Flying Change

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I tapped my fingers agitatedly against the Land Rovers’ steering wheel. The traffic was at a stand still and the hooting had commenced. The radio presenter was cracking some lame joke about something that a politician had done or said but I wasn’t listening. I sat back into my seat with a sigh. It was almost a month after Kristina with a K had arrived and today was her first show and I was still playing pit crew. That said, I had managed to steal a few rides on some of the more sedate horses and according to the specialist just two and a half more weeks and I would be free of the white burden that was imprisoning my arm. An ambulance shot past me in the emergency lane, sirens blaring and I sighed again and settled in for a long wait, my mind kept flitting to Ritchie, but I was pretty sure that worrying wasn't going to cure him.

The minutes ticked past and with the aid of a few texts from Jake and Val keeping me up to date I found the car in front of me inching forward before I knew it. I drove faster than recommended until I rolled into the parking, pulling on my THS jacket and pulling out the bags full of supplies that really should have been here two and a half hours ago. Oh well, better late than never, I thought as I strode across the parking towards the new THS truck which, as Ritchie had intended it to, stood loud and proud in its blatant class and luxury, draped in black and gold. It was top notch, just like everything else Ritchie did. The plush interior made going to shows almost nicer than being at home and the horses had every luxury afforded to them. Air conditioned travel area, just in case we trucked them through the Sahara. Any thing you could think of, it was there.

“Hey, good, we need those safety pins!” Val descended on me out of the blue, like a whirl wind she scrabbled through the bags like a ravenous squirrel.

“Whoa, okay.” I relinquished the bags to her before I lost a finger and watched in amusement as she found the elusive safety pins and emerged out of the bags holding them aloft like Gollum with the ring.

“Okay, let’s go,” she grabbed a handful of bags and started power walking like a fiend towards the truck, leaving me to trail behind in slightly horrified amusement. Val in show mode could be quite horrifying, but I had a hunch that she had hit the Red Bull’s again, and that was never a good thing.

I arrived to see a line of horses standing next to the lorry and munching happily on their hay waiting for their turn in the ring. They were all shining with well being and Val’s meticulous grooming skills. Some of the horses jumping in the bigger classes were even plaited. Something I thought a little unnecessary but I wasn’t about to volunteer that.

“Here,” Val thrust a pair of reins that were attached to a sweet little grey 6 year old called Teddy at me, “He has to go up to the ring next. Take these in case.” She thrust the elusive safety pins into my hand and began shooing me off towards the show rings. I started on my way compressing the smile that was on my lips and shaking my head with Teddy mooching behind me.

“Val?” I stopped to call her.

“What?” She darted up looking harassed and remarkably like a rabbit looking for the fox.

“I hear breathing helps,” I laughed over my shoulder and was rewarded with a half smile half scowl.

I weaved my way between the horse boxes, spectators, horses and stands towards the warm up arena. A few people stopped me, either to greet me, commiserate about my arm or to ask why I wasn’t riding, a fairly redundant question seeing as I was sporting a large white clunk of a cast on my arm. Eventually I waded through the crowd at the entrance to the warm up arena and spotted Jake standing on the rail, watching as Kristina cantered around on a five year old.

“Hey,” I greeted, Teddy still in tow and my eyes firmly locked on the partnership in the warm up. She looked good.

“Hey,” he replied, barely glancing at me as Kristina guided the youngster over a small vertical.