March Story Contest

Trusting Willow part 2 part 1
By: Katie Katie
Age: 12

The night of my first canter I received a package in the mail.  It was show clothes!  I also got paddock boots, half chaps, rubber and leather tall boots, schooling tights, pink riding gloves, a pink crop, and, my favorite, a velvet covered helmet. I looked at the return address, my parents had sent it to me.  I then put my new riding things down and hopped onto my bunk. I fell asleep.  
The next morning, I put on my schooling tights and rubber-riding boots and I  brought my gloves (my pink ones, not my show ones), helmet, and crop to breakfast since I had a riding lesson after I ate.  I finished my food quickly, so I could get Willow tacked faster. Miss Lilly said I would canter more today.  
"Hello, Alex," she said as I walked into the barn,” I see you got your package."
 "Yeah, I did.  Can I go tack up Willow?"
"Sure. Would you like to jump and canter today?"
 " I dunno...YES!"
 "Go get tacked up then."  
I tacked up and mounted.  The other girls were just finishing grooming their horses.  Instead of riding in the outdoor arena, which only has poles, we rode at the walk all the way across camp (that was about a 10 minute ride) to the indoor arena.  I rode inside.  Miss Lilly always walks beside the person with the least amount of riding experience incase they need help (which was me) or she will walk beside a person riding a horse that will likely spook.  We started posting after Miss Lilly told us to trot.  I love Willow's trot.  
      
"Sitting trot," Miss Lilly said. After about 5 minutes, she told us to canter. "That is a beautiful canter, Alex.  Willow is really moving her legs nicely.  You are WAY better than yesterday."  I smiled.  
"Let's all line up in the center of the arena, leaving room for the person to land that is jumping the blue cross rail."  Okay, Kara, you are going first. please pick up the posting trot and do those poles on the other side of the arena and please two point."  Kara and Sugar, her pony, did them nicely. "That was great. Next time I will change your course," said Miss Lilly,
"Did riding Bubbles is next. Then I want Sarah riding Moonlight and then Meggie riding Midnight. Alex will go last to watch you guys do the poles."
They did them.  I did them.
 "Kara, go one time around the ring and then do the blue cross rail.  If I like it, I will tell you to do the line on the other side of the arena I will tell you if you can canter that or if you trot it. If  I think it needs some improvement you will do the cross rail again."  Kara asked Sugar to canter.  She did.
"We're trotting, Kara," said Miss Lilly. Sugar trotted.
 "Very nice, Kara," Miss Lilly said after Kara jumped. "Do the line at the canter and get 4 strides."  

All the girls cantered the line. It was my turn.  My special moment.  I was almost ready for jumping lessons every day. After our lesson until that day, Miss Lilly would take the rest of the group to the indoor arena and they would jump.  
"Same thing, Alex.  You can do this."  Then, I remembered that first lesson, my first canter, and meeting Willow. I could do this. You can do this, I told my self. I asked Willow for the trot I made a perfect turn. Willow cantered. I got into my two point. It was the most amazing thing I ever felt. I jumped.
"WOW!" Miss Lilly said as if she was watching a grand prix jumper.
"Do the line... at the canter," She continued. I did it then, the lesson was over.  I untacked and walked back to my cabin. Katie told me I was the first camper ever to canter their first jump at Camp Ponyville.  I was going to be on the Camp Ponyville Hall of Fame page in the book that we get after camp ends.
        
The day before the show, things were crazy. Instead of lessons and trail rides, all we did was show practice (well, we did only have a 30 minute lesson).  No cross-country jumping (which I was getting pretty good at), no bareback rides, no pool (I was NOT okay with that), just practice, practice, practice (I got 3 hours of practice in).  We didn't have a campfire, instead we got our show clothes ready and put the show tack in the trailers (the lesson tack stayed in the tack room for an early morning ride. 
      
At 5:00 Katie woke me up. I slipped on rubber tall boots and jeans and brought my helmet and pink gloves incase of a ride.  We walked to the barn and got our ponies ready.  Narnia, Katie's pony, was happy to see her, and so was Willow (I mean Willow was happy to see me, not Katie, well she was happy to see Katie too, but, oh, you get what I mean). The other girls in our cabin were grooming their horses.  I tacked up and took Willow out for a gallop. I looked at my cell phone when we got back. 5:38.  I groomed Willow then I gave her a bath.  By the time I was done, it was a little past 6:00.  I made sure I brought everything I needed and put on everything Willow need for the trailer after I braided her mane and tail.  There were 5 trailers. 1 driven by each trainer: Miss Lilly, Mr. Joe (Katie's trainer), Miss Sally, Miss Donna, and Mr. John.  I put Willow in the one driven by Miss Lilly (we were supposed to put our horses in the trailer driven by our trainer). Miss Lilly helped me put Willow in the trailer and told me to go to bus number 1.

 Katie and I walked back to the cabin and got changed in our show clothes. I was wearing a hairnet and my velvet covered helmet and a pink ratcatcher that has a pin with a horse and bit on it. I also had on a gray show coat and light beige breeches with riding socks that had palm trees on them and I also had black gloves. I still wore my rubber riding boots so my leather tall boots would not get dirty if I stepped in mud or manure (I did).  Katie was wearing the same thing except her hair was in braids with pink ribbon. And she was wearing jodhpurs and paddock boots with garter straps (She didn't have tall boots that summer).  We both were carrying our show boots and she was also carrying her garter straps.  I took off my show coat after I sat down next to her so if I spilled something on it my shirt would be dirty instead and it would be covered by my coat.   We ate bagels (with no cream cheese, my favorite thing to have with bagels especially strawberry cream cheese) and only drank water because some kids were wearing polo shirts and the camp wanted us to look good in the show ring.  

We watched about 4 episodes of "The Saddle Club" and then Katie and I read my favorite series, "The Pony Pals"!  At about 7:00, we arrived at the fairgrounds.  My class, Walk, Trot, Canter, started in two hours.  I walked over to Miss Lilly, who handed me two numbers they both said 177. I put the one that is small and circle-shaped on Willow's bridle and I had Katie safety pin the big rectangular number to my show coat.  I did the same thing to her. She was number 130.  We both were doing Walk, Trot, Canter.  I walked over to the sign with my class list on it. I had 1 hour and 45 minutes until I had to be in the show ring.  There were 9 people in my class. Ribbons went to 6th place.  I was nervous. I heard these kids can really ride.  
         I groomed Willow again, this time having Miss Lilly help me to make sure Willow was nice looking.  We then tacked up.  I put on my leather tall boots and checked my girth.  I then mounted. We walked into the warm up arena and go ready to show.  Katie was doing well.  I was nervous. Then it was time.  I rode into the show ring.
          
"Posting trot," the announcer said. I did.  "Sitting trot,"  I stopped posting. "Canter." I did. After about 20 minutes of that over and over again (okay maybe I did reverse and halt too), we lined up in the center of the arena. I got a white ribbon. That means fourth place.  I was happy. I beat 5 people.  The next class was the same thing except it was pleasure, not equitation.  I won a yellow ribbon.  That is third place Katie already had 2 blue ribbons (first place).  The next and final Walk, Trot, Canter class was the Cross Rail Challenge.  All I had to do was jump a cross rail at the canter.  I asked Willow for the canter. She cantered up to the cross rail and jumped it. After I did it, I watched Katie do it. She did it perfectly.  I gave her the thumbs up signal. I waited about two minutes until the announcer was ready to announce second place. I wanted it, badly.

"Second place go to a rider from Camp Ponyville Stables. That rider is... Katie Krankers riding Chronicles of Narnia!"  I smiled at her, but I wished I could have won second place. That red ribbon looked nice.  The announcer said," First place goes to another rider from Camp Ponyville Stables.  That rider is... Alexandra Campbell riding Chase that Willow Tree!" My jaw dropped down onto the ground. I won! I couldn't believe it! I won a blue ribbon and I also did I on Willow! I took the ribbon and trophy.  I also won reserve champion!  My mom and dad were in the crowed.  Willow was for sale.  And now she is my pony. I will always be trusting Willow.