Glitch #ONC

Chapter Eleven

Luke didn't bother to check his dressage score before entering the warm-up ring for the showjumping, he didn't need to. He was still buzzing and even the chaos of the showjumping practice area did little to dampen his spirits. While waiting for his chance to enter the ring he spotted Mel high up in the stand, her phone poised to capture the action.

The participant in the arena misjudged the stride and took out the top rail of the first element of the triple. They got too close to the second but saved it. The last fence was met with a refusal, the horse taking a firm dislike to the giant flowers.

He nudged the mare into a punchy trot and circled the arena, letting her pass close to the daisy jump that had him the most worried. She looked but didn't spook. Keeping her relaxed he let her move while he waited for the bell.

Once asked, she took off like a rocket. They sailed over the first three fences without needing to change the length of stride. The distance between the double was longer than her pony-like stride. She stretched as asked, but her hind hooves brushed the top rail of the second fence. He twisted around, it stayed.

Breathing a sigh of relief he set her up for the next fence. After touching the last she was a little more exuberant over the next, a pink and purple rail with a gate underneath. Luke lost his left stirrup mid-air. He tried to get it back, but the next jump came too quickly. Focusing on the task in hand he followed her movement and managed to catch the stirrup on landing.

Back in balance, he lined her up for the final three, the ominous triple with the daisy finish. Feeling full of running, she soared over the first element. His left stirrup disappeared. They were off the stride for the second so he had to push her forward to make the distance over the spread.

Luke slipped sideways as her feet collided with the back rail. His foot slipped from the right stirrup. He heard the rail clatter behind him. Uncertainty filled him as he counted the three strides to the daisies. He could feel her backing off. 

Without the security of stirrups, he could almost see himself flying solo over the fence. He wrapped his legs tighter against her sides. His eyes closed involuntarily at the final stride. He felt her muscles bunch underneath him and he locked his fingers around the martingale.

The momentum almost catapulted him off, but the sticky silicone of his breeches helped glue him in the saddle. He winced at their landing but was grateful for making it. They galloped onwards through the finish line. A wave of applause greeted them. Unable to believe it he spun in the saddle to check they only had one rail down. 

Luke could barely eat anything when they returned to the trailer. With over an hour before his cross-country slot he would normally be pigging out, but the excitement made him a little queasy. 

"I think you are in the top ten of the class, I haven't looked at the dressage score because you asked me not to, but with one fence down you have a chance of winning this thing."

"I know."

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"I am. I just... it feels different. I'm not used to being positive, thinking that winning is a possibility, normally I'm miserable and thinking that I have made a mistake for entering." Luke gave up on the cheese sandwich and put it back in his lunchbox.

"But it feels better, right?"

"I'm sure I'll get used to it, it's just a learning curve I guess." He grabbed a damp sponge and began working over the sweat stains on his tack. 

***

His heartbeat hammered in his head as he waited outside the white box. Queenie jogged on the spot, her nostrils at full dilation as they counted down from 10. By five he steered her inside barely able to contain her energy.