{Ah! This is my playground. I don't think I've ever written anything to do with Jumping/riding before. I'm glad I just took the time to do this... I love to write about things I love to do.
All credit goes to Sara N. G(Me, duh).}
Warm up
“Wait-” I paused, counting the fences. “There are only supposed to be eight, dad.” I corrected him, my eyes jumping from each one. Focus. We've got better things to do than count fences.
I turned towards Madison, who was holding my gelding, Sham's, reins. “I'm coming, I'm coming! Just give me a moment!” I pulled and tightened my helmet as I walked over, before flexing my fingers in my soft, black, leather gloves.
Sham's muzzle grazed over my hip as I slid my foot into the stirrup, making me laugh at the slightest. I pulled myself onto his back slowly, before throwing my leg onto the other side. What a task. He was over seventeen hands high, seventeen point two to be exact, 5'8”, or sixty-eight inches.
“Go warm him up, but not too much.” I heard my father warning from outside the arena. He was right. I didn't need to, but I already knew that.
“I know,” I turned Sham into the warm up arena where a woman with dark brown hair and tanned skin stood near one of the wooden jumps.
“How high?” She had it set fairly low, “Is that good?” She tilted her head to the side as she leaned down and picked up the poll, waiting on my command.
“Three more up, please.” I said to her. The woman turned to me with a surprised expression. The jump would be around 1.00 meters when she raised it. I knew Sham could take that jump no problem. He had a heart of a champion. Someone who could power through whatever he was placed against.
The woman nodded. She placed it higher as instructed. I turned Sham and slowly worked him up into a Canter. Thump, thump, thump. The three beat gait sounded wonderful in my ears. My eyes soon wandered over to the show ring to see Hanna and Juniper clearing 1.35 meter obstacles. One day. I thought. One day that will be us... I couldn't help but sigh. It felt like that one day was taking too long. OK, focus.
I turned Sham and a lined him up to the 1.00 meter fence. I checked my seating, as I always do before I jump. Head up, heels down, eyes open, sitting upright, rear in the saddle. Thump, Thump, Thump. I counted the strides. “One... Two... Three.. Up!” I leaned forwards, to follow his neck; my face suddenly went blank, my eyes wide open and my mouth closed. My jaw clenched. My signature look for jumping. Sham took the jump like a champ, his knees pressed to his chest and his ears perked, though swiveled when he heard me speak to him. I smiled with relief when we landed with a clear jump. My whole body trembled with excitement and adrenaline when I patted Sham's thick, elegant neck.
I glanced to the woman who stared at us with her eyes wide in shock. What was I supposed to say? "You did very well..." Was all she could get out, but I just smiled and went on my happy, merry way.
I pulled Sham into a trot, just to cool him off until his debut. I leaned forwards and rested my head against his braided chestnut mane. He smelt so sweaty, and so dirty for such a shiny five year old gelding. He snorted in reply to my affection, before reaching him muzzle around to touch the toe of my boot. I grinned ever so slightly when he did that. It was his way of showing love. Who was I to refuse it?
Sham's gorgeous chestnut coat, splash markings, and devilish Wall eyes made it hard to pass him by. He recognized that he was something special, something out of the ordinary. It was rare to pass along an imported german hanoverian whom held the splash, and blue eye gene. However, he was sadly gilded as a foal, for no obvious reason. I'd never admit it, but I couldn't ever find another horse I wanted more than my own Sham. He was all mine. Somethingroyal to me.
During the show
"Ride him forwards and make him get his ass over that jump!" Miranda called out to me as she slowly clapped her hands. I knew she meant well, but she wasn't helping me!
I glanced up when our name was called, "Emily Johnson and Sham." I grimaced before nudging Sham into a careful trot. Don't think about all the people. They're not there. It's just us... It's just me and Sham. I shook my head slightly, before doing a quick check of the course in my mind.
I could feel it in every step that Sham was anxious. He wanted to be let lose at that moment. We trotted into the ring, people cheering around us, though it didn't help my nerves.
We cantered around the ring, though at that time I heard them play our music. It'd never sounded better before. "You could be a blackbird on the country street, hiding from the world with a broken wing. But you better believe you're gonna fly with me. You could be a songbird from New Orleans scared of the rain just as scared to sing. But you better believe you're gonna fly with me." I smiled as I listened to it. "You're gonna fly." I repeated.
I could feel the wind slapping me in the face as we went around the arena, waiting for the bell to ring to let us free. I glanced around at the oak trees, before I noticed not a single leaf was moving. The wind was still, yet it was hitting me so hard, making the sea of mane blur my vision. I laughed because we were making the wind, harvesting something that only nature itself could create.
When I turned Sham towards the first jump I did my pre-jump checks; head up, heels down, butt deep in the saddle, eyes straight ahead. I took a deep breath as I focused myself to prepare for the first jump.
"One... Two... Three... UP!" I whispered as I leaned forwards to align myself with his neck once more. My face once again went blank as he stared over it. I'd been so nervous he wouldn't clear it, or even refuse it. It was a large jump believe it or not. Once he landed safely I patted his shoulder, grinning madly as my eyes fell onto the next jump: the red and white upright. It was a sharp turn, one many others had to take different lines, but nope, not Sham. He turned on his haunches, took it and flew over it perfectly aligned. "Good boy!" I patted his shoulder, riding him out and to the next fence.
Over the next turn was a large Blue and white spread- it was probably just as wide as it was tall. 1.15 meters.My eyes filled with what looked like horror to anyone else, but it just meant I was concentrated. Holy hell that's big! I thought to myself as I tapped Sham ever so lightly on his shoulder with my crop, also giving him the reins and bit, knowing he'd have to have all the speed he could get to make it over that jump. He pushed off the ground with immense power, grunting once his hind legs were off of the ground. I leaned forwards and followed his neck as always, though ended up closing my eyes. Not good. Open them. I told myself mentally. If I were to move the wrong way, we could both go down here. No. No that couldn't happen. I opened my shocking caribbean blue eyes just in time to see Sham's ears fall flat against his neck, showing how he wasn't thrilled to be jumping this fence. He soon had his hooves on the ground, planting into the soft arena soil. He snorted and thew his head, also giving a little bit of a buck when we finally touched down.
Next turn. I pulled him to the left, hard left. Great. I felt his hooves start to slip in the dirt, then the gasps from the observers filled the air when he slightly stumbled, though Sham caught himself and continued on home. I did my pre-jump check once more, before we came up to the three fence combination. Breath. I collected my reins and began counting strides once more. Thump. Thump. Thump... "One... Two... Three... Up!" I pushed him forwards with a tap on the shoulder. Sham jerked his head a bit, before he took on the first jump, pressing his knees tightly against his chest as he did so, just to make sure he cleared it. I took in a deep breath when he pushed off, well it almost knocked the wind out of me! He pushed on through the other two jumps, and the rest of the course before we hauled ass home.
"With an astonishing time of 2.34 minutes!" Miranda smiled brightly as she lead my boy out of the ring, sweat pouring off his legs, his mouth foaming even. "He did amazingly, I believe we should make it into the jump off, you know, he had a clear round... Just the next one is all about speed, Emma. It'll be around an hour, because he and the rest of the horses need to rest." She said as she patted his shoulder, then halted him to let me dismount.
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