November Story Contest
Perfect
An hour later, I threw Rain’s reins over her head and ran down my stirrups. I mounted as she fidgeted obnoxiously, then squeezed her forward into the warm up ring. I pushed her into an uneven trot, already breaking out into a sweat.
By Sham_Slam & Faith
Age 14
“Good pony, Yukon,” I said, rubbing her neck as we cantered away from the last jump.
“Not bad,” my trainer, Mariah, called. “We’re ready as we’re ever going to be for Juniper.”
I slowed the plump liver chestnut to a walk. We were doing our best to get ready for Juniper, a show where I was going to compete in my first class. I was excited to show Yukon- she was a good pony, and she tried hard.
“Cool out,” Mariah said. “See you bright and early tomarrow.”
I nodded, excitement pulsing through my viens. My first show, and on Yukon, my favorite pony!
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm at 5:30. I leaped in the shower, then pulled on my perfectly clean breeches, blouse, boots, and jacket.
When my mom’s car pulled into the parking lot of the barn, I hopped out and jogged over to find Mariah. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Her daughter, Katie, was braiding the horse she would ride in the show, Sinatra.
“Where’s Mariah?” I asked her, patting Sinatra.
“Oh,” Katie straightened up. “Yukon came up lame this morning. You’ll have to take Rain.”
My heart felt like she had stabbed it. “Rain? I can’t take her, she’s… Rain!”
Katie shrugged and went back to Sinatra’s mane. “She’s your only option.”
“What about… Chica? Or Leyden?” I thought, thinking fast.
“Chica’s tender on her front right-“ she rolled her eyes- “as usual. If you really want to take Leyden when she’s in heat and have her dump you before you get on, be my guest.”
Hot tears stung the back of my eyes. Let me tell you a little bit about Rain. She is about as grouchy and bouncy as they get. I hadn’t ridden her for six months, and I was hoping to keep it that way. Whenever I rode her, she always picked up the wrong lead, she chipped at the jumps, and she bucked on transitions. I know that horses can’t pick enemies that only ride them every once in a while, but this one certainly had.
“She’s my only choice?” I said, stuttering with choking tears.
Katie shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t care if you come, but if you are, you kind of need a horse.”
I turned around and walked briskly to Rain’s paddock. Katie’s sassy attitude hadn’t helped the situation, but I couldn’t see any other way out.
The grey pinto mare snorted and trotted to the back of her pen as I approached. “Come on, Rain,” I muttered under my breath, unbuckling her rough rope halter from the gate. I creaked open the rusty metal gate and walked up to the mare, my eyes on the ground and the rope behind my back. Rain reached out to sniff my hand cautiously. “There’s a good girl,” I muttered, pulling a cookie out of my pocket and offering it to Rain as I tried to sneakily slip the lead rope around her neck. With a buck and a squeal, Rain plucked the cookie off my hand and galloped to the other side of her pen.
I heard an exasperated sigh behind me and the gate squealing. “I have to do everything,” Katie groaned, grabbing the halter from me and going over to Rain. Rain stayed stock still like a perfect angel as Katie haltered her and threw the rope over into my hands. As soon as Katie was gone, I turned to Rain.
“Look, buddy,” I said to the pinto mare, leading her out of the pen. “Neither of us have much choice in the matter, so I would really appreciate it if you would stop being a brat.” Whether or not horses can understand English, I always talk to them- and it helped to get the words out.
~ ~ ~
“Come on, Rachel, push her forward!” Mariah called.
“I’m trying,” I muttered through my teeth.
The rest of our warm up didn’t go much better. All of the history I had with Rain was being proved. She picked up the wrong lead, bucked, and I couldn’t see a distance with her inconsistent gait.
“Rachel. Come here.” Mariah said, striding over to the gate. “You need to stop riding her like you would ride Yukon. That’s your problem.”
I took a deep breath. “I’ll try,” I promised.
“Good girl,” Mariah said. “Now go get it. You know your course, right?”
I nodded, running the route through my head.
“Next up, we have Rachel Fox on Misting Rain,” The announcer blared.
I gulped and pushed Rain into the ring. Instantly, she was a different horse. She pricked her ears and picked up her tail. Her strong, steel grey neck arched, and she chewed on the bit softly. With a touch of my heel to her side, she bounded into a canter. Oh, it was still bouncy, all right- but now I could see why. She was so eager to show what she could do, her canter bubbled with evergy. As we approached the first fence, a small white picket fence, she hopped over it with a playful bounce. Each fence flew by, and soon we were on the last jump- a large, imposing oxer. I shortened my reins and followed her gait. One, two, one, two, I thought to myself as we approached. She lengthened her stride suddenly. “Rain,” I muttered through my teeth. “Whoa.”
The grey mare, though, just arrogantly tossed her head. I’ve got it, Rachel, she seemed to say. I SEE it. And with a huge bound, she leaped over the scary jump.
“And that was Rachel Fox on Misting Rain,” The announcer repeated as we cantered away. I rubbed the horse’s neck affectionately as I slowed her to a trot and rode out of the ring.
“Good girl, Rachel,” Mariah said. “That was beautiful.”
“And scores for Rachel, from Judge 1 a 85.7 and Judge 2 a 87.3.” The crowd cheered as the announcer called the top scores of the day. “And that’s going to do it for Novice Hunters. Rachel, please come in to accept your ribbon.”
I nudged Rain in, unable to keep the smile off my face. As the steward pinned the blue ribbon onto Rain’s bridle, I rubbed her neck like I would never stop. She may be no Yukon, but she’s a perfect Misting Rain.