[Entry 2/3] Neighvember Mini Show - Show Jumping

Amaranthine shivered despite being wrapped up warm. The fall weather was still relatively mild, and if she wasn’t stressing over the order of the show-jumping course, the girl would more than likely be enjoying the red, yellow and orange leaves that drifted around her now. Only when the blue-tinted loshenka beneath her coughed, did she tear her gaze away from the course and its current occupants. Kassandra waved at her from the edge of the warm-up arena, Sabine standing at her side. Mare steered Blue over, shifting in the saddle.

“Sis, you know you don’t have to do this right?”

“I want to, Kass! Stop tryna talk me out of it!” Mare snapped back, nerves getting the best of her. Usually, the younger sister was much more soft-spoken and quiet.

Sabine’s eyebrows shot up briefly, surprised by the outburst, but Kass just gave her sister a hard stare, before shaking her head, short, curly hair bouncing. “Alright. It looks like no-one else is using the warm-up jump, so Sabine and I will notch it down.” And she headed off.

Sabine cast a glance up at Mare, “You’ll be fine, you know this course.” Then she too headed into the area with Kass to fix the jump. 

Mare sighed, immediately feeling bad for snapping, but she steered her steed to the outer edge, pushing the mare into a canter. Blue responded easily, ears pricked forward as the low cross-pole came into view. Mare leaned forward, hands reflexively searching for mane to hold but finding only a soft coat. The loshenka took an extra step before popping over the jump, head going down to really look at the poles before tottering over it.

“Come over it again, Mare; this time, don’t lean forward so much, it’s only a small jump,” Kass called, knocking the pole on her side up one and signalling Sabine to do the same.

Mare steered Blue around again, trying to heed the advice given. This time, after leaning forward only a little, the tall mare was able to almost step over the jump, just giving a little pop to get her hindlegs over. 

Just then, another rider and horse entered the arena. Blue whinnied, immediately recognizing the carnation stallion. Mare let the loshenka walk over to her crush, smiling as Ona allowed Restless to do the same. 

“Feeling good?”

Mare lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, looking stiff as her show-jacket was still new and not worn in quite yet. “I think so. As good as I can be,” she answered, glancing over at the course. Attendants were running around and lowering the jumps for the beginner’s level, after they were well over three feet for Ona and Restless. She couldn’t help but admire the pair, making the terrifying large obstacles seem like poles on the ground. And they’d barely broken a sweat.

“You’re going to do great, just deep breaths, and start looking around for the next jump as soon as you can!” Ona encouraged, smiling as she leaned forward to scratch Blue’s forehead. “Blue will take care of you!”

Mare was about to respond when her name was called over the speaker. “Next pair: Amaranthine Cliffdale showing I Dream In Blue!”

Trotting Blue around in a small circle, Mare waited for the horn to sound before she could start. The first jump was a simple cross-pole, but there were large wooden leaves decorating the standards, and Mare was slightly worried Blue would see these and baulk. But they’d practised at home with colorful, spook-able jumps and Blue had been okay.

Snapping out of her thoughts with the horn, Amaranthine turned her loshenka towards the first jump. On cue, Blue’s ears pricked forward, and she snorted her way over the rails. Mare could feel her footing shift a little as she stared at those bright leaves on the standards, but otherwise she popped over the rails without much of a fuss.

‘Okay, one down, nine to go.’ 

The next jump was a tiny oxer, with brightly painted rails and orange bushes on either side. There were only five or six strides between the first and second jumps. But Blue, being the tall mare that she was, ate up those strides with her canter. Mare was thrown as she tried to count the strides out in her head, ending at four when Blue took off. She threw her weight forward somewhat ungracefully, trying to get up off the loshenka’s back. She heard the soft ‘clack’ as Blue’s hind hooves connected with one of the rails. ‘Ignore it, Mare, focus on the next jump.’ With a breath, the rider steered her steed around to the next jump. It was another crosspole, nothing fancy or colorful around it except for fall-themed rails, but it was at an angle, meaning Mare had to make sure Blue really saw the jump before she got there. 

The girl was hefted forward as Blue slowed down to a trot to look at the awkward-angle jump. Not ready for the trot, Mare bounced in the saddle as Blue popped over it, but gentle encouragement pushed the blue-colored mare back into a slow canter. ‘Okay next.’ The girl glanced around for the bright orange oxer she knew was next, spotted it on the other side of the arena. This gave the pair a chance to breathe as they made their way around the outside of all the jumps. 

‘Okay, Blue come on now,’ Mare encouraged silently, asking for a little more forward motion. The loshenka responded with a snort, staring hard at the bright oxer as they bunny-hopped over it. “Oof!” Mare gasped, landing hard in the saddle. But she corrected herself quickly, as the next two jumps followed this one one after the other. During the course walk, Mare had counted two strides between the orange oxer and the blue rails, but the third jump was a bounce. Blue once again slowed down to a trot, weaving slightly as the bright blue came into view. “Atta girl, come on!” Mare murmured, squeezing her calves. The pair leapt forward over the blue rails, and then immediately took off again over the sixth jump. 

Breath cut short by the choppy landing, Mare was just happy that Blue took the last jump in the row nicely, setting the pair up for the next jump. Another little oxer was the seventh jump, this one decorated with pumpkins. But it was the widest jump in the whole course, and Amaranthine knew Blue would jump it even wider than it was. Sitting deep into the saddle, Mare nudged again with her heels, twitching the reins to steer her mare towards the rails. Blue zoned in on it, stride shortening slightly as she tried to get a good stare at those scary pumpkins. Mare leaned forward probably a little more than necessary, but was happy she did as Blue leapt forward early. They were in the air for what felt like an age before Blue’s forelegs touched down on the other side, head arching down in a big snort.

‘Almost done, just three more!’ The girl’s smile broke out as they made their way around to the final few rails. Inhaling just as they soared over the eighth jump, Mare looked for the ninth and tenth just as they landed. But her heart plummeted as she couldn’t spot the jump she needed. ‘Wait where am I going?!’ Moments of panic locked her hands up, Blue picking up on this and hesitating. The pair dropped back into a trot, Mare staring around at the course. 

‘Oh! We repeat one and two!’ Exhaling loudly, the girl pushed her mount forward into a canter again, circling wide around the outside to have the best line in. Having seen both these jumps before, Mare figured Blue shouldn’t have much trouble with them.

Her thoughts were confirmed as the loshenka hardly glanced at the two jumps, popping over both with little more than a snort and a glance. The horn sounded to signal the end of the round and Amaranthine dropped the reins to hug Blue.

“Yeah Mare!”

The girl turned to see who had cheered, smiling broadly as she witnessed a flustered Sabine trying to quiet a cheering Ona. Her sister gave her a broad smile too, two thumbs up accompanying her congratulations. Mare steered Blue out the arena, walking straight over to her friends and sister. “That was good right?”

“Better than good!” Sabine spoke before her sister could say anything. “You two looked great out there!”

“You definitely rocked it, Mare!” Ona congratulated, giving Blue a slappy pat on her neck. “Last but not least is the Cross-Country this afternoon and you’ll be a three-day eventer before we know it!”

Amaranthine laughed as her sister glared at Ona, dismounting from her steed as she loosened the girth. “One step at a time right?”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” But there was a smile on Kass’s face, her proud sister expression peaking through the glare she tried to push through.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Kass!” Sabine joked, winking at Mare.

“Whatever,” she huffed, shooing Mare off to rest so she could take care of Blue and her sister before they tackled the cross country this afternoon.