Rodeo Jumper

The Pressure Is On

I lay there in the dirt, looking up at the horns, so many pairs of them bearing down on me, I'm scared and want to scream but nothing happens, I'm surrounded by about forty head of steers, all snorting and stomping, then all of a sudden something triggers them and they're charging at me, blind hatred in their eyes and before I know it I'm engulfed by hooves, cutting into my skin, breaking my bones, crushing me to death.

I shoot upright in bed gasping for air, sweat across my forehead, sixth night in a row since I've started having that nightmare, same one every time, but it scares me each night the same. I look at the clock, its five twenty in the morning, I have to get up in an hour but there's no way I'll get back to sleep so I quietly get dressed, ensuring I don't wake Hillary. I've been at Gordwell for two weeks and it's turning out not too bad, I get to ride any of the school horses and join in on lessons and sometimes help give lessons, my classes are pretty easy too. I head down the corridor and towards the stables, I look out at the cross country course and admire the view of the fog rising across it, yes it will be a lovely morning to ride on the course and if I time it right then I can watch the sun rise. I open up the stable door and all their heads pop over the gates, today I'm going to take Lilliana, a five year old chestnut thoroughbred with the heart of a lion and sometimes I swear she has wings, I have been working on riding her with nothing but a rope around her neck and she has been doing amazingly, but this will be her first time out of the arena tackless, she follows me out of the barn and I swing up onto her back, it helps she's only fifteen hands high. I guide her gently with my legs and body language, which she calmly follows but instead of heading to the arena like we usually do I lead her to the gate that leads out to the cross country and just like she had been doing it for years she lines herself up so I can open it then once we're through, line herself up for me to close it, we then proceed to walk around the twenty acre forest slash cross country course, what a lovely way to spend the morning.

We spend about ten to fifteen minutes to warm up, ensuring we have our leads and her muscles have loosened up and once I felt she was relaxed enough I lined her up to a jump, just your basic log jump, only about sixty centimetres high, we gracefully head towards it with ease and like nothing she floats over the jump like she was gliding over clouds a thousand feet in the air and yet like we never left the ground. Landing effortlessly on the other sound I give her a pat of praise and look on to the next jump, and there are two side by side, one about sixty centimetres and the other a metre maybe a little higher, I let her line up to the smaller one and she steps to the right, leading straight to the bigger one.

'You sure girl?' I asked cautiously and she cantered on, I grip a little tighter, being careful not to squeeze to tight, trusting her judgement and before I know it we're up and over like it was only centimetres high. I pull her to a halt and give her the biggest hug, she always amazes me with how much heart she has.

'Never underestimate the talent of a horse or you will never achieve greatness cowgirl' I imagine dad would say with a casual look on his face and I blink back tears. I look at my watch, it's quarter past six and I should be getting ready to feed the horses, so I cool Lilliana down and we walk back to the stables, as we get back to Lilliana's stall I walk her in and she nudges me.

'Of course I didn't forget your reward, you did more than deserve it, you'll take anyone that rides you straight to the top won't you.'

'I'll say' I jump and spin around to see Daniel casually leaning against the stable door.

'Oh hi, I didn't realise we had an audience' I say waving him off the door so I can close it, trying to hide my surprise.

'You're a pretty good rider, I've never seen anyone handle horses as easily as you do, how you make them go over the jumps.'