J.O.P. Stable: The Twin Saga (Book 1: The Summer Finale)

Chapter 20:

Jewel's POV:

" Jewel Lockhart on Shadow of the Night, please enter the arena "

I froze mid sentence as the announcer called my name.

" You've got this " Blaire replied as we both watched Caitlyn and Jackson exit the arena.

I could only nod. Caitlyn and Jackson had gotten into a bit of an argument during the last salute. Jackson had thrown his head and crab stepped a couple of times before he stood still long enough for Caitlyn to salute to finish. Even with the mistake, she still left the arena with a big smile on her face and a score of 86.906 percent. With that score, she could still snag a good place out of the 10 riders in our class, which included 3 riders from the Alberta team, two from Newfoundland and Labrador, one from New Brunswick and one from Ontario.

Now it was my turn.

Caitlyn gave me a thumbs up as we passed by the entrance of the arena in a collected trot and I smiled, but my stomach was still doing backflips.

I halted Shadow at X and saluted before continuing with collected trot to C, tracking left. Then we moved across the diagonal H-X-F in a medium trot until we reached F and returned to collected trot. We moved to K and did a shoulder in from K to E. Shadow got a bit confused and tried to move back to the track before we were supposed to, but I quickly corrected him with my reins and legs. Once we reached E we did a half circle 10 metres to X, then the same X to B. Then B to g we did a half pass at the trot. Shadow was a bit stiff in the bend, but before I could encourage him to bend more, we reached C and tracked right. Once we reached M I encouraged Shadow to extend his trot as we moved the diagonal M-X-K. At K he returned to collected trot when I asked and we moved to A. At A I halted him and did a rein back 4 steps. Shadow lowered his head a bit too low and below the bit when he backed up and when I pushed him back into a collected trot. Shadow sprigged forward in a bounding trot to F. It took me a second to get him collected again before starting a shoulder in F to B. Shadow snorted and swished his tail as we did another half circle 10 metres from B to X then again X to E then another half pass right to C. Between C and H I slowed Shadow to a medium walk then at H I turned him left to G, then between G and M I shortened his strides and did a half turn on the haunches. Shadows forelegs moved around his hind legs, almost like a pirouette. After we continued at a medium walk to M, then turned right. Once we reached R we went to V in and extended walk and returned to a medium walk and headed towards K. Before K i shortened Shadows stride and once we reached K I tapped my heels against Shadows sides and he jumped into a canter. I quickly brought him down to a more collected canter as we reached H, then did a half pass in the canter to X, then a collected canter to I. I to S we did a half circle then S to F a single flying change near the centre line. Shadows ears flicked back a bit when i told him to preform the change, but he did it. We cantered to F and then from F to M we did an extended canter until we reached M and I slowed Shadow back to a collected canter to H, then I slowed him again back to a collected trot. At E I turned left to X then another left to to G, where I halted Shadow and saluted the judges.

The crowd cheered as I let Shadow stretch and walk, patting his neck.

" Nice job Shadow " I told him as we walked out of the arena.

" That was great! " Caitlyn said as I halted Shadow in between Jackson and Flicka while a girl on a buckskin for Newfoundland and Labrador took her test. After that it was Blaire's turn, then 3 other riders and the ribbons ceremony and that was the end of the first event.

I shrugged. " It was okay, not our best, but- "

" But nothing " Blaire said, turning to me. " You can't have a perfect round every time, but you did have a better round than your acting like " She told me.