Chapter 24
"This sucks, its been raining on and off for days" Mia groans.
"You're telling me?" Scarlett snorts.
Ebony who stood nearby just rolls her eyes. "It's bound to stop eventually"
I mess with my reins as I listen to the girls bickering. Storm was surprisingly calm for a fresh horse. Since it's been raining a lot this week, I've had him in the stables. But that also meant he had a lot of pent up energy.
Much to my surprise, Ebony halted her horse next to me this afternoon. Danny, her 15hh Morgan gelding was a little pocket rocket. He was by far, the most calmest horse in the arena. Even Storm had his moments. In saying that, his owner definitely had some work to do on her behaviour. I don't think she's ever not glared at me.
Two weeks it took, that's how long it takes for Ebony to be back in the group. On Monday when I had arrived in class, everything was different. Can you imagine my shock when I spot Ebony sitting in my seat conversing with Mia? Sure, they're friends again but as the day went on I was replaced time and time again.
Not to mention the constant teasing about Zander.
What's with that??
Then suddenly at break, Scarlett and Mia barely say a word to me. A matter of fact, they barely said anything to anyone. They were to caught up in their own gossip session. I think the rest of the group was confused too.
"Okay ladies, stop with the chatter" Miss Sanders calls.
The Perfect Three as everyone calls them, stops speaking. It was now Thursday and the girls were starting to drive me insane. Ebony is as cold as ever, and the other two have become completely ignorant to everyone around them.
I was starting to sit away from them with Kit and Sienna. Since we all wanted to avoid drama, we would sit towards the back of the cafeteria. It was almost sad to see such a sudden attitude change in the people I thought were friends.
Most of the time Zander and his friend Tristan would join us. They were quite funny, always pulling out some ridiculous jokes. But we never spoke about the group split. It was clear that the "Perfect Three" thought they were superior. At times it was infuriating.
"Now remember, we have a very important meeting tonight" Miss Sanders states.
Looking to my right, I smile at Sienna. Even with all this drama, I was extremely excited for this meeting. The whole equestrian cohort were getting together so it must be important. I was hoping it would be show news.
Amelia was on the same boat. After attending one of our lesson on Monday, Miss Sanders asked her to join intermediate A. I was thrilled too. She was another great addition to the team. Her mare showed a great talent for all three disciplines of eventing.
We had just finished our lesson for the day and it was a nightmare for some. Mia's mare, Star, kept shying in a particular corner. It freaked out Scarlett and Seths horses. Remi, Sienna's horse was also on edge.
On the other hand, Ebony rode Danny really well. They were perfecting everything today. And as usual, Storm was working the best he could. Since dressage was his best discipline, he made it easy for me to direct him.
I love this horse so much, what would I do without him?
"Are we doing jumping before we leave Miss Sanders?" Mia suddenly asks as grooms set up some jumps.
Some very high jumps...
"No Mia, not today. Those are for Mr Reynolds next lesson" she smiles.
Meaning either it was the advanced team practicing or one of the EFA elite teams...
Ebony complains. "Why can't we jump higher though? We not seriously going to be jumping 1m all our lives"
Miss Sanders eyes narrow. "Do you want to teach this lesson Ebony"
Ebony huffs and looks away. "No"
"Didn't think so, now does anyone else have complaints or are we done for the day?" She asks, raising her voice a tone.
When no one says anything, she speaks up again. "Good, you're dismissed. Please make sure your horses are cooled down and I'll see all of you later"
Once she leaves, Mia drops her reins and starts gossiping with Scarlett as they cool down. Meanwhile Ebony kicks her feet out of her stirrups, before dismounting. I toss Sienna a look, unable to believe that she's not cooling down her horse.
When the other two girls finish riding, they all begin to leave.
"Aren't you going to warm him down?" I ask hesitantly.
Ebony sighs like I've just given her a headache, turning to glare at me. "Danny is fine"
"Say that when he's to stiff to work tomorrow" I mutter.
"If you're so concerned, why don't you cool him down" Ebony snaps, tossing her reins at me.
I barely have enough time to react, just managing to catch them. Ebony raises her head and turns to leave. Behind her, Mia and Scarlett waited as if they weren't bothered by her neglection. Clenching my jaw, I send them all an icy look. I sharply turn Storm away from them and begin ponying Danny around the arena.
If they're going to stand by and watch then they're no friends on mine.
Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic but still!
Danny, being a more docile horse was happy to follow Storm. Considering Storm hasn't done this before, he took it well. Eventually as time ticked by, I was confident that both horses were now warmed down.
Dismounting, Danny nudges me as if begging for attention. His thick black mane made his markless bay coat stunning. I didn't want to begin to guess how much he cost. Shaking my head, I lead the two horses from the indoor arena to the barn.
It was a little bit of a struggle at first, but with Sienna providing some help, I was able to put both of the horses away.
"I can't believe she just left him like that" I rant.
Sienna smiled weakly. "Ebony isn't usually that bad with horses, she's just been moody lately"
"That doesn't mean that she has to take it out on Danny" I sigh.
"-and it definitely isn't excusable" I continue.
Sienna smiles to herself as we start to leave the barn. "You sound like me when I started here at EFA, you'll get use to it though"
I shake my head. "I'll never get use to people like that-"
I go quiet when I hear the heavy footfalls of a horse in the indoor arena. Pausing, Sienna and we go to have a look at who ever was riding. A chestnut canters by the arena entry before flying over a jump effortlessly.
"Make sure you're getting your lines straight" a male voice said.
Peering over the fence, I spot Mr Reynolds in the center of the arena with crossed arms. The rider was unmistakably Sabrina and Crescendo. I haven't actually seen them train before and I was already mesmerized.
As he makes a tight turn, I can't help but to wonder how Sabrina makes it look so easy.
Lots and lots of hard work...
"Very good, don't let him get in to deep" Mr Reynolds says.
Crescendo was even more impressive then I originally thought. Out on the trails, he looked like a laid back horse that wasn't going anywhere in a rush. But in the arena, he was like a machine launching boldly over jumps. He held himself together extremely well. I didn't know if that was just pure talent or Sabrina keeping him in check. Either way, they were a phenomenal team.
As he finishes what looks to be the final fence, he tosses his head in a victorious manner. It was as if he knew he was the best. Like he knew he did extremely well.
The pair were the only members of the 11th grade elite team. So if I wanted to make it like they did, I would have to pull myself together. The 9th grade advanced team tryouts were this weekend, with only four spots available. No one was guaranteed a spot, Miss Sanders made that clear.
If I get in, I'll be getting lessons from a past Olympic medalist, which means I'll have a better chance of getting onto the elite team!
As I listen to Mr Reynolds instructing Sabrina, I pick up many tips. Show jumping may be my passion but I wasn't the absolute best I could be. If I wanted all the blue ribbons next time I competed, I needed to pick up my game. I needed to be a well rounded rider at EFA.
To do that, I would have to avoid drama at all costs and train hard, I couldn't afford distractions.
...
It was finally 6:30pm and all of the equestrian cohort were gathered in the arena.
"Quiet down everyone" Miss Sanders calls.
Almost instantly, the crowd falls into silence.
"As you all know, every year we attend shows all around the continent. And once again, we will be going up to Canada-" Miss Sanders starts.
Whispers go around the room as Mr Reynolds steps forward.
"A couple weeks after the summer break, I will be taking eligible riders up to Toronto for the Salem Horse Trials. As many of you know, this is a very prestigious event" Mr Reynolds looks over the group.
"To be eligible, you must be in either the advanced or elite team. If not, then you must have a certain amount of points. The event isn't compulsory and you won't be entered unless you sign up. An email has been sent out to everyone with more details. The forms will be attached to your email" Mr Reynolds finishes.
Everyone begins to whisper again, excitedly discussing the show.
"Do we have any questions?" Miss Sanders asks.
"What if we have a last minute horse change?" Someone calls.
That was the voice! The girl from Sunday. I stand on my tip toes, trying to peer over everyone. Who was that person?!
"The person will still compete but there must be a valid explanation Erin" Miss Sanders answers.
Ah hah! So her name was Erin. I'll have to watch out for her. Maybe I should do that investigating I've been telling myself to do.
So much for avoiding trouble Taylor...