Silverstone: Perfection is Not Enough

Chapter 1

"And next in the ring we have Jessica Brooke, riding a pony from her local riding school, Lucky Blue!"

As the commentater announces my name, my grip on the reins tightens, stretching the seams of my cotton gloves to their ripping point. As was announced, my mount is Blue, my favourite blue roan pony from my riding stables. The owner, Debbie, was, thankfully, supportive of my decision to go in for the scholarship trials.

"We'll miss you around here," she'd said. "But you've always been a natural. It's time for you to move on to bigger things."

So after the trials, Blue was going back to Sweet Creek Stables. Taking a deep breath, I nudge Blue into a walk and entered the arena.

I'd checked the arena out earlier, and was pleased with the soft, springy sand/fibre surface, the clean surroundings, the grandstands. But now that I was riding in it, in front of thousands of people, the arena seemed so much bigger, the crowds huger than I remembered. 

Don't loose your cool, I remind myself. Stay focused and you'll do fine.

I halt in the middle and salute to the judges. It was the final category of the competition: dressage. First had come show jumping, then cross country, now dressage. Of the three hundred and fifty-five people who had first shown up to compete, there were now only fifty. And I was one of them.

I picked up trot following the routine I'd practised over and over again in the outside arena at Sweet Creek in the late night slots that were the only ones available to non-boarders. Because the only thing my parents could afford for me was weekly riding lessons, I obviously wasn't a boarder. I never blamed them for anything, though. They tried their hardest, and that was the most they could do.

The rhythm of the test flows, and Blue is light and supple to my hand and leg aids. He is on the bit, and working perfectly. He's practically my own pony. Others rode him at the yard, obviously, but he was the one who I'd worked through my text with endlessly. 

Twenty metre circle at C. Pick up canter at F. Canter a three loop serpentine. Flying change at E.

Dressage is, by far, not my strong point. But this test is going surprisingly well. 

Extended trot down the long side of the arena. Turn down the centre line at C. Bring it to a collected trot. 

As the test ends, I bring Blue to a halt at X. I salute again, and ride out into the warm-up ring.

"That was amazing!" As I dismount, I'm tackled in a huge hug. "That was the best you've ever done it!"

"Lilly, what do you know about dressage tests?" I ask my best friend, looking at her as-always pristine brown hair cut into a long bob and joking green eyes. With my ever-messy blonde hair reaching my shoulder blades and serious grey eyes, we're totally different, but had been best friends ever since Year One of the local primary school. Now nearly Year Eight, which was the year in which Silverstone started, we were as close as ever.

"Um, well, it looked good!" She says, crossing her arms. 

I laugh at her defendant expression and return the hug. Even though horses interest her just about as much as cough medicine to a seven-year-old, she came with me nearly every night to practise.

"Shhh, they're announcing your score!" Says my mum. Her and dad, not being able to pay for me to attend Silverstone, have been totally supportive of my trying to get in this way. They're both here with me.

"And that was an amazing test from Jessica Brooke, riding Lucky Blue. We're just getting her score now."

My grip on Lilly's arm tightens.

"And that was a score of... eighty one point seven two!"

Lily lets out a little scream and I am enveloped in hugs from all sides. I'm really just in a little daze, looking up at the scoreboard to see if I've hear him right.

Jessica Brooke — 81.72%

Eighty one point seven two. If I'm not mistaken, I think that's the highest so far today.

"Well," says dad, smiling. "I think we need to go and get a drink."

I look over at the stable boy handling Blue. "Could you take him to his box, please?"

The boy nods. "Sure. You've got a reason to celebrate."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you want to watch the last test?" Mum asks. I nod. I've been keeping an eye on the scoreboard, and so far, no one has beaten me. I'm not getting ahead of myself though. There would only be one winner, and this last person could completely wipe me out.

We file into the row for the riders, and the rider enters. It's a girl, and she's riding a nice-looking dark bay. He's going really well for her, and she looks totally in harmony with him. I move forward on my seat and grip the edges. Lilly squeezes my shoulders, and I shoot her a quick smile before turning back to the rider.

The horse has a big stride, and his extended trot is beautiful. The circles are perfectly sized, and everything flows. It looks amazing.

I was hoping that the horse's huge stride would make collected trot difficult, but as they turn up the centre line, they draw cheers from the crowd with their minimal, well-placed strides.

"And that was Naomi Streeke, riding Prince Prance. We're getting their score now."

Please, please don't let it be better than mine, I think. Please, I've put my all into winning this. 

"And that's a score of...eight one point seven two!"

What?! I turn to see Lilly's jaw drop, and there's a mumble of confusion spreading through the grandstands.

"Ladies, and gentlemen, we have a tie! Just wait for a moment as the judges decide what do do, please."

"What's going to happen?" Lilly whispers.

"I don't know," I reply. "You never get draws in dressage, the percentages are so precise."

"So, ladies and gentlemen, the judges have come to a decision."

Please don't let it be her.

"They have decided to settle this by having another round. But this time, it's freestyle. The competitors are free to do whatever they like."

My mind goes completely blank, and the only thing I ccan do is follow my parents and Lilly as they lead me back to the stable block Blue's staying in.

"As Naomi Streeke is warmed up on Prince Prance now, she will go first, and she has thirty minutes to prepare her routine. Please use this time as a break to relax and refresh."

I zone out. Okay, I have thirty minutes plus the three Naomi's routine would take.

"Hey, Jessica, is it?"

I turn to see Naomi atop Prince Prance. I clear my throat. "Um, yes, hi. Well- well done."

She nodded cooly. "You too. But I just wanted to say that this scholarship means a lot to me, so don't think I'm going down without a fight."

And she rides away, leaving me even more scared than I was before.