A new Begining...

[racingbelle]

www.coconinohorsetrials.com/courses/int.asp This is the course but we're only going up to number 8. ;D

Ashleigh lead Sterling's dream toward the cross country course. Ashleigh and Sterling were both decked out in their cross country gear. Sterling had on her eventing saddle with a blue saddle pad underneath, a black bridle with a D ring snaffle bit, and blue protective boots, even though Sterling wasn't a clumsy jumper but these jumps were solid and couldn't go down like show jumps. While Ashleigh wore her black velvet riding helmet, a blue protective vest with a bright blue t-shirt underneath, tall boots, and breeches.

"Alright girl. It's been such a long time since we've done this. Now let's go for it!" Ashleigh spoke excitedly to the mare. Sterling bobbed her elegant head. "Alright then let's begin!" Ashleigh mounted with one swift movement and gathered the reins. Then she cued Sterling in to a canter and did a 20 meter circle to warm up. Then Ashleigh guided Sterling into the box and counted aloud. "Five, four, three, two, one, GO!" Ashleigh yelled. Sterling was off like a shot, shooting through the forest on a well worn path. Soon she came up to the first jump and soared over it. Ashleigh guided Sterling through the small bend in the path and quickly spotted the next jump called Luckow's Leap. One two three, jump. Again Sterling cleared the jump with no problem. Once again there was another bend in the path before she reached the Oxer. The pair cleared it and thundered on. A few moments had past before Ashleigh spotted the first part of the fourth jump oddly named Gun Range Drop. Sterling's ears pricked at the sight of it and she jump no questions ask, landing safely on the other side. Then the pair jumped the second part of jump four with ease. They had a long break, just galloping along before jump five, the Table. "Good girl Sterling, your doing great! We're a great team don't you think?" Sterling's ears flicked back to catch to catch every word of praise. The Table was an easy jump, the pair had no trouble at all clearing it. There was a short break before Sterling spotted jump six and seven, which were close together. Ashleigh saw them too and slowed Sterling. This was the trickiest part of the course so she wanted to be prepared but Ashleigh had no problems guiding Sterling over jump six. Then jump seven loomed just a short distance ahead. One stride, two strides, and lift off! They jumped the first part of the seven jump, landed and took off again for the second part. Then Ashleigh turned Sterling to the left and took the optional jump that was part of jump seven. You had to land just right in order not to hit the other two jumps. Ashleigh and Sterling made it through perfectly. "One more Sterling!" Ashleigh called to her horse. Another short pause before the eighth jump ironically named the Ice-chest loomed. "Go!" Ashleigh shouted and Sterling needed no more. They were up and over in a heart beat. Ashleigh slowed the sweaty mare to a walk. "Good girl. Good Sterling." Ashleigh gave Sterling a firm pat on the neck and then hugged her. Sterling still had plenty of run in her though and strained against Ashleigh's hold on the reins, begging to finish the course. Ashleigh laughed. "No girl, that's all for today. We're just gonna do a little bit today. I don't want you exhausted." The mare snorted and stopped but still looked longingly at the path. "Soon girl. Soon." Ashleigh turned the mare and started walking back toward the stables, hoping to meet someone on their way.

[forte]

Colin led the buckskin gelding, fully tacked, out of the barn cautiously before swinging up into the saddle. He was riding Bear today, the Lusitano that he was so fond of for his quick-wits and frank honesty. Bear was a brave horse without being showy about it, perfect for cross-country, although Colin had noticed that he was a bit bored by Hunter courses most of the time. It was really too bad, because the big twelve year old was perfect for it. He was very responsive with a good enough rider, and didn't pull tricks. Plus, he jumped pretty well. Nothing like some horses, but Bear would try anything he thought that he could make. The gelding arched his neck and let out a rattling snort when they passed on by the bridle path to the arena and towards the cross-country course. Colin had been riding him a little bit over stadium jumps, a hunter mini-course that Bear had pulled off with so little difficulty that it was amazing... It was time for a little experiment.

Colin had never really ridden cross-country. The barn which he had worked and ridden at hadn't actually possessed a course, or any horses that could do one, for that matter. this school was just so amazing, it was a dream come true for him... Away from his mother, away from his school, away from everything and everyone that he couldn't live with and couldn't live without. "Yeah, boy, we're going to do something you like today," he said softly, as Bear looked up the path with a nonchalant snort, his former excitement faded faster than it had come. Colin grinned despite himself... that horse was so well matched to his personality.

They wound up to the cross country course at a walk, Colin looking up to see a gray mare clearing a few jumps ahead. They looked... well, sort of good from here. Kind of like he would probably look, actually, with a little leeway here and there in form and stride length and that kind of thing. The jumps were just sooo far spaced apart! Colin was used to tight corners and difficult changes and a quick pace, not these miles between each jump. But the terrain was going to make things interesting. And the jumps were all pretty big, bigger than they would be on most hunter courses. Bigger than Colin had every jumped before he'd come here, actually, when he'd been stuck at 2' 7" to 3' on a sub-par horse at a sub-par stable. This was a second chance for him in the biggest possible way.... He patted Bear's neck eagerly.

He watched as the girl stopped jumping before the end of the course. That seemed a bit strange to him, but heck, he knew nothing about cross-country. "Hello there," he said as they drew level with the pair, "Colin Singleton. I don't believe I know you. How's the footing?" He seemed friendly enough, from that, even though he really didn't care, he was just trying to be polite. Bear snorted a greeting to the mare, but he was also just being polite, it seemed, and looked out at the course ahead with a slight upward tilt to his ears, his tail slapping his hocks lazily.