So this is a short story I wrote for my English class! We had to write something about change :) I based it on Reed Kessler's last Olympic Qualifier.
Anyway! I hope you all like it! I'll be starting a story that will go on for a bit, so look our for that!!
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"Now we have, Reed Kessler on Cylana"
I heard my name ring out all around me as I gathered up my reins in my hands and took a deep breath. Letting it out, I urged my horse into a springy, smooth trot as I entered the ring for the Olympic Selection round.
As I entered the ring I looked around at the pristine grass show jumping ground. The stands that held almost twenty thousand people where almost full. I couldn't believe this many people where here to cheer on the twenty-nine hopefuls for the American Olympic Show Jumping Team, one of them being me. I couldn't believe I was here, I was at the Olympic Selections, if I was somehow selected for the Olympic Team, I would be the youngest ever person, in history, to ever ride in the Olympics.
I heard the buzz of the buzzer that signified the start of my round,
‘This is it’ I thought 'It's now or never.’
I urged Cylana into a rocking canter as I headed towards the first jump of the round that could change my life forever.
I breathed in deeply as I rounded the corner, which put me in a perfect line with the meter- sixty Planks ahead. I felt Cylana pick up and tuck her legs underneath her as I urged her to clear the first jump; I heard a cheer from the ground as I cleared the first jump, landing on the other side, clear and safe of faults.
“One down…Only ten to go” I whispered softly to Cylana as I gathered her up into a controlled, steady canter. This minute would be the longest, most nerve wracking minute of my life.
Go Clear. That’s all I could think of. Going clear. That’s all. Go clear for the last treble, and I’m in. I’m in the United States Olympic Show Jumping team, my goal; I can finally feel it in my reach!
As I turned Cylana towards the last treble, I could feel Cylana pick up the pace beneath me. I tried to slow her down with a series of half halts, if she was to come at the treble with this speed, we could end up in a lot of trouble when we were in the middle of it. Finally I got her to slow down, but it was too late as we took off I felt her back legs drop too early, and the crowd around us groan. I took a rail; my Olympic dream was over, just because of that little mistake.
"And sadly that's four faults for Reed, too bad, as that was a lovely round" I heard projected around me as I pulled her to a walk when we had finally finished. I sighed and gave Cylana a well-deserved pat on the neck, sure she had a rail but she tried her heart out for me. As I exited the arena, my trainer, my mum, my dad and my brother came towards me,
"That was amazing Reedy!" my mum and dad exclaimed,
"No it wasn't, I'm not in the Olympic team. It's over for me," I sighed as I swung my leg over Cylana’s back and landed on the ground.
"Now, don't say that, there is one more person to go and if they get two rails, you're in, we just have to hope that they do drop them, keep positive," my trainer, Andrew, explained as he took Cylana's reins from me,
I sighed and nodded, he was right, I have to keep positive.
"Now come on, let's go watch this round, before it's already finished" my brother, James, smiled as he gestured towards the rider in the arena that had completed nine of the jumps already.
I was wrong before, about my round being the most nerve wracking minute, this round that I am watching will be the most nerve wracking minute of my life. This round decides if my dream will come true, or not.
I never turned my attention away from the round, I was watching every single jump, and every single tap of a rail, hoping it would come down. But nothing, nothing was coming down. It felt like my dream was being ripped out from underneath me. I've been training for years for this moment, and it might not even happen, because of that one, stupid mistake! The only jumps left were the treble, the same set of jumps that costed me my dream.
I held my breath as he approached the first jump...thud. I couldn’t believe it! He dropped a rail, maybe my dream was in reach again after all!
"One more rail, he needs one more rail and I'm in!" I whispered under my breath.
He cleared the second one, only one more to go. Everything from then on went in slow motion; he took off and soared over the jump, and landed safely on the other side. I covered my face with my hands that was it; my Olympic dream was finally over. Thud. I couldn't believe my ears! Had that rail fallen down? I slowly dropped my hands from my face, I looked at my family and coach, they were going crazy, hugging each other and even my mum was crying! I looked up at the big screen, and there it was in big red letters. Eight faults.
I did it! I was in the Olympic Team!
My dream was now my reality. I wrapped my arms around Cylana’s strong chestnut neck and burrowed my face into her neck.
“We did it Cylana. We are in the Olympic team!” I whispered into her neck.
