Chapter 3, enjoy!
Wednesday: One hour of independent jumping
Today's agenda sounded easy enough for Georgie.
"Hey, since we have independent riding today, would you want to jump with me?" Ellie, Georgie's roommate asked.
"Sure!" Georgie replied.
"We should work in the outdoor arena today, it's beautiful outside. It'd be nice for us and the horses."
"That sounds like a plan to me, Phoenix is used to working in outdoor arenas, so he will enjoy that."
"Let's go now and beat the rush, everyone else is probably sleeping in," Ellie added. The two girls from North America were still adjusting to the time change and as a result had been early risers during their stay so far.
They made their way to their horses' stalls which happened to be across from each other. They placed them in the cross ties and brushed them over before saddling them. Once the horses were tacked up, Georgie led Phoenix with Ellie leading her chestnut gelding beside her.
As they approached the ring, they found that a flashy bay and his all too familiar rider had beaten the girls to the outdoor arena.
The horse, whose name Georgie remembered was Shadow Shore, was tied to the fence surrounding the arena while Quinn adjusted the jumps.
"I guess someone else had our good idea," Ellie stated as they approached him.
"There's enough room for all three of us," He replied, turning to look at the two girls. "Good morning Georgie, Ellie."
"Good morning," They both replied.
"Is this course ok for you two?" He asked.
"Looks fine to me," Georgie replied.
"Ellie?"
"It'll work for me. And I'll go first," Ellie replied as she mounted her horse and began approaching the first jump.
"So, I'm guessing you two have had trouble adjusting to the time change too? I mean, we are all three wide awake at 6:30."
"Yeah, it's been kind of hard," Georgie replied.
"Especially for us North America kids, and there aren't many of us."
"Nice job Ellie!" Georgie told her roommate when she pulled her horse to a halt beside Quinn and Georgie's horses.
"That was good!" Quinn agreed.
"Thanks!"
"You can go next Georgie, ladies first." Georgie nudged Phoenix to the start of the course. She took off towards the first jump, a simple vertical, easily clearing it. She and Phoenix then sailed over a large oxer as Ellie and Quinn watched in awe. She finished up the course by gliding over a triple bar obstacle.
"Nice!" Quinn exclaimed as she stopped Phoenix next to Shadow Shore.
"Good job Georgie!" Ellie added.
"You're up Quinn, show us what Shadow Shore here can do," Georgie stated. Quinn guided Shadow Shore over the first jump, them the second, them the third until he completed the course. As he guided Shadow Shore to where Georgie and Ellie were waiting with their horses, Shadow Shore began crow hopping.
"He's feeling froggy this morning," Ellie stated.
Quinn finally got him to settle down and brought him to a halt next to Phoenix.
"Froggy is one word for it," Quinn mumbled once he got his stallion to stand still. "What are we thinking, do we want raise them up? Move them around?"
"If it's alright with both of you, I say we leave the course the same but raise a vertical or two up a notch," Georgie replied.
"That fine with me if it's fine with you, Quinn."
"Sounds good," Quinn agreed. He and the two girls dismounted and tied their horses to the fence where they left them while they adjusted the jumps. Once the jumps were raised, Ellie took off on the course. Aside from clipping - but not knocking down -the rail on one of the raised verticals, her run was clean.
"Your turn Georgie," She told her roommate once she had finished the course.
Georgie guided Phoenix to the beginning of the course. She began towards the first jump and easily cleared it. She then guided him over each jump until she successfully completed the course. Quinn then took a shot at the course, had he not knocked down the last vertical, his run would have been clean.
Over the next two hours, they each took turns at the course. Every once in a while, they would raise a rail or move around a jump. By 9:30 am they were thoroughly exhausted from their lack of sleep and hours of practice. They had each clocked in their individual one hour of jumping. They decided to put their horses up and get breakfast.
The three sat together in the desolate common area where they ate their biscuits and gravy.
"You guys not have friends or something?" A boy asked as he took a seat beside Quinn.
"I guess we were late to breakfast." Ellie replied. "Or early."
"I think you were late," The boy responded.
"Well, we've been jumping for the past three hours," Quinn told him.
"Early risers aye?"
"The time change is really messing with us," Georgie chimed in.
"Ah, are you from Florida too?" He asked. "I know these two from shows, but I've never seen you around."
"No, actually I'm from Canada," Georgie clarified.
"Oh, gotcha. I'm Blaine Carter," He introduced himself.
"I'm Georgie Flemming-Morris, nice to meet you," She also introduced herself. She fought back a yawn as Quinn and Blaine talked between themselves. "I think I'm going to go up to my room and try and get some sleep" She announced getting up from her seat.
"I think I'll go with you," Ellie decided, also getting up from her seat.
"Ok, see you two later," Quinn told them.
"It was nice to meet you Georgie," Blaine told her.
"Nice to meet you too!" Georgie replied before disappearing in the direction of she and Ellie's room.
"So, you do have the hots for the Canadian or what?" Blaine asked Quinn once Georgie and Ellie were out of earshot.
"She's just a friend I made the other day." Quinn reached up to smooth a stray pice of brown hair back with the other perfectly combed strands.
"Uh-huh," Blaine replied, not buying it.
"She's from Middle Of No Where, Canada and didn't know anybody here, so I've been hanging out with her." He reached up again to perfect his already perfectly positioned hair.
"So you're just friends, you don't like her or anything?"
"Blaine..." Quinn gave him a warning look.
"I'm just asking!"
Hope you enjoyed this fun little chapter!