.

Samantha said I had done amazing, considering that a) I had never ridden the horse before and b) I had never touched the horse before.

“You’ve would’ve placed first if you were on Remmey,” Jessie told me, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t really help, because I was trying to take that off of my mind. I sighed as people continued to compliment me. My eyes searched the area around me. I needed to find him. I needed to talk to him. Now.

“You look tired, Katherine,” Lauren murmured, pulling my away from everyone. “Do you want a ride to the hotel?”

I sighed and shook my head. “Give me a few minutes,” I replied calmly, even though I was surprised by her motherly tone.  If Lauren ever said anything nice, it was a compliment and had to do with horses. Heck, she didn’t even ask me if I was okay when I fell off that bratty pony a few years back, except for "at least her saddle pad hung on nicely". 

“Okay, but I want you back here in 10 minutes, unless you’re getting a ride from someone else,” she told me, but I was a few meters away already and pretended not to hear her. I walked into the barn our stable was boarding at. Fancy was in his stall. I probably wasn’t going to find this kid in 10 minutes. I checked the aisle, neighboring barns, the trailers, vans – you name it. Sighing, I teetered back to Lauren the long way – through an empty dirt path save for a few riders ahead still mounted on their horses. I kicked a rock with my tall boots, confused. There were so many emotions flitting through me right now and I didn't know what to think. All I needed was some time. And answers.

“You look lost,” a voice called from behind. I turned around and couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, we always managed to find each other. Even though 99% of the time I was far from thrilled that we did. But today was different because I actually was.