Comeback *Book One*

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Two hours into the practice ride at AEC, sweat drips down my face. I gently press my legs into Beau's side, asking him to trot. Rising at a posting trot to his smooth beat, I then guide Beau into a working canter. I raise into two point and I round the arena corner to the three and a half foot oxer. "Oxer!" I shout in the arena, making the other riders aware of were I was going.

Three, two, one, NOW! I count the strides silently in my head, on now, I snap into two point, releasing my hands allong Beau's neck and give him rein. We land smoothly on the other side and I take a glance back to check if I knocked a rail. Nope. One down, one to go. The last jump was a four foot tall ascending oxer. That type of jumps takes up a lot of energy, especially at its towering hight. To perfectly stride this jump, you can not take off from a long spot.  Beau gets anxious, and speeds his gait up to a slow gallop, just strides in front of the jump. I pull back on the reins and make him go at a medium canter. I'd rather knock a rail, that break my leg, or worse, Beau's leg. My stubborn horse pins his ears back, but does as I tell him. In front of the jump, Beau takes off one stride to early. I get launched onto his neck, but thankfully, I hold on. I hold my breath as Beau lands and I don't hear the sound of a knocked rail. Thank. God.

"What a good boy." I praise quietly to Beau, rubbing his sweaty neck as I slow to a walk over to Dee. He may have misbehaved over the last jump, but he tried his hardest to get over it. I was proud of him for that. "Great job, Ali! And what a good boy Beau! You did everything you could to slow him, and I thought you handled the situation well. He just got a little nervous. Just make sure it doesn't happen tomorrow." Dee reaches her hand over to Beau and gently strokes his muzzle. "Why don't you cool him out? You did a great job. Tomorrow should hopefully be easy for you. Everyone will be showing in the novice divison, and you have showed successfully way higher than that. I am just going to practice the other girls over that same jumps, then we will take the horses back in." I nod to Dee as she gives him one final pat on the rump before turning her attention away from me.

As I walk slowly around the arena, I watch the other riders. Before a fence, a girl jabs her horse in the side with her spurs. And then when he knocks the rail, she slaps him hard with a whip. Wow. I don't blame that horse for doing that. That girl is a jerk to her horse. I have seen this behavior at many shows before. It's not fair to the horse, but I guess some people just don't understand and will do anything to win.

Beau pins his ears back flat against his head. What? I think to myself. Beau usually never acts this poorly at shows. Just then, a girl trots by us, cutting us off. Her sharp spurs jam against Beau's shoulder, spooking him, and causing him to bolt. "Woah, boy! Easy now. Shhh." I calmly hush to Beau and he slows back to a walk. The whites if his eyes are still visible but he is more relaxed.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" I yell to the girl. She halts her large palomino horse and glares her hazel eyes at me. She looks so familiar. No. Oh. My. God. It can't be.

"Oh it can't be. Ali Michels." I knew it! Kelly Pils. A.K.A. my worst enemy on the show circuit. We showed against each other everyweek. We would always switch off between first and second place. That was before I got Beau and I was showing on a grey mare named Twix. We were a great match, but she sadly got sold. Anyways, I didn't hold a grudge against Kelly, she was a great rider and I was proud about how well I was doing. But I guess she didn't like to lose. Kelly did everything in her power to make me loose. I never let her get in my way, and she got pissed off about that. I stopped seeing her on the circuit after I took a break to train Beau. When I started showing him, we didn't do circuit anymore. This was the first show I have seen her at since two and a half years ago.

"Kelly. Long time no see." I mutter to her. 

"I see you got a new horse. Where'd you get him? A carnival?" She starts laughing, "I guess I will be riding against you for the next few days at this event. Just prepare to eat dust. Don't come crying to me when you try and use your nag of a horse to ride at this show level." Just then, Kelly sticks her her horse, and canters him away from us. Clouds of dust churn up, and I start choking.  

"What a bitch." I say quietly to myself, turning Beau back around to Dee. For the first time, I couldn't wait to get out of the arena.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What do you guys think of Kelly? EDITED comment any mistakes. Thanks(: