The Colt Challenge (A Horse Story)

Chapter Seven || Memory

I strode confidently into the office of my new 'home', only to be greeted by a cold stare. Biting my lip, I averted my eyes from the stony, curly haired girl. Mr. Ross walked in casually and the girl's expression transformed into that of a happy child. Confused, I gazed at her strangely. When Mr. Ross turned his back, she continued glaring, mouthing two words.
Get lost.

I scowled back in response, trying to seem as tough as possible. The girl rolled her eyes and flick her hair dramatically before turning to leave. She didn't get that far.
"Cassidy?" Mr. Ross called out.
The girl paused, placed on her kind facade and answered.
"Yes?"

"Show Ally here around please?" He waved in my direction then disappeared into the depths of his messy office. Cassidy nodded sweetly, then turned, rolled her eyes and stormed off. Instinctively, I followed.
"I said get lost." She said rudely, her blue eyes boring into mine.
"But he said to..." 
She interrupted before I could finish.
"I don't care, stupid. Bug off!"

Back then, we were nine. When I was nine, stupid was considered a bad word. Being the impulsive little child I was, I shoved her hard. Screeching, she fell to the floor. Her face flustered and angry, she scrambled back up and pushed me back.
"You loser!" She yelled, I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You know what, meet me in the arena in an hour. We will settle this Ally." She sneered as meanly as a youngster possibly could, before trudging off madly.

One hour later, I was waiting nervously by the sandy pen. Then, she arrived. Looking snobby as ever in crisp white jodhpurs, a proper riding jacket and black leather boots. She towed behind her a bored looking snowy gelding who's name did turn out to be Snowy.

"They will see who's the better rider. I doubt you be able to impress them once I'm through though."
She pointed to the array of fifteen year old girls who would reluctantly serve as judges for our small-minded competition. Cassidy smirked and tugged Snowy into the ring. For a nine year old, she was a real brat.

Her round was impressive. That I had to admit. She was a good rider, with a good position, but it was easy to see that her and Snowy didn't flow together. The wintry horse kept his ears pinned the entire time. Cassidy had done mostly dressage, with a few small jumps thrown in here and there. I had an idea though. Something that I had learned on the welsh pony that I taught to smile. Tackless.

I first got on, saddle still intact. I did a few laps of walk, trot and canter then popped over a few jumps. Then I dismounted. Ignoring the confused looks of the 'judges', I swiftly pulled off his saddle, let him to the fence and climbed on. Now I was bareback. I completed the routine I had just done with the saddle, with a bit more bounce, and then hopped off again.

Before I removed Snowy's bridle, I had put the jumps higher. To about 50-70cm. The highest I had jumped at the age of nine. I pulled off Snowy's bridle and hopped on, praying the horse had already been ridden tackless before. Using mainly body weight, I once again carried out my routine. But as I flew over the jumps, I stretched my hands out to the side, mimicking a bird.

Tackless was not all that hard. But the judges were wowed, maybe it was my age. With sympathetic glances to Cassidy, they awarded me the winning title. Cassidy was not at all pleased.

From that day on, a string of tricks and hurts had been laid against me by none other than Miss Snobby Barnacle Butt-Brain with the face of a Wild Duck. What? I was nine...

That was four whole years ago. Obviously she's still at it.

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THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY!?!?
This, my friends, is a freakin miracle.
So here is le backstory.
Oh gawd I have to stop failing.

This chapter is dedicated to... MahomieGirl23!
I love her book Kentucky Racer! It's going great so far :D

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