Briarwood Elite Riding Academy: Take the Reins

Chapter 10: The Stone Hollow Challenge

My mind was racing with all the possibilities of who had sent the letter and my eyes scanned the riders suspiciously for a moment before I forced myself to focus on Sebastian’s words.

“Today we will have a regular lesson and tomorrow we will trailer to the location where the horsemanship challenge will take place so you and the horses can get use to the course and the surroundings.” Sebastian briefly paused before adding; “That will be all the information I’ll give you today so let us begin.”

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My lower leg ached horribly after I dismounted after lesson; but I was beginning to get use to the aches and pains in my muscles by now.

I took a little bit of time grooming and untacking Winter just so I could steady my mind about the whole letter situation and usually grooming helped calm my mind.

“You were a great girl today.” I smiled to Winter while draping on her fly sheet.

She bobbed her head as if to say ‘I know. I am fabulous after all.’ I chuckled before feeding her a big juicy apple I had fetched from the feed room.

While I waited for Winter to delicately chew the apple into a gross pulp I again searched through the sea of other riders.

My eyes landed on Chloe and Noir Silhouette but I dismissed her as a suspect; why would she help me in the competition? It was the same for Justin and any of their lackeys. I didn’t add up.

My eyes then roamed to Tatum. The letter said it was from a friend but I couldn’t understand how she would have acquired the information. Tatum was usually with us plus I had a feeling writing secretive, rhyme-y letters wouldn’t be her style. If she ever found out some big edge on the competition she would have told all of us… right?

My eyes skipped to Amelia but the look of pure innocence on her face made me shake my head. The letter was written a bit too ominously and darkly to be Amelia’s work.

Then they landed on Zoé but I doubted it would be her either. Zoé and I weren’t exactly the closest in the group and I knew she worked harder than any of us to be in the competition; friend or not Zoé wouldn’t ruin her own chances at winning the scholarship just to be nice.

Winter gave me a large nudge with her nose, knocking me out of my thoughts. She looked impatient and I wondered how long I had been staring into the distance.

The letter mystery would have to stay a mystery for now.

I gave Winter a scratch on her nose and a stroke down her downy fur before securing her lead line and walking her out of the stable. When Winter was secured inside her paddock I slipped on her fly mask and gave her one last fleeting hug before departing.

I watched for a moment as she went about running along the fence line with the bay gelding in the paddock over. It brought a smile to my weary face before I turned to leave.

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It wasn’t long before I met up with the girls. We were still wearing our dirty breeches and sporting fabulous sweaty helmet hair but I couldn’t really care less as we all settled down by the Briarwood pond on the grassy bank.

Tatum quickly began unzipping her confining leather half-chaps while Zoé and I decided we would go full out and take off our boots and half-chaps completely; showing off our flashy and weird Zocks to no one in particular.