A Light in the Dark: The moon

Chapter 9: Competition

-"Walk them around the ring as I set up some jumps", said Hansengrove.

Etta did as she was told and slowed Stella, her beautiful mare to a walk. Her classmates did the same with their horses. Summer had come and gone, and Etta had been switched to Hansengrove's riding class. This was the morning riding lesson, and it happened every day at 8:00 before classes. Etta drifted her gaze over the great Rockies of Calgary.

-"They are beautiful aren't they?", said Anne, riding up beside her on Rose, her buckskin mare.

-"Yeah, they are like the protectors of everything I cherish, my father, the school. I am sure they are in a way a watch tower of heaven", answered Etta, smiling.

Anne looked at her, pity in her eyes.

-"I'm sure your mother is watching down on you from the peak of the highest mountain", she said softly.

Etta smiled even wider.

-"It doesn't hurt much, I barely knew her", said Etta, feeling the sadness in Anne's voice.

-"Alright, the jumps are ready", called Hansengrove.

Etta's gaze swept the ring. There were various sizes of jumps, cones and lined up poles.

-"To make this more interesting", said Hansengrove, "I am going to make this into a competition, and the winner will get first pick on freezies this afternoon", she finished, smiling at Etta, who she knew to have a big sweet tooth.

On hot afternoons, Mrs. Longwood loved to spoil the students with freezies, but it seemed that no matter how much she fed them, she could never get any flesh on their bones, to her dismay.

-"I would like Maddy to go first, then Rebecca, then Tamer, then Anne, then Etta, and Jeremy last", said Hansengrove.

Etta felt confident. Her classmates were amazing riders, but had their flaws. Her only competition was Maddy, and maybe Anne.

-"Ok, the jumps are set, walk your horses around them to familiarize them with the new set up, but don't go over them." Said Hansengrove.

Etta led Stella around the tallest jump, letting her sniff it and rewarding her with pats on the neck. She watched Maddy as she walked her big dapple grey mare, Midas.
The two neared a corner of the ring, where a bright orange cone stood up from the dust and rubber ground. Midas slowed down and pinned her ears to her neck. She threw her head and began to back up.

-"Whoa, Midas. It's OK." Etta could hear her friend sooth.

The mare stopped and lifted her ears just a bit. Maddy asked her to go forward. She obeyed, and walked forward, hesitant. She stopped again, and then took a tentative step toward the cone. A fly landed on her shoulder and she flinched hard. Suddenly terrified, the horse threw her head again and lifted her front legs 1 foot off the ground, pivoting on her haunches and began running, full gallop the other way. Dust flew and Maddy was suddenly jeered into a wild gallop. At this point, all eyes were on her, and she could feel her friend's embarrassment. Keeping her wits about her, she held her seat, and Etta realized that Midas was trying hard to keep Maddy on her back. As soon as the horse had realized she was freaking out, she had slowed her pace so that her beloved Maddy would not fall off. Now on a trot, she let herself be calmed by her rider's voice and touch. She stopped in the middle of the arena. Through all this, Etta knew Maddy had not been afraid. She trusted Midas more than she trusted most of the people she knew, and had likely expected a spook from her equine counterpart, only because they knew each other that well. Unfazed, Maddy dismounted and held her mare's nose in her arms, comforting her. When she decided the grey was calm enough to face her fear, she took the braided reins and lead her to the cone. The mare stopped.