Kinswood Academy: Jumping Princess

Chapter 3:

" Everyone tack up their horses! " Leslie called down the aisle of the barn. " Lesson's in twenty! That's ten minutes to tack up and ten minutes to warm up! "

I was already adjusting Omegas girth, getting ready to put on her bridle.

In the cross ties in front of us was Briggs and Thunder. The nearly 18 hand high gelding towered over Omega, who was the smallest horse in our group. However, that didn't stop her from being one of the best jumpers.

Our lesson group was the most advanced, jumping between a metre forty to a metre sixty.

Behind us were the other 3 riders, Danielle, Greg and Hailey. They went to a different school than Briggs, Amelia and I. Greg was about 18, while Danielle was our age and Hailey was 15.

" Hey Mia! " Briggs called. " Am I gonna beat you to the arena? " he challenged, only jokingly of course.

I laughed. " No way! "

" Hey! I wanna be included! " Amelia called from Classy's stall. She would never be caught dead in the cross ties, thinking they messed up her performance or some other nonsense.

Briggs and I shared a look before he turned to Amelia. " We were only joking Ame's, we're saving our energy for the lesson, right Mia? "

I nodded as I adjusted Omega's throat latch. My mind started to wander back to the first time I had tried to put regular tack on her instead of racing tack. She shuddered when the saddle touched her, lifted her head so I couldn't put on the bridle and kicked out whenever I tried to put wraps or boots on her. It had been a nightmare. But now, she practically fell asleep during tack up. It amazed me sometimes how much she had changed from her first day here. Galloping along the fence line, calling endlessly to other horses, running away when you tried to catch her and bucking the minute you set a foot in the stirrup.

" Ready? " Briggs voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I quickly grabbed my gloves and clipped my helmet on. " Ready! "

We were the first ones in the outdoor arena, but as we started to warm up, the others all filed in, Amelia bringing up the rear. She always took her time before she even mounted, giving herself little time to warm up, which wasn't good when you jumped at this level.

I started Omega off on a loose rein, letting her walk around the arena before I shortened the reins and pushed her into a trot, doing a twenty meter circle at each end of the arena. After a few circuits I pushed her into a canter, allowing my body to rock in the saddle as we made our way around the arena. Once we made a few laps I switched directions and did the same exercises that we had done in the previous direction. I halted her in the middle of the arena after our canter work, watching as Briggs took Thunder over the 3 foot vertical and then the 4 foot oxer.

Thunder, being as tall as he was, made the jumps look like cross rails and Briggs' position was near perfect.

Thunder cantered around us before Briggs pulled him to a halt. The black gelding shook his head, pawing the ground with his hoof. He obviously wanted to go again.

" Your turn " Briggs smirked as he started to stretch in the saddle.

I smiled and nodded, adjusting my stirrups to jumping length before I pushed Omega into a steady canter. She had a short stride, but nothing I wasn't used to by now.

We made a sweeping turn around the corner and headed towards the first vertical. Omega tugged at the reins, her thoroughbred blood kicking in. She wanted to go faster.

" Whoa... " I whispered as I half halted, making sure her attention was on me.

Omega snorted in response and slowed her stride.

I didn't need to count strides in my head anymore, but I still did, it was a habit.

3,2,1,now!

On 'now' I lifted myself out of the saddle, sliding my hands along Omegas muscular neck as she rocked back on her haunches before propelling herself over the colourful vertical. She landed smoothly on the other side while I was already eyeing the next jump, the 4 foot oxer. I let Omega have a bit more rein so she would be able to spread herself over the width of the jump and she gratefully took the cue to go faster.

I gripped her mane as she launched into the air, stretching her body over the jump, leaving plenty of room between her hooves and the poles.

Once we landed on the other side, I slowed her down to a trot and made my way back to Briggs, who was talking with Amelia. I felt a surge of disappointment that he may have not seen me take the jumps, but that feeling faded when I halted and Briggs turned to smile at me. " Amazing Mia! You make it look so easy! "

I looked down at Omega, smiling and rubbing her neck. " Well, I do have an amazing partner... "

I hadn't even noticed that Amelia had taken Classy to the other end of the arena until she called out.

" Hey! Briggs! Check this out! "

I rolled my eyes as I turned Omega around beside Thunder, watching as Amelia pushed Classy into a smooth canter, sending her straight towards the jumps.

I was always a nervous wreck when I watched Amelia ride. She liked to show off, not caring about how her actions may affect her horse, probably because no matter how reckless she rode just to show off, nothing bad had ever happened to her...not yet anyway.

Classy barely had time to check out the vertical before she had to jump over it, twisting her body to avoid knocking a rail.

She stumbled on the landing but quickly regained her balance just in time to soar over the oxer and land on the other side.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as Amelia trotted Classy back over to us, just as Leslie entered the arena.

Briggs kept his gaze forward, so he didn't notice when Amelia shot me a dirty look behind his back, each of our horses halted on either side of Thunder.

Leslie put her hands on her hips, smiling at each of us. She was tough, but she was also a past World Cup champion for show-jumping, so she knew her stuff.

" Now that you are all nicely warmed up, let's head down to the bottom field... " She told us.

Briggs and I looked at each other, a bit confused, but my excitement overtook my confusion.

Jumping in the field could mean only one thing.

Jumping Derby!