HOME | DD

Description

The babies are out to play. Dressage? What dressage? Rune (mentioned in the story) belongs to Zoubstance and Strisholt is her stable. She’s just kind enough to let me play!

Show: Frederiksberg Royal Event
Class: 2. Novice Class (LC*)
Entry number: 219
Rider: Lauren Kennedy
Age: 16
Country: UK
Stable: Stridsholt
Horse: Zanetta
Age: 6
Breed: Zlesdin
Extra:The royal seal of approval

Story:
The day hadn’t gotten off to the best start if Lauren was honest. She’d had very little sleep last night worrying about her class, hoping she wouldn’t mess up and humiliate herself at an international show with horses and riders at the top of their careers. Worse still, she was worrying about letting Zen down.

She hadn’t fretted like this last time out. Their last show had been a dressage one, something she’d mentioned to Rune and entered on a whim after he’d said that riding a decent test even at a low level was harder than it looked. Damned if he hadn’t been right. But that was OK, because everyone knew she wasn’t one of those dressage divas. It had been a bit of fun and no one had expected them to do well, least of all herself. But this was different. How was she meant to make a career for herself as an international show jumper if she mucked up a fairly simple course? Stridsholt was a dressage stables so her lessons were focussed on that. The only actual jumping she managed was out on hacks. It was one thing to jump a single log, but another entirely to get round a full course.

The walk to the stables hadn’t improved her mood in the slightest. A fine mist hung over everything making her feel cold and damp no matter how may layers she had on, and she stamped her feet as she groomed Zen trying to get some warmth into them. To make matters worse her foul mood was even starting to affect the normally sweet tempered Zanetta. The mare refused to stand still whilst Lauren attempted to plait her mane and refused to have her feet picked out at first. Lauren hugged her horses neck and let out a sigh “I’m sorry girl, I’m screwing everything up aren’t I?”

As she hurried her face in Zen’s mane she finally admitted that if she was being honest with herself, really honest, she was most afraid of what Rune would say if or when he found out. She’d attended their last show after discussing it with him, but this one she’d kept to herself. She had asked about jumping once, or rather lost her temper during a very bad lesson and shouted that there was no point to dressage, that it was stupid, and that showjumping was a real test of horse and rider. Typically she’d calmed down as soon as she’d finished her outburst, but she’d also felt ashamed of herself which was new. Lauren was used to doing what she wanted either because nobody cared enough to stop her, or because it was the only way to get anyone to pay attention. Rune however had been nothing but kind to her, despite how frustrated he must have felt at times. As she stammered out an apology and waited for him to lay into her she’d been shocked when he did no such thing.

“The different disciplines test horse and rider in their own way” he’d said “but it’s wrong to say one is better than the other. Showjumping is flatwork with bumps, and it’s wrong to think it’s nothing but jumping. Flatwork enables you to turn better, to lengthen or collect your stride so you’re in the best position to takeoff, to have your horse really responding to you and understand what you’re asking of them. If you want to be a champion show jumper, work on your flatwork. Everything I’m teaching you here will make your next round better.”

Lauren hadn’t mentioned jumping since, and she certainly hadn’t been able to ask about the competition. But she’d thought about what Rune had said, and had taken to practicing things on hack rather than just riding to get away from everyone. She still wasn’t keen on practicing in the arena where the other students would sneer, but she did want to do better. To prove to Rune that he wasn’t wasting his time, and in a way to make up for her attitude when she’d first arrived at Stridsholt. She’d thought that because the only person she knew here was Simon, and that was tenuous at best, she’d be fine. Mostly she kept out of Simon’s way anyway from being somewhat in awe of the superstar rider, so she wasn’t actually sure if he knew who she was. None of the other students would be caught dead at a showjumping competition so she was safe there. So why did she feel so wound up?

It was guilt. As simple as that. She’d gone behind the back of the one person who’d been on her side for no other reason than that she’d wanted to come and to hell with the consequences. Like alway she hadn’t thought things through and had rushed off headlong into trouble. There was only one thing for it. Picking up the phone she failed the number. “Hi Rune? It’s me. I’ve got something to tell you.”

Word count: 834

Resources:
Horse and rider pose referenced from my own images. Arena, jump design and sponsor banners were designed by Zoubstance . Extra google images (multiple!) were used for the elephants. Custom brushes were also used (don’t know if you needed to know, but just in case).

Description

The babies are out to play. Dressage? What dressage? Rune (mentioned in the story) belongs to Zoubstance and Strisholt is her stable. She’s just kind enough to let me play!

Show: Frederiksberg Royal Event
Class: 2. Novice Class (LC*)
Entry number: 219
Rider: Lauren Kennedy
Age: 16
Country: UK
Stable: Stridsholt
Horse: Zanetta
Age: 6
Breed: Zlesdin
Extra:The royal seal of approval

Story:
The day hadn’t gotten off to the best start if Lauren was honest. She’d had very little sleep last night worrying about her class, hoping she wouldn’t mess up and humiliate herself at an international show with horses and riders at the top of their careers. Worse still, she was worrying about letting Zen down.

She hadn’t fretted like this last time out. Their last show had been a dressage one, something she’d mentioned to Rune and entered on a whim after he’d said that riding a decent test even at a low level was harder than it looked. Damned if he hadn’t been right. But that was OK, because everyone knew she wasn’t one of those dressage divas. It had been a bit of fun and no one had expected them to do well, least of all herself. But this was different. How was she meant to make a career for herself as an international show jumper if she mucked up a fairly simple course? Stridsholt was a dressage stables so her lessons were focussed on that. The only actual jumping she managed was out on hacks. It was one thing to jump a single log, but another entirely to get round a full course.

The walk to the stables hadn’t improved her mood in the slightest. A fine mist hung over everything making her feel cold and damp no matter how may layers she had on, and she stamped her feet as she groomed Zen trying to get some warmth into them. To make matters worse her foul mood was even starting to affect the normally sweet tempered Zanetta. The mare refused to stand still whilst Lauren attempted to plait her mane and refused to have her feet picked out at first. Lauren hugged her horses neck and let out a sigh “I’m sorry girl, I’m screwing everything up aren’t I?”

As she hurried her face in Zen’s mane she finally admitted that if she was being honest with herself, really honest, she was most afraid of what Rune would say if or when he found out. She’d attended their last show after discussing it with him, but this one she’d kept to herself. She had asked about jumping once, or rather lost her temper during a very bad lesson and shouted that there was no point to dressage, that it was stupid, and that showjumping was a real test of horse and rider. Typically she’d calmed down as soon as she’d finished her outburst, but she’d also felt ashamed of herself which was new. Lauren was used to doing what she wanted either because nobody cared enough to stop her, or because it was the only way to get anyone to pay attention. Rune however had been nothing but kind to her, despite how frustrated he must have felt at times. As she stammered out an apology and waited for him to lay into her she’d been shocked when he did no such thing.

“The different disciplines test horse and rider in their own way” he’d said “but it’s wrong to say one is better than the other. Showjumping is flatwork with bumps, and it’s wrong to think it’s nothing but jumping. Flatwork enables you to turn better, to lengthen or collect your stride so you’re in the best position to takeoff, to have your horse really responding to you and understand what you’re asking of them. If you want to be a champion show jumper, work on your flatwork. Everything I’m teaching you here will make your next round better.”

Lauren hadn’t mentioned jumping since, and she certainly hadn’t been able to ask about the competition. But she’d thought about what Rune had said, and had taken to practicing things on hack rather than just riding to get away from everyone. She still wasn’t keen on practicing in the arena where the other students would sneer, but she did want to do better. To prove to Rune that he wasn’t wasting his time, and in a way to make up for her attitude when she’d first arrived at Stridsholt. She’d thought that because the only person she knew here was Simon, and that was tenuous at best, she’d be fine. Mostly she kept out of Simon’s way anyway from being somewhat in awe of the superstar rider, so she wasn’t actually sure if he knew who she was. None of the other students would be caught dead at a showjumping competition so she was safe there. So why did she feel so wound up?

It was guilt. As simple as that. She’d gone behind the back of the one person who’d been on her side for no other reason than that she’d wanted to come and to hell with the consequences. Like alway she hadn’t thought things through and had rushed off headlong into trouble. There was only one thing for it. Picking up the phone she failed the number. “Hi Rune? It’s me. I’ve got something to tell you.”

Word count: 834

Resources:
Horse and rider pose referenced from my own images. Arena, jump design and sponsor banners were designed by Zoubstance . Extra google images (multiple!) were used for the elephants. Custom brushes were also used (don’t know if you needed to know, but just in case).