Just Ride

Prologue

"This is entry 892, riding Martin Luther King Jr! I heard that these two are quite the champs John. Nobody can win the USEF finals after all, let alone four times in a row!"

As I hear the announcer praise me generously, the compliment fills me from my helmet, to the tip of my tall boots with courage. With warmth kindled deep inside me, I feel the outside world fade out of my presence with just one step in the arena. "Remember Athena, don't get spurring with your crazy legs in the corners." My coach Andy whispers. "And most importantly, breath." He murmurs and gives my leg a little pat. I nod in response as I walk into the arena.

I give a quick glance around the expanse of space before me. The jumps set at a solid height of four feet. Finally the triple oxer at the end almost sent me to hysterics. And most importantly, breath. I hear Andy's voice repeat in my head. I suck in some air and whisper to Martin. "Come on Marty, we got this." I murmured. Gently spurring him gracefully into a collected canter. He snorted welcomingly in reply. As I approach to my first jump, a easy diagonal single, I feel the outside world fall away. It's only me, and the great beautiful beast below me.

At the last few strides up to the jump, everything slows down. The only sound were Martin's hooves beating into the ground. But his strides needed to lengthen a little for a good distance. I gently squeeze him and he moved up easily. His smooth canter elegantly transitioning to a flawless jump. We land with a soft surprising lightness. Martin had also got his lead. Which left us a nice corner to tidy up in. "Well let me say folks, we can all agree these two are just perfect together. The definition of dream team!" The announcer laughs as my beautiful bay horse executes a perfect rollback turn.

The rest of the course is just as smooth. So far the points are up in my head. Maybe a 96? I think curiously as we finish our first and second to last oxer. Snap out of it! I scold myself as I smoothly set up my horse for a lead change. You've got one last jump to finish. Make it worth it. Slowly I canter up to the triple oxer. The special jump of the Maclay Finals. But as we gently begin to approach it, a sense of panic overwhelms me. What if I didn't make it? Was Martin really trustworthy? Will I win? Suddenly the sounds of the crowd screaming my name is enough to send my spurs into my horse's sensitive belly. His head jerks up irritably.

Then he jumped.

He had over leapt the distance by a tremendous amount. Extremely dangerous falls had been caused by this. Their was no way I was staying on. As I fell with a thud right in between the oxer, I felt a pole crush my chest as Martin's hoof flew into it. Causing the whole jump to collapse on me. I watched as he fell at a very interesting angle with his front feet. I can still hear the sound of his bones cracking in my head. A throbbing pain began to work it's way up to my forehead. The last thing I saw was Martin's beautiful bay body crashing into the ground.

And the sound of his neck breaking against the arena floor.

...

The sounds of machinery woke me up from my peaceful slumber. The throbbing was slowly making it's way back again. 'Oh god..." I mutter sitting up with difficulty. The smell of medicine was sickening. The sharp stab of a needle was numbing my arm. That was when I realized I was in a hospital. The white walls unblurred my vision. Clearer than ever. The light blinding my eyes. "How ya feeling kid." Asked a blonde headed man before me. His head streaked with grey, and a helmet sat comfortably balanced on his knees. "Like I just got ran over by a bus." I laughed. Then gently leaned forward to hug my trainer.

"I'm sorry Andy. That was all my fault. Marty wouldn't have fallen like that if I hadn't spurred him like you told me not to." I murmured. Looking down at my hands. Andy just looks up at the ceiling nervously fiddling with his breeches. Their was a silence. "So...my parents?" I asked nervously. Sinking tiredly into the white sheets. "Well, they were panicked. And they're on the plane already." Said my trainer. Still nervous about something. "How about Martin?" I asked anxiously. This question had been nagging me for a while now. "Is he okay?"

Andy looked at me sadly. "He went to the vet after his fall. They had to help you out first, so they did the x ray's out in the arena." He paused. "He, well he, actually stood up once. In panic. Calling out to someone. I said if we could just bring you out to see him he would calm down." Andy put his face in his palms. "But they refused. Saying you needed rest. Marty finally ended up having a heart attack with all the stress. They refused to sedate him. Afraid that he would die in his sleep. Oh Athena, they did everything they could, but the horse was already in a lot of pain and they asked if they could.... If they..." He choked on the last few words and fell silent.

My heart fell to my chest. It was worse than dying.

"No...No!" I screamed, pulling myself up. But the pain in my back was enough to send me back down again. "Martin isn't dead! He isn't!" I shrieked. While Andy tried to calm me down, the doctor came walking in to see what all the chaos was. "You told her. Didn't you." He sighed sadly. His white coat seemed more solemn than ever. "I WANT TO SEE HIM!" I screamed pounding my fists into the sheets. "Well you are in stable condition, you'll need a ride to the arena." The doctor stammered. Concerned about my sudden outbursts.

"I've got the car. Just give me the medicine and we'll be off." Andy said hurriedly. Helping me to my feet. I realized I was still in my show clothes. The doctor pulled out the needle in my arm, and helped me out the exit. I hobbled slowly to the car. "Be careful Athena!" Shouted the doctor and I ignored him. Slamming the car door. Andy sped off towards the arena.

As he parked, I leapt out quickly. Running like a maniac to the entrance. My hair was disheveled and I had no time to comb it. Crowds of people had come to ask me questions. Reporters, strangers and even children. I ignored them all and fought my way through the vets swarming around my horse. That was when I saw him.

Lying on the ground, lifeless. His beautiful coat shining in the light.

I slumped to my knees and sobbed. The pain in my heart was uncomparable to the pain in my back. I stroked his beautiful head and wiped away the tears that had fallen on his cheek. It was my fault he had died. All my fault. "Martin." I whispered softly. "I'm so sorry." The doctors pushed me out of the way and I just sat in the dusty arena. Tears falling on the sandy ground.

And I thought I heard him whisper my name as his body was carried away.

Athena...Athena...come back. I thought he had said. And I lifted my head in hope he was alive.

But it was just an illusion.

And what happened to Martin was still my fault.