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Description
Event: Red Dragon Stables Grand Re-Opening Show 2018 - 6th Place
Rider: Aveline Lawson
Horse: RWS Pocket's Rocket

Aveline gnawed on the side of her cookie, staring at the floor. Fareeha strained against the stall door, desperately trying to suck up even the tiniest particle of food. She reached over and patted the mares' nose without breaking her gaze.
"Nervous?" Bennett's voice snapped her back to the planet.
"Um, I guess." It was Aveline's first show on her favourite Rosewood mare. They got along swimmingly, and Fareeha was a cracking mare with talent bursting from the seams. She was a smaller mare, but she made up for it in pure guts and spitfire.
"Tack her up and we can starting warming up, she's bored as hell in that stall." They both turned to look at the tobiano mare straining hard against the stall door. Her ears were fixed on Aveline. Aveline stood up from the tack box and opened it with one hand, pulling out the tangled mess of her bridle. She had come to Rosewood never riding in anything but a simple snaffle, and now she rode Fareeha regularly in a gag bit with two reins, and Chatter in a double bridle. She never used gloves, Bennett has wisened her by saying if you're hurting your hands by pulling, imagine the damage being done to your horse's mouth. Fareeha never pulled, but she was very exuberant and difficult to keep in check, especially in jump offs. Once she locked on to a target, she was guns ablazing toward it. Aveline pulled out a Rosewood saddlepad, and pinned her number to it clumsily, over the embroidery. This was one of the highest classes she'd competed in. She had walked the course a few hours ago, with Bennett watching her like a hawk. She counted her strides almost absentmindedly, it always ended up being a crapshoot as Fareeha extended and collected as she bolted then listened. It was pretty much a formality for her. Aveline worked best by feel in the moment, which Bennett despised. It worked for Fareeha and Brigette, both sharp mares with incredible responses and bravery. There were a few formidable jumps in the course, with psychedelic spring-coloured fill and bizarre shapes. Fareeha just liked to jump high and go fast, she would barely notice what she was going over. Aveline's nerves began to swell as she tightened the girth of her jumping saddle. Not that it would make a difference, Fareeha was indifferent to the world in the ring. She fiddled with the fetlock boots before flinging the reins over Fareeha's head and walking her out of the stall. Aveline walked her past a big, antlered mare resting next door to Fareeha. The rider of the mare, Alex, waved and Aveline smiled happily at her. There were a lot of interesting horses from all over, horses that Aveline barely could fathom existed. She patted Fareeha as they walked, in her favourite spot, right in the middle of her white patch. Barely waiting for her to halt, Aveline clambered up into the saddle. Fareeha felt like a coiled spring under her, muscles taut and ready for action. Bennett was waiting for her by one of the warm up jumps. She trotted over to greet him, Fareeha tossing her head in excitement.
"She's fresh today, I think I'm gonna need a while in the warmup."
"Don't. Let her keep her energy up, this is a big course and you want her warmed up enough to be careful, but not tired." Aveline cocked her head sideways. Bennett usually played it safe when it came to warmups, especially with Fareeha and getting her sillies out.
"But what if she plays up on course?"
"Let her, I want to see how she goes at full power." Honestly, this idea scared her. Bennett smiled. "What, not getting cold feet?"
"No, I'm just worried she'll crash into something."
"She won't, you know her well enough by now. Trust her to carry you through properly." Aveline nodded, and wordlessly directed the energized mare around the ring at a trot. Fareeha felt like she had electricity buzzing through her. Trust her. Aveline released the pressure ever so slightly on the reins and Fareeha tipped upwards, hind legs tracking underneath her with power. She sat for a stride and relaxed her seat, and the mare rolled easily into an uphill canter. Her head bobbed rhythmically, bicoloured mane bouncing back and forth. She opened her rein and locked on to the jump beside Bennett, and Fareeha's ears flicked forward and she coiled like a spring, head gathered up and legs readying. Four strides out and she tossed her head viciously, nearly smacking Aveline in the nose. Aveline reined her back and Fareeha shook her head to either side, frustrated. She had thrown off her strides, and Fareeha chipped in an extra. She tucked up and managed to clear it, but she heard Bennett sigh.
"Let her do her thing. You're getting in her way." Aveline was hurt by his bluntness. Tears welled in her eyes. "And don't cry, just do it again." He was tough on her, and she hated it. She and Fareeha had a good record, but she felt it was unfair to be scolded after her first warmup jump. She sniffled and gathered her reins, letting Fareeha fall into a canter again.

Aveline breathed out shakily as she heard her number called. Fareeha was still as fired up as usual, but the pair had recovered well after their rocky start. She tried to put down Bennett's comments as his own nerves about dressage. She clicked Fareeha forward and the tobiano mare pounced into an active trot. She exhaled again as Fareeha jumped into canter. The bell rang and Aveline pulled her to the first jump, a square oxer. Fareeha surged toward it and Aveline counted in her head. Perfect spot. Let her go. As they landed, she opened her hands slightly and Fareeha charged forward, stride flattening. Turning toward a double combination, Aveline could feel her losing concentration already. Head up. Collect. She lifted her hands and Fareeha obliged, bringing her head up to mirror. She locked on to the first vertical of the combination and cleared it easily. Her distance was bad. She could either try hold her back and go for three short strides, or try forward and try two huge strides. The problem with these courses is they were built for horses over 16 hands, quite a bit larger than Fareeha. Her gut told her to hold her, but she knew she had to trust.
"Go on!" She spoke to the mare, and her stride opened up as she ate the ground in two huge strides, soaring toward and over the oxer. Fucking hell. They came roaring down and Aveline had to work quickly to get her under control again and not let her get carried away. "Easy..." she said breathlessly, running her hand through the mare's mane. "Still gotta do the rest of the course."

(1156 words)

Resources
Show Jumping 43 JullelinPhotography

Description
Event: Red Dragon Stables Grand Re-Opening Show 2018 - 6th Place
Rider: Aveline Lawson
Horse: RWS Pocket's Rocket

Aveline gnawed on the side of her cookie, staring at the floor. Fareeha strained against the stall door, desperately trying to suck up even the tiniest particle of food. She reached over and patted the mares' nose without breaking her gaze.
"Nervous?" Bennett's voice snapped her back to the planet.
"Um, I guess." It was Aveline's first show on her favourite Rosewood mare. They got along swimmingly, and Fareeha was a cracking mare with talent bursting from the seams. She was a smaller mare, but she made up for it in pure guts and spitfire.
"Tack her up and we can starting warming up, she's bored as hell in that stall." They both turned to look at the tobiano mare straining hard against the stall door. Her ears were fixed on Aveline. Aveline stood up from the tack box and opened it with one hand, pulling out the tangled mess of her bridle. She had come to Rosewood never riding in anything but a simple snaffle, and now she rode Fareeha regularly in a gag bit with two reins, and Chatter in a double bridle. She never used gloves, Bennett has wisened her by saying if you're hurting your hands by pulling, imagine the damage being done to your horse's mouth. Fareeha never pulled, but she was very exuberant and difficult to keep in check, especially in jump offs. Once she locked on to a target, she was guns ablazing toward it. Aveline pulled out a Rosewood saddlepad, and pinned her number to it clumsily, over the embroidery. This was one of the highest classes she'd competed in. She had walked the course a few hours ago, with Bennett watching her like a hawk. She counted her strides almost absentmindedly, it always ended up being a crapshoot as Fareeha extended and collected as she bolted then listened. It was pretty much a formality for her. Aveline worked best by feel in the moment, which Bennett despised. It worked for Fareeha and Brigette, both sharp mares with incredible responses and bravery. There were a few formidable jumps in the course, with psychedelic spring-coloured fill and bizarre shapes. Fareeha just liked to jump high and go fast, she would barely notice what she was going over. Aveline's nerves began to swell as she tightened the girth of her jumping saddle. Not that it would make a difference, Fareeha was indifferent to the world in the ring. She fiddled with the fetlock boots before flinging the reins over Fareeha's head and walking her out of the stall. Aveline walked her past a big, antlered mare resting next door to Fareeha. The rider of the mare, Alex, waved and Aveline smiled happily at her. There were a lot of interesting horses from all over, horses that Aveline barely could fathom existed. She patted Fareeha as they walked, in her favourite spot, right in the middle of her white patch. Barely waiting for her to halt, Aveline clambered up into the saddle. Fareeha felt like a coiled spring under her, muscles taut and ready for action. Bennett was waiting for her by one of the warm up jumps. She trotted over to greet him, Fareeha tossing her head in excitement.
"She's fresh today, I think I'm gonna need a while in the warmup."
"Don't. Let her keep her energy up, this is a big course and you want her warmed up enough to be careful, but not tired." Aveline cocked her head sideways. Bennett usually played it safe when it came to warmups, especially with Fareeha and getting her sillies out.
"But what if she plays up on course?"
"Let her, I want to see how she goes at full power." Honestly, this idea scared her. Bennett smiled. "What, not getting cold feet?"
"No, I'm just worried she'll crash into something."
"She won't, you know her well enough by now. Trust her to carry you through properly." Aveline nodded, and wordlessly directed the energized mare around the ring at a trot. Fareeha felt like she had electricity buzzing through her. Trust her. Aveline released the pressure ever so slightly on the reins and Fareeha tipped upwards, hind legs tracking underneath her with power. She sat for a stride and relaxed her seat, and the mare rolled easily into an uphill canter. Her head bobbed rhythmically, bicoloured mane bouncing back and forth. She opened her rein and locked on to the jump beside Bennett, and Fareeha's ears flicked forward and she coiled like a spring, head gathered up and legs readying. Four strides out and she tossed her head viciously, nearly smacking Aveline in the nose. Aveline reined her back and Fareeha shook her head to either side, frustrated. She had thrown off her strides, and Fareeha chipped in an extra. She tucked up and managed to clear it, but she heard Bennett sigh.
"Let her do her thing. You're getting in her way." Aveline was hurt by his bluntness. Tears welled in her eyes. "And don't cry, just do it again." He was tough on her, and she hated it. She and Fareeha had a good record, but she felt it was unfair to be scolded after her first warmup jump. She sniffled and gathered her reins, letting Fareeha fall into a canter again.

Aveline breathed out shakily as she heard her number called. Fareeha was still as fired up as usual, but the pair had recovered well after their rocky start. She tried to put down Bennett's comments as his own nerves about dressage. She clicked Fareeha forward and the tobiano mare pounced into an active trot. She exhaled again as Fareeha jumped into canter. The bell rang and Aveline pulled her to the first jump, a square oxer. Fareeha surged toward it and Aveline counted in her head. Perfect spot. Let her go. As they landed, she opened her hands slightly and Fareeha charged forward, stride flattening. Turning toward a double combination, Aveline could feel her losing concentration already. Head up. Collect. She lifted her hands and Fareeha obliged, bringing her head up to mirror. She locked on to the first vertical of the combination and cleared it easily. Her distance was bad. She could either try hold her back and go for three short strides, or try forward and try two huge strides. The problem with these courses is they were built for horses over 16 hands, quite a bit larger than Fareeha. Her gut told her to hold her, but she knew she had to trust.
"Go on!" She spoke to the mare, and her stride opened up as she ate the ground in two huge strides, soaring toward and over the oxer. Fucking hell. They came roaring down and Aveline had to work quickly to get her under control again and not let her get carried away. "Easy..." she said breathlessly, running her hand through the mare's mane. "Still gotta do the rest of the course."

(1156 words)

Resources
Show Jumping 43 JullelinPhotography