Pas(sade) de Cheval

Half-Pass Left

Ryan sat at the edge of the ring with Betty shifting excitedly beneath him as they watched the test before him be ridden. He gave her shoulder a pat, being careful not to disrupt the braids that were meticulously holding her mane in place. Shane had pulled the short straw and had to get up before the sun to bath Betty and get her all ready, while Zack got to sleep in a little later and get Bay ready for Spencer. It probably would have been more fair for them to take turns with who had to deal with which horse, but the guys insisted on playing high stakes Rock Paper Scissors instead. Ryan didn't really care who ended up getting Betty ready, so long as it was done perfectly by someone other than him. 

His start time had been 8am, and he was glad to get the test over with as soon as possible. Spencer didn't have to be in the ring until noon, since he'd opted to show at the 1* level, and they were scheduled to go last. 

He was only half paying attention to the woman in the ring. She'd already gone off course once, earning a penalty, and her horse definitely wasn't special enough to make up for those lost points. She'd likely be near the bottom of the pack after this phase, so definitely not competition. The remainder of his brain power was trying to subtly lay eyes on Brendon. He'd taken note of Brendon's start time, and he should have been warming up by then. 

Ryan anxiously drummed his fingers on the saddle, not noticing the person trying to get his attention.

"Excuse me." The voice squeaked again. "You're on deck."

Ryan bit back the sarcastic reply that wanted to come out, and instead forced a smile. "Thank you." They proceeded to check his tack, making sure it was all within the rules for what he was allowed to use. 

A chestnut horse caught his attention entering the warm up ring, but when he turned to look, it still wasn't Brendon's horse. Ryan groaned, trying to replace the worry that was taking over his mind with the complicated test he had to ride. He'd been studying it for the past week, and he knew it front and back, but his mind was refusing to focus. Wherever that zone was that athletes tended to slip into, when everything was done on autopilot through muscle memory, he couldn't find it for the life of him. 

The woman exited the ring looking defeated, and Ryan was gestured at to move into position. His head still wasn't in the game, but Betty tensed beneath him, and that managed to get him a little more focused. At least one of them felt ready to go. 

He heard the announcer come over the PA, his voice tinny but understandable. "The next rider is number 42, Bryan Cross on Beethoven." Ryan shot a glare at the announcer. Adam Siska always messed up everyone's names, and it was a wonder he kept his job. He must have done it on purpose, because Ryan had talked to the guy at length before and the guy demanded he be called Sisky. While he was annoying and inquisitive, he didn't seem stupid. 

Ryan and Betty entered the ring, halting to salute the judges in the proper spot. Betty felt like she was wound tight with unreleased energy, and Ryan tried to stay as relaxed as possible to avoid having her explode. 

He managed to perform the first few movements well enough. He hadn't messed up, and Betty was managing to follow directions and wasn't fighting him at all. As Ryan's attention once again flicked to the warm up ring, he noticed Brandy being held by Jon, but Brendon wasn't on her. 

Ryan went through the next movement since it required all of his attention, but when he got to one of the walk portions, he scanned the crowd. He found Brendon leaning against the outside of the judge's box, barely visible in the shade. He gave Ryan a thumbs up and grinned when he saw Ryan looking at him. 

Ryan felt the residual nerves drain out of him and a smile finally took over his face. He sank a little deeper into the saddle and finally slipped into the zone.