Stone Creek Riding Academy

Chapter 14

Swinging my legs out of the car and hopping down I smiled as I took in the familiar sight of campus.

"Connor come help us with your horse!" I made my way to the back of the trailer where Caesar and Adam were walking down the rail. Hopping in on the side I spoke softly to Wind who was quite obviously not so happy at being trailered for so long,

"Easy boy your ok let's just get you out of the trailer huh? And then we can go for a nice long trail ride,"  the knee brace I had on reminded me just how much we'd gone through this past month. My knee was healed enough that we could ride...well in my opinion at least. Technically I wasn't allowed to ride for another month or so. Break had gone by quickly after Christmas and though I loved home I was happy to be back at SCRA.

I untied his lead rope and opened the bar when he stopped pawing his hoof. He hadn't been ridden since the beginning of break due to his strained ligament but he had just been cleared yesterday but I had been doing lots of ground work with him.

"Alright bud let's go," I clicked him on and his eyes flickered wildly. Not good. Not good at all. He tore off without anymore warning down the rail. Luckily unlike the last time he tore off at school he ran into the barn tearing through the aisles. Chasing after him as well as I could with my knee in its brace, I probably looked like a deranged person, I yelled as I went,

"Loose horse! Watch out!" When Wind finally stopped it was because a guy I didn't recognize was standing in front of him arms raised as Wind started rearing,

"Wind!" Winds ears perked at my voice and went back on all four legs. Going up besides him I took his lead rope and looked apologetically at the guy who'd stopped him, noticing his horse, a palomino with a white star, standing behind him.

"I am so sorry he hasn't done this in a long time,"

"Connor stop lying to the poor boy," I grinned when i heard one of my best friends voice,

"Meg!" We embraced and the poor guy stood there awkwardly as we laughed, turning back to him i smiled, "she's kinda right he does this a lot, thank you for stopping him otherwise I'd never have been able to catch him," he smiled and i realized he had blue eyes and dark brown almost black hair that was long on top and short on the sides. He was also seemed to be almost as tall as Nick,

"No problem, I'm Jeremy by the way Jeremy Johnson, this is actually kinda my first day," he said rubbing his horses neck, "and this is Venus,"

"I'm O'Connor Steele but call me Connor-" he cut me off,

"Wait didn't you used to barrel race?" I nodded slowly,

"Yeah but I don't barrel race anymore I event with this boy," I said patting Winds neck, "the crazy horse which you stopped is my boy Wind" he seemed a little shocked,

"Do you not recognize me?" I gave him a confused look,

"Well I would guess not, we only talked once, I was on the circuit with you, I did team roping, of course I'm here for cross country a kinda drastic change as well but yeah," Meg slapped her forehead,

"Oh I remember you, you rode the beautiful black stallion, I think his name was Bandit Heist," Jeremy nodded to her,

"Yep he's at my families farm, the wanted him to stay so they could breed him, pure quarter horse and quite headstrong as well," I smiled,

"I think I remember him I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you," I said a little embarrassed,

"You might know my brother Adam-" 

"Who might know me?" I looked behind me to see Adam coming up with Caesar,

"Adam this is-"

"Jeremy Johnson I remember you from the circuit," Adam said cutting me off, again. They started rambling on about horses and everything else it seemed so I took the moment to sneak away with Wind and put him in his stall, Meg right behind me.