There's More to Danger Than "Dangerous"

Chapter 20

     Over the next two months, Danger and I continued to advance in classes at shows as well as growing closer as a pair. I had been able to teach him a few liberty tricks like, hug, bow, and follow. I had decided to not teach him to rear yet as that was something he did on his own still sometimes.

      Today was our first 3'3" class. I felt ready while loading, unloading, brushing, and tacking but I started to feel nervous as Danger and I began warming up. I tried to hide as much of my nerves as it would sometimes provoke Danger to act up more.

      We warmed up without much trouble other then a small refusal at a 18" vertical but otherwise he was good. Today we were the first in the ring. I walked to the gate and waited to be let into the dressage ring.

      The test was a bit more difficult then what we had done in the past but I hopped we were ready. The first move was a simple sitting trot to A, then a counter canter to F, leg yield to M and so on. We finished strong as I backed him up from D to X and saluted.

      We walked out of the ring and I hoped off, letting Danger get a drink out of his teal bucket. We stood and waited for the placing which came sooner then I thought.

      "In third place we have Melony Welsh on Mysterious Echo. Next is Annabelle Blackwell on Danger Zone. And finally we have Meg Zarra on Dragon Queen." I smiled and walked to get my ribbon in front of the first place winner, a girl with dark, almost black hair and blue-green eyes.

      I got my ribbon and walked back, accidently bumping into the girl with black hair. "Ugh" she cried "watch where your going"

      "Sorry," I said "I really didn't mean it, it was an accident"

      "Well next time be more careful" she said before rolling her eyes.

      I shook my head and walked back to my horse to get ready for cross country.

     Danger and I zoomed through the course knocking the third jump and landing on the wrong lead before I pushed Danger into a flying change. We headed to the next jump, a trakehner that led to a drop jump.

      We pushed on over the next few jumps heading to the last two, a water jump then out and to a bush fence. Danger ran through the water quickly and sored over the bush fence, ending with a time of 19.6 seconds.

      I smiled as I got off and walked Danger around so his muscles didn't tense up before show jumping and waited for the placings.

      "in third place we have Annabelle Blackwell on Danger with a time of 19.6 seconds" I walked up to the booth. "in second place we have Daisy May on Prince Ali with a time of 19.2 seconds. And in first  place we have Meg Zarra on Dragon Queen with a time of 17.1 seconds"

      I watched as Meg smugly walked to the booth to get her second first place ribbon. Now was time for show jumping, mine and Danger's best class.

      I walked into the arena circling Danger into a canter and heading to the first jump, a brick wall with a red pole above it. It seemed to easy for my tall, strong gelding. the next one was just a vertical.

      We got closer to the end of the course, the third to last being a Liverpool which startled Danger slightly and made him hit the pole with his hoof, luckily it didn't fall. We made over the last two, a line, with no faults.

      We exited the arena and I watched as Meg entered the ring after me and I waited for placings.

      I sat up quickly as I heard the announcer's voice. "Finally it is time for the show jumping places and champion and reserve champion. In third place is  Melony Welsh on Mysterious Echo. In second place is Meg Zarra on Dragon Queen." I turned and saw Meg's jaw drop as she herd her name in second place, not first.

      "Lastly, in first place, we have Annabelle Blackwell on Danger Zone" I smiled widely and went to get my ribbon. "Now for the champions. First we have our reserve champion, Annabelle Blackwell and our champion is Meg Zarra."