Silver Hawk Ridge: Taking Flight

{ Chapter 14 }

Day two was now underway. Avery had the misfortune of being the first one up, so she shoved off early. I got up at 7:30 AM. Since today was the jumping portion, I didn't have to look QUITE as nice. I donned an orange polo and cream breeches and my tall boots again. I French braided my hair and slid my lucky bobby-pin with a small gem on it into the braid, hidden away. I headed down to the mess hall. Snagging a small stack of blueberry pancakes and some eggs, I paused near the coffee bar. It might be good to have a boost. Nah, best not to be jittery if I try and jump. That's not a mess to go looking for. Breakfast was made quick work of and I rushed down to the barn. Rega was still asleep with her back left hoof resting by the toe. I gently slid her stall door open with her halter in hand. Her head raised slowly and her brown eyes eyed me softly.

"Mornin doll" I crooned. Her feed and water bucket were full, so they must have snuck it in while she was snoozing. I figured I'd let her eat while I groomed her. Today I grabbed an orange saddle pad with black border piping to put over her orthopedic cooling pad that I liked to use for jumping. I used her practice Back on Track®️ tendon boots instead of her competition ones because not only do I want to keep those nice, I'd rather have Rega in the proper support during practice so she doesn't hurt herself. I had to double check and make sure I had my jumping bridle with the running martingale and the correct breast collar. I have grabbed the wrong tack before...and that's a mistake that usually costs me. Not the day for that to happen.

I checked my watch. 10:00. I should probably be in queue. This time we were all kept in the large indoor arena and given space to mount and warm up on flat. Rega, while remaining well behaved per usual, seemed a little on the anxious side. That could be bad in the jumping ring. Very bad. After a couple stopping and backing laps and then some extensions and collections, I deemed her under well-enough control.

"Savannah Bells?", said a voice calling me out of my reverie. I turned towards the direction it came from and saw Ms. Flint standing in the door to the outside, smiling expectantly. I nudged Rega into a walk towards her.

"Wait here for one second". She walked out towards another ring. She soon returned, but she was preceded by a rider on a big black animal.

Kennedy.

"Good luck Ms. Bells" she sneered as she passed. Oh well, as much as I'd like to be a teenage girl and get worked up, there's no time for that. Ms. Flint took a gentle hold of my reigns by Rega's mouth and led us towards an outdoor ring with a course set up and an expectant Mr. Watts.

   "Alright kid, go get em" she smiled and patted Rega's rump. I walked through the open gate and stood ready in front of Mr. Watts.

   "Alright, Ms. Bells. Remember the assigned course?" I nodded. "All of the obstacles are roughly a meter 10 to a meter 20. You may warm up on that blue vertical and white cross rail. Signal me when you're ready, and start from that left corner. I took Rega over to the jumps and worked her through them a couple times in a couple different combinations until I felt we were ready. I exchanged a nod with Mr. Watts and made my way to the starting corner. I trotted out and cantered towards the opening obstacle, a white vertical. She popped over and turned to the next oxer. Once again, there was no struggle for me or Rega and we took a right to a triple combination. Rega had to toss a bit of a bounce in order to make up for the stride she wouldn't get (that's what you got with a big horse), but we made it through in one piece. The simple wall afterwards was a relief. Next came the liverpool into the gate that requires almost a midair pin turn. Then there was the final vertical that didn't leave more than 4 strides for Rega. She threw in a small chip, but took the jump with air to spare. Mr. Watts jotted something down on my sheet.

   "Thank you Ms. Bells, the results will be posted at 6pm tonight." I walked back to the arena to cool Rega down. Once I was done, I was met by Avery and....(shooooot what was her name. Ah, got it!) Tamika.

"Savannah, you crushed it. There's no way you won't make Varsity or even the National team" Tamika gushed. I dismounted and walked Rega back to her stall. All three of us set to work untacking and and brushing her.

"I don't know guys, I was happy enough with my flatwork, but I think the jumps were lacking today." I put my saddle and bridle on the rack outside her stall and went back to brushing Rega down. After being spoiled by us, we left her in peace so she could get some well deserved rest. I picked up my phone to find good luck messages from my parents, Debbie, and Delaney. I was missing Delaney, but at the same time, Avery was soothing the void I first felt after I left.

   "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to the dorm to scrub up and take a nap" I laughed. It'd been a long 2 days, and I needed a catch up.

~~~~~~~~~

   "Every episode title starts with 'The One...'"

   "Shit! Uuuuuummmm....FRIENDS!"

   "Aaaaaand time's up"

   And so passed another round of Charades!. We'd been entertaining ourselves in Charlie's dorm while her roommate was out for the better half of the day. Charlie was on the Scholar Bowl team, so she liked to throw a bunch of quiz games at us (not that we minded today). Isabelle, Charlie, and I were having an easy breeze through the questions, but Avery, Bianca, and Madeline were a fine line between getting it, and failing hilariously. Not that any of us were truly concentrated on the game. We were all just waiting for the clock to tick closer to 6pm. The list would be posted in the barn of who made what, and everyone would fall into a pecking order. Suddenly at 5:50, our phones pinged from the equestrian class board

    "Guys, the results are being posted in 10 minutes".

    Everyone but Charlotte and Bianca dropped what we were doing and sprinted out the door to the barn.

   Here goes nothing.