June 2009 Story Contest

Horseshoes by dette1202

            “Amber!”  Samantha vaulted off her horse, Pudding, and ran into the inner field to help her friend to her feet.  “Are you all right?”  Amber’s horse, Lucky, galloped wildly around the paddock, his eyes rolling madly, his saddle hanging awkwardly on his side.  Previously Amber had been galloping around the paddock when a squirrel darted in front of them and spooked Lucky.  Amber had been thrown out of the saddle, and now lay sprawled in settling dust.  

            “It really hurts,” Amber groaned, her trembling hands clutching her twisted leg.  Ms. Green, the riding school instructor, ran over with Dr. Kepler at her heels. 

            “Her leg is broken. She has to be transported to the hospital immediately!”  The doctor observed. 

            “Broken?!”  Sam yelled.  “What about the competition?  Amber’s my partner!  She won’t be able to start practicing again until the day before we compete!”

            “Sam, this leg won’t heal in just a few weeks.  It’ll take about three months with some help at the hospital.  There’s nothing more than that we can do about it.  I advise you to go look for another partner.”

            “But she’s my best friend!”  Tears rolled down Sam’s cheeks. 

            “Mallory is the only other girl available,” Ms. Green quickly changed the subject.  “And her mother said that she’s great a jumping triple bars, too.  You need a little work on that, don’t you, Sam?”  Sam just looked away and didn’t say a word. 

            “Sam, go ahead and meet this new girl.  She might be just what you need.  You need to spend more time with other people besides me for a change, anyway.  You can’t be my bodyguard forever.  Just don‘t give up!  You’re a fantastic rider and I would have never given up if I had only sprained my ankle.  I believe in you, and even if I didn’t, if you just believed in yourself, that’s really all that matters.”  Sam was surprised to find that these wise words belonged to Amber’s voice.

            Sam sighed. “All right.  I’ll try.”

            After a couple weeks of being with Mallory, Sam still wished she had Amber to work with.  Mallory was a quiet girl, her hair such a dark brown that one would think it black if they saw it.  She had a pair of sparkling green eyes and normally wore a T-shirt, patchy denim jeans and a pair of her father’s old riding boots.  Sam tried to get used to her.  She asked her about helping her over the triple bars, but Mallory said so little that it was hard to follow.

            “Give the horse all the freedom in the neck and legs as possible.”

            Sam waited for more, but all that came was a small nod and a beckoning hand.  “Try again” it seemed to say.  So she did try again.  And again.  And again.  She never got it right!  After a half an hour, Sam was worn out.

            “I’m turning in for the night.”  She yawned and unbuckled the saddle and bridle, hanging them up for the next day.  Pudding’s smooth, creamy palomino coat shined as she wiped him down with a soapy cloth.  She quickly rinsed him, shut him in his stable and walked back to the room she shared with Amber.  Amber’s loud snoring quickly told Sam that she was happy with her new cast on her leg.  She was obviously not in pain.  After Sam had dressed, brushed her teeth and slipped noiselessly into her sleeping bag, the first star of the night flickered on like a tiny nightlight. 

            Star light, star bright,
            First star I see tonight,
            I wish I may, I wish I might,
            To have the wish I wish tonight.
            Sam paused, then continued.
            I wish the competition will go well tomorrow.

            Sam’s lip trembled as she saddled her horse waveringly and buckled her helmet, causing her to pinch herself.  “What will I do if I let Amber down and not make the triple bars just because I’m holding the reigns wrong?”  Mallory rolled her eyes.

            “You won’t miss the triple bars just because you’re holding the reigns wrong.  Just believe in yourself and get on with it!”  Once Mallory realized what she had said, she turned bright red and turned away.

            “You’re right, Mallory.”  Mallory looked rather flushed and she turned in Sam’s direction.  “You’re right.  I need to believe in myself . . . and you, and not get worked up about it.  I need to just plunge in head first and do it.”  Sam straightened in the saddle, slipped her feet in the stirrups, and trotted into the field, Mallory right behind her on Apple, a pretty appaloosa mare.

            A wave of deafening cheers came over them as they entered.  Amber sat in the stands, her emerald green eyes gleaming in excitement as she cheered Sam and Mallory on.  Sam glanced at the scoreboard and saw that no one had completed all the jumps without knocking over a pole or skipping a jump.  She sighed.  She and Mallory would have to complete all the jumps, and even more importantly, side by side, to win the silver cup and the privilege to compete in the championships.  She grasped the leather reigns in her palms, hoping for the best.

            First was the gate.

            Sam took it straight-on.  She flew over it in a single leap, and by the sound of the wild cheers and clapping outside the ring, Mallory had, too.

            The parallel bars and stone wall also seemed to dissolve in the excitement of the crowd as Sam and Mallory flew over them side by side.

            Wall and rails . . . brush and poles . . . double oxer . . . reversed oxer . . . hog’s back . . . all seemed to flash by like a shooting star . . . only faster.

            The triple bars.

            The triple bars loomed over Sam.  She felt as if she were going to faint.  Sam looked at Mallory.  Mallory looked Sam.  Mallory nodded.  Sam turned and closed her eyes.  She let the horse go completely free with his head and legs.

            Pudding and Apple were one.  They sailed over . . . one . . . two . . . three bars.  Their hoofs touched the ground, the iron horseshoes causing the turf to fly.  Everything came into focus . . . the cheering became louder . . . Sam’s eyes opened . . .

            Emerald green flags for the school waved in the wind.  Voices rang like bells.  Many arms swept Sam and Mallory off their horses and into the air.

            She had won.

            They had won.

            She and Mallory.

            True partners.

            True friends.

 

The End