Hockwood Academy || An Eventer's Haven (Book 1)

Move-In Day

I squealed with delight as my dad's Toyota Tundra pulled into the long road and past the iron gates- I was here.

Soon, we pulled up a hill and parked in the parking lot with at least 300 other cars.

I could hardly believe that I, Charlotte Hancy, was going to Hockwood Riding Academy, only the most prestigious academy in America!

Located in Augusta, Maine it was a pretty far cry from my home in small town Massachusetts; but, my parents were willing to make the journey.

"Okay, why don't you go get Apollo settled in, and we'll start moving the stuff to your dorm." My Dad said, as he stepped out of the truck and began unloading my tack box, my grooming box, and handed me a shank lead.

We had just gotten here and my dad started sneezing already. "Damn horses.." he muttered under his breath. "They're everywhere.."

I looked around and smiled as there were horses, indeed, everywhere.

"Okay, I'll meet you guys at the room." I grinned as I skipped away to unload my dappled bay, Thoroughbred-Hanoverian mix, Singing to the Sun (or Apollo for short). I slipped the shank onto his halter and led him out.

I set my stuff down near a bush so I knew where to get it once I put Apollo in his stall, and then led him down to the barn.

On the way, I had to keep tugging him along because he wanted to look at other horses, or munch on some grass, or spook at a tree..

Finally, after walking down a dirt road we arrived at the barn. I pulled a slip of paper out of my pocket, and read off the words, Barn-C, Row 1, Stall 11 scribbled in pencil.

I turned Apollo into Barn C, then walked in the first row of stalls, and we walked almost all the way down until I saw a number 11 carved in a medium-sized oval carved out of wood nailed in above the stall.

I smiled as I read the silver nameplate;

Singing to the Sun (Apollo)

Charlotte Hancy

I smiled and led him into the stall, unclipping the shank from his leather halter, and then took his halter off and hung it on his stall.

After I got him settled in, I went to retrieve my tack.

It was a gruelling task to half-drag half-carry my wooden tack box out to the front of Apollo's stall, but I did it.

I took his saddle out, placed his girth on it and grabbed his bridle before carrying them all to the tack room.

The tack numbers coordinate with the stall numbers. I thought to myself as I stepped in. Apollo's is.. 29? 29.

But when I got to the saddle rack on number 29, I stopped.

There was another saddle there.

It was a dark, mahogany brown, with a name etched into a tiny gold plate attached to the back of the saddle's cantle. There was a matching bridle on the 29 bridle hook.

I shrugged, no big deal. I put my stuff down in the corner and read the name. Monty.

I searched for a "Monty" in the aisles, and after not too much looking I found a stall with a silver name plate that read Monty Python. There was a jet black gelding with one white star in there, and from what it says on his information (a paper attached to the stall saying his name, owner, breed, markings, feed, ect.) he's a Holsteiner/ Warmblood cross.

This stall number was 19. No big deal- I'll just move the saddle.

So, I walked back into the tack room, and grab the mahogany saddle, and pull it off the rack. As I'm walking towards saddle rack number 19, I hear-

"What do you think you're doing with my saddle?!"

I whipped around. "Oh, Sorry! It was on the wrong rack, it's supposed to be on 19- 29's my spot." I told her as politely as I could.

She had straight blonde hair that fall a little way's down her shoulders, and was wearing a pink nylon polo with white and black stripes, with the number 3 in white with black stroke in the corner of her shirt. She was wearing tan breeches and near-spotless, brown half-chaps over shiny black riding boots.

"Well you could've asked me first!" she snapped, taking the saddle from me so forcefully the girth fell to the ground.

I held my hands up in defense. "I-I'm sorry.."

"Oh my god, I don't care!" she rolled her eyes as she ripped her bridle off of 29 and put it on 19, then left.

"Jeez.." I muttered as I took my light brown jumpers saddle and placed it on 29, and the matching brown bridle on the bridle hook.

I walked back to Apollo's stall, and decided to go for a tour around campus.

I grabbed a leather lead shank out of the tack box, and slipped his halter back on and strung the shank through and clipped it before leading him back out of his stall.

I walked toward the arena to see several people riding.

I turned around to walk back down the aisle, and brought Apollo down and out of the barn and into the sunlight.

Sun rays gleamed off his coat, making it look slightly reddish.

I led him around a bit, letting him sniff and check out the area.

Soon I led him back inside and put him in his stall, slipping his halter off his head and hanging it again, and putting the shank in my tack box.

___________________________________♕______________________________________

I found my way to my dorm and found my parents unpacking everything. We said our goodbyes, then they left.

I arrived a day earlier than my roommate, Regina, would get here, so I got the privilege of choosing my bed and walk-in closet. I chose both on the right.

By the time we were done unpacking everything it was about 9:00, and I watched The Avengers once before I decided it was time to hit the hay.

A/N

Okay, so definitely not my best work. But I promise the next chapters will get better and longer as the story progresses!

~Tally ho!, SJW