July 2009 Story Contest

Horse Show by Jillyan & Monster         age 6

“Awe! Mom I just can’t wait!” Emily cried.
 
Emily was going to her first horse show. The horse show was tomorrow. Emily was excited.
 
“Emily, calm down. We don’t need Macaroni acting up in your lesson today.” Her mom said as she drove her to the barn.
 
Emily hopped out of the car almost before the car had stopped. She ran into the barn to go to her pony’s stall.
 
“Hey Macaroni buddy!” Emily sang. “How’s my pretty boy?”
 
Macaroni was pretty. He was a small 13.2 hand palomino pony. Everyone thought he was pretty. Emily got right to work grooming him. She picked out his hoofs first. Then she went over his whole body with a curry comb, then a dandy brush and then a body brush to give him more shine in his coat. Then she took a mane comb and brushed his mane, but not his tail. If she brushed his tail everyday, it would take a long time to grow back. Then she quickly saddled him up and bridled him before taking him to the ring.
 
“Hello Emily.” Max said. “How’s Macaroni today?”
 
“Mac, seems to be pretty good Max. Thanks, for asking.” Emily smiled.
 
Max gave Emily a leg up onto Macaroni. Macaroni might be a small pony, but Emily was a small girl. Emily squeezed Macaroni gently with her legs. The little pony obediently walked forward.
 
“Good Emily. He’s looking great! Could I see a posting trot please?” Max asked.
 
Emily nodded. She squeezed her pony again and he started to trot. Emily rose to the beat 1, 2, 1, 2 or up, down, up, down. Emily was beginning to relax in her posting trot.
 
“Your doing great Emily. Let’s see a 2 point.” Max told her.
 
“Okay Max.” Emily said under her breath.
 
She rose a little bit into the half seat. Just enough so that her but wasn’t touching the saddle and that she could jump if needed. The 2 point was hard for Emily. It was hard to use so much balance, but Emily loves to jump, so if at first you don’t succeed try, try again!
 
“Your 2 point is looking great! Come into the center for a moment.” Max smiled.
 
Emily slowed Macaroni to a walk before coming into the center to talk to Max.
 
“Your 2 point, is improving so much Emily. I’m pleased. Give Macaroni a pat.” Max told her.
 
“Okay Max.” Emily smiled. “Good boy Macaroni!”
 
The pony sighed with pleasure.
 
“Emily, now we are going to try a canter alright, then I’ll set up a jump course alright.”
 
“Okay Max.”
 
Emily led Macaroni to the rail. She walked him around until Max gave her the signal to canter. She let Macaroni trot but she was sitting instead of posting. She squeezed him forward with her legs, until the pony cantered.
 
“Good boy!” She said under her breath.
 
“Good girl Emily!” Max smiled.
 
Emily smiled, she loved getting compliments.
 
Max had Emily slow to a walk as he set up some jumps. Emily walked over to her mom for some water.
 
“How’s lesson going sweetie?” Her mom asked as she kissed Emily’s cheek.
 
“Really, really, really good mom!” Emily said. “May I please have some water?”
 
“Of course honey.” Her mom smiled as she grabbed a water bottle out of her bag.
 
Emily took a drink before returning to Max.
 
“Okay Emily, I would like you to jump the red x-rail, then the yellow vertical, the blue oxer, then the mini water jump and then the brown double oxer.” Max told her.
 
Emily loved jumping, so did Macaroni. The two of them made a perfect team. Emily started with a circle so she could canter. She cantered the x-rail beautifully she stayed in her 2 point the whole time and released. The vertical went okay but Emily forgot to release so Macaroni couldn’t jump as nicely. The oxer went really good. Emily was perfect and so was Macaroni. The water jump was good, Emily forgot to release but it didn’t seem to matter too much. The brown double oxer was going to be the hardest it had three poles in a three foot spread. Macaroni didn’t even let Emily think she couldn’t jump it because he jumped it before Emily was able to pull back on his reins. It was a perfect jump.
 
“Well done Emily! I couldn’t have asked for a better jump course! If you ride like that at the horse show you have a real chance!” Max told her.
 
“Thank-you Macaroni.” She said as she patted her pony. “Thank-you Max.”
 
She dismounted and walked Macaroni into the barn. She untacked the pony and gave her tack to her mom. Her mom was going to clean it as she had a horse show the next day. She gave Macaroni a really good grooming and then washed the tiny little star on his face. The pony was really clean so she put a stable sheet on him and wrapped his tail and put a slinky (A head and neck blanket) over his little braids. It had taken Emily a long time to braid him.
 
“Come on Emily, time to go home.” Her mom called.
 
Emily patted Macaroni before leaving to go home. She fell asleep in the car on the way home. She had to wake up at 4:00 am to get to the horse show at 6:00 am. She woke up and put her show outfit on. She ate some breakfast as her mom drove her to the barn. There were people everywhere when she got to the barn. Macaroni was clean so Emily just picked out his feet before bringing him to the trailer. When they got to the show grounds, Emily quickly saddled and bridled Macaroni as she had a practice round right now. There were 8 jumps in the ring. All 8 would be in her course but for practice they could only jump 4. The 4 they could jump were two x-rails, one oxer and one vertical. The double oxer, the water jump and two other verticals were to be unjumped by all contestants. Emily and Macaroni jumped over them perfectly. They had to wait two hours before there turn to jump. When it finally was there turn, Emily rode as best as she could. Getting all her lead changes, making sure she released and went into 2 point. It was prefect. She didn’t even worry about the double oxer like she did yesterday.
 
“Good boy Macaroni!” Emily patted him as she walked out of the arena.
 
“Good job Emily!” Her mom and Max told her.
 
Emily realized her best friend Katie, was riding next. She wanted to watch Katie. Katie didn’t have her own pony, but rode on of Max’s. Katie rode Clover a 14.2 hand Arab. Clover was a bay. Clover knocked down two rails, which took Katie out of the competition.
 
“Okay! Results for the Beginner rider over Fences class are in!” The loud speaker said. “In first place we have number 541, Natasha Harris riding Angel in the Making! In second we have number 518, Sara Marks riding Happy Days! In third place we have number 573, Mady Brown riding Cloudy. In fourth place we have number 437, Ava Jones riding Big Baby. In fifth place we have number 418, Carly Smith riding Mystical Unicorn. In sixth we have number 790, Emily Park riding Macaroni and Cheese. In seventh we have number 539, Jane Black on Black Beauty. In eighth place we have number 478, Hannah Yellow on Rainy. Thanks!” The speaker said.
 
Emily shrieked! She had placed! She went and collected the sixth place ribbon from the announcer. It may not be first, but it was a ribbon. The ribbon was pink. She collected Macaroni from her mom and pinned the pink sixth place ribbon on his bridle. She had done it. She had competed in her first horse show and placed! Emily loaded Macaroni into the horse trailer and he was brought to the barn. The pony got a homemade bran mash and a extra special carrot, for being so good.
 
“I won’t see you tomorrow Macaroni, because you get a day off. But on Monday we are back to jumping!” Emily cried. “See you soon pretty boy!
 
Emily left her pony to go home. She was still super excited about her ribbon and wanted to show it to everyone! It was the great first horse show.