Briarsridge Riding School

Chapter 8

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I was in third place after my first class!! I vigorously patted Kermit before returning him to the stable. I key him sit in his stall with everything but the bridle on. Walking to the tack room, I stopped right outside the door. Inside, there were obviously people talking.

"I can't believe that they are using the show to judge what riding team to be put on! My horse freaks out at shows!" One voice, presumably a girl almost yelled.

"I know right??" Screeched another voice "It's so irresponsible of the school. I mean, short on time much?" I shook my head. I was SO going to be on the beginner team. Even if both of my horses did well, I know they were judging me, not the school horses. I opened the door, much to the girls' surprise, and walked over to the fridge. Opening it, I got some water out. They narrowed their eyes at me, and I felt shivers going down my spine.

"Hi! Do you happen to know when first level cross country starts, I'm watching my friend show, but she never told me." I hoped they wouldn't catch my MEGA LIE, I obviously had no friends. One of the girls spoke up.

"Crap Kelly! I have to go! First level Cross Country starts in 20 minutes and I haven't even tacked him up!" I followed the girl out, Kelly right behind me. We arrived at her stall, and I saw a beautiful bay stallion, with a double braid due to his thick hair.

"I'll help if you would like me to." I offered, and the girl whirled around in his stall, spooking slightly.

"Would you really? Okay thanks! Kelly, show her where my locker is, grab all my stuff while I get a brush on him. Oh, and I want the sky blue polo wraps." With that, she picked up a soft brush and started flicking the dirt away. We rushed back to the tack room, and Kelly showed me her locker. I took the shining black saddle and the only saddle pad in the locker, a nice white, almost like a puffy cloud. I grabbed the polo wraps while Kelly took the bridle and layed it over the saddle. Lastly, we took out a white half pad, and we were on our way.

We returned to the stall to see the other gi of whom I still haven't learned the name of frantically picking his hooves.

"We're down to ten minutes!" She screamed, and I immediately started wrapping his forelegs with the nice sky blue while Kelly got the back. The other girl saddled and bridled her horse, grabbing her helmet at the last second. We got her out of the stall and she started trotting her horse down the ramp.

"Wait! What's your name?!" I yelled, wondering if she could hear me.

"NICOLE!" She yelled back, before disappearing out the stable doors. I checked my watch. It was now 10:43 and my class started at 11:45. I had cross country next, so I grabbed my protective vest, strapping it on before bridling Kermit and putting my helmet on. We walked down the stable ramp as well, far behind Nicole and Kelly. Mounting on the fence due to long mounting lines everywhere, I walked Kermit to a large feild with some warm-up jumps for cross country strewn across it. I made a course up in my head. Hay bales to gate, turn down the hill to a ditch, a creek followed by a wide log, then coming back up a slope, a picnic table. Finish off with a gate, then come back to the starting point.

We started off, and when Kermit realized we were practicing for cross country, he stretched out into a gallop that I couldn't beleive he wasn't a racehorse. We took the hay bales easily, turning next to the gate. He was a little uncertain, chipping in before jumping. We turned, it was a little harder to pull him than usual, but he turned. Coming down the hill, we slowed to a nice slow canter as not to hurt him. But before we could jump the ditch, a squirrel popped up, and Kermit wigged out. He popped up in a couple of giant bucks, crow hopped, and took off at an unbelievable gallop. When I finally got him to stop and turn around, we had to canter back in order to be there for my round. When we arrived at the show course, Nicole was just finishing up. Which surprised me....

"First on the course, Scarlett Cooper and Black Thunder" I almost threw up. Even though there were marking flags, I still wouldn't know where I was going before the last second. We took of when the bell sounded, him at another racehorse gallop and me looking for the first signal flag. The first jump was a gate, about 2'6. We leapt over it, galloping towards the next fence, a wide ditch with brush on the other side. He sped up to make it and I held on for dear life as we flew over the ditch and the brush. Next up, a combination of two wide logs forming an in-and-out sequence. I collected myself. We were gonna make it. We landed square in the middle of the combination, and bounced right out. He listened to my every cue, except for turning. I saw the last two obstacles, a very wide creek and a ginormous gate, maybe 3'3.

We galloped through the creek, running at top speed to the gate. Kermit hauled himself up and over it, me perched on his back, and when we landed the clock stopped.

We had done it!

"Scarlett Cooper and Black Thunder finishing with a time of 1 minute 42.8 seconds, no time or jump faults." I patted Kermit's neck.

"Good boy Kerm! Very good boy!" We walked back to the barn, grinning. Next up, dressage.