The truck pulled into the dirt lot used that day as the parking for the county fair. Even before they left the truck, Woody and Bo could hear the excited laughter of children, smelt the roasting chestnuts, and saw the bright festive colours of the side stands.
It was early afternoon in the middle of February, and the fayre was in full swing. The contest they had come for was due to start in a little over two hours, but Woody had promised Bo a treat. She clutched onto his arm as they walked through the colourful arches and between the stalls. They rode the Ferris wheel together, followed by sugary candyfloss and then Woody won Bo an enormous plush sheep, which made her laugh.
They strolled and talked and watched everything before heading in the direction of the miniature grandstand that had been set up by the local men. In front of them stretched the show jumping course, with just ten hurdles, which took up just over half a football pitch. The entrances and exits for the horses were clearly marked, and there was a table set up for the four judges at one side.
There was a pretty little black horse, jumping one of the hurdles, ridden by a rather stern looking young man. He brought the horse to a canter after completing a jump, gave a rather self satisfied little nod, and trotted out of the exit. Woody made a face after him.
"What's that look for?"
Woody turned to see Jessie next to him. "What look? I wasn't…?!" Woody blurted out, shuffling uncomfortably. He regained himself. "Aren't you supposed to be someplace getting ready?"
"Buzz is looking after Buttercup for me. And in case you hadn't noticed, I am ready." Jessie gestured down at her jodhpurs, riding boots, red cropped shirt and riding jacket.
"And you look like a champion. Doesn't she, Woody?" Bo commented, giving Woody a sharp nudge in the ribs.
"Ow! Oh….yes, yes she does."
Jessie eyed them both, "You're weird. Anyway, I just came out to say hello." She turned to go, "See you later."
As she left, Woody leaned to whisper to Bo. "Is it me, or is she awfully eager to get back to Buzz?"
"There you are!" Buzz spotted the approaching redhead, who smiled back and skipped over. He drew her into a hug. "Its almost time," he whispered , as she kissed his nose.
"I know. I just had to go and see Woody and Bo."
"What? Why? Do you think they suspect?" Buzz asked.
"About us?" Jessie laughed softly and stroked his hair. "No. I think they have more important things on their mind than what we're up to outside of training sessions." She gave a mischievous grin.
At that moment in the background, the tannoy screeched into life with feedback.
"This is it," Jessie gasped nervously, grabbing the end of her braid. Buzz plucked her fingers away from her hair and guided her over to Buttercup. Hesitating a little, Jessie mounted the white steed and reached down to grab her hat that Buzz passed to her. Their fingers caught together and he held on for a moment, his face upturned to hers.
"Don't forget Jessie. Even if this all goes wrong, we still have our dream."
It seemed like forever to Bo and Woody before Jessie's turn came. She was the seventh to jump out of nine participants, and so far, the only girl. They saw her appear, Buttercup's gleaming white body and mane contrasting rather sharply with the black and red figure sitting on her back.
"Presenting, in her debut, Miss Jessica Davies, on her horse, Buttercup." The assembled crowd – about seventy people or so – clapped politely and then settled down in the plastic bleacher seats, murmuring amongst themselves as the rider brought her horse into position between the entrance to the course and the first jump.
She was nervous. So very nervous. She wasn't playing with her braid now, but she was chewing her bottom lip, and that was another dead giveaway to Buzz. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she made the first jump perfectly. Then the second….the third….knocking the hurdle to the ground with a crash.
That would be a points deduction, Buzz knew. He brought his attention back to the course. She seemed to have cleared the fourth and fifth jumps with no problems, and was on the way to the sixth one….the dull thud sounded as Buttercup's foot caught the bar and it crashed to the ground. That was another deduction.
Seventh jump, then the eighth, where there was another crash, and Buzz cringed inwardly.
And then Jessie got Buttercup to in front of the ninth hurdle, and the horse stopped dead. It was a double hurdle, with two long raised parallel bars. Jessie's face went from concentration to panic. She said something under her breath to the horse, Buzz could just see her lips moving faintly. She backed up the horse and tried again, and thankfully Buttercup complied, but she didn't have enough height and both bars were sent flying to the ground. Jessie didn't look across, she simply bought her horse around and managed the tenth and last jump with no problem.
There was a smattering of polite applause again as Jessie brought Buttercup to a canter and walked her out of the arena. Buzz came to meet her as she dismounted.
"Four faults, one quite big….but a good time," Buzz said softly, catching her arm. "Don't forget, you get three rounds and it's the addition of all scores over all of them." He glanced at her. "Are you okay?"
"No." Jessie responded, passing him the reins. "She's never refused a jump. I cant have her doing that."
Buzz held up a finger to her for a moment, peering out at the judges table where the scores were being displayed on placards. "Hmm….three sixes and a seven." He turned back, "Maybe not as good as we were hoping for, but we can do better in the other rounds."
Jessie made a face. "You mean I can do better?"
"Well…" Buzz shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You have to remember to get the right height with the horse. I know the ninth jump was a bit of chaos but we can improve on that too. She's been round the course and we walked it this morning. Remember your counts between the hurdles, remember what we practised on the farm in the paddock."
Jessie nodded dutifully, leaning back against Buttercup's flank. "I remember," she smirked, looking Buzz over. "Since when did you become the bossy one?"
Thirty minutes later it was time for the second round of the course. The second rider, as Woody and Bo watched from the sidelines, went in a wide circle after the eighth hurdle, and mistakenly re-jumped the second hurdle instead of the ninth. A horn sounded, and the rider – the young man Woody had seen practising earlier – scowled and brought the horse to a stop, before cantering off.
Bo blinked, "A disqualification. I didn't realise they would be quite so harsh here."
Woody shrugged, "I suppose with the prizes they have on offer they have to be rigorous."
They fell silent, watching the next few riders have their turn, and then, the sixth rider – the participant before Jessie - appeared. The man on the back of the horse seemed to be having some control issues with the steed, who refused point blank to jump the first hurdle.
It was obvious that the horse was scared and the man's frustration was peaking. He tried twice…three….four times to get the horse over the hurdle, but after the fifth attempt the horn Woody and Bo heard earlier sounded once more.
They threw a glance at each other. Bo voiced what they were both thinking as she took Woody's hand for support. "Please….don't let Buttercup fail Jessie now."
She was jumping the third hurdle….no problems so far. Her concentration must have been broken vaguely because on the fourth hurdle she felt the bump as the bar dislodged from the jump and clattered to the floor behind her. Jessie breathed deeply and took the fifth hurdle, then the sixth….felt the catch of the pole on Buttercup's back leg….thud. She just managed to keep her balance for the seventh and eighth hurdles…and then the ninth one was there in front of her. And in front of her….Buttercup came up short and whinnied, bucking ever so slightly as Jessie leaned down. "Buttercup, c'mon girl. Jump." She said, and Buttercup snorted. Jessie panicked again, stroking the horses mane. "C'mon girl. Please. Jump the bar." She begged, backing her up and had another go at the hurdle. Thankfully, Buttercup complied. Jessie breathed out again, and took the horse around gently to jump the final hurdle with no problem.
She exited the course quickly as the audience applauded. There were less people watching now, so the applause was even more smattered than before, which wasn't helping Jessie's nerves. She dismounted, wondering what Woody and Bo thought of her performance.
She glanced around for her support network in the grounds, but Buzz was nowhere to be seen.
"Three faults that time." Woody muttered, clasping Bo's hand again.
Bo nodded. "Two sevens and two sixes that time."
"But two disqualifications last round." Woody reminded her.
"True. But she's treading on thin ice with Buttercup on that ninth hurdle."
"Hey." Woody saw a movement. "Where's Buzz going?" He indicated with a nod of his head, the farm hand he knew so well was walking between the stalls and away from the arena.
Bo blinked, her face worried, "I wonder if Jessie knows he's leaving?"
Woody looked back over to the area behind the event setup. "I cant see her, so I doubt she can see him if he's there. I only hope he's not leaving because of a disagreement."
Bo covered her mouth with one hand. "You don't think they've had another fall out?"
Woody shrugged. "I don't know. I hope not. Right now, its not what any of us need. Least of all Jessie."
Where had he gone? Jessie wondered sadly. She looked at Buttercup, who had twisted her head a little to regard the stable girl.
"Hey." She whispered to the horse softly, and Buttercup whinnied a little. Jessie tipped her head to one side with a smile. Buzz's words filtered back into her mind.
"You just have to be a bit firmer. She understands words and commands, just like Bullseye…"
"We got our last turn in a few minutes," Jessie whispered, petting Buttercup's side. The horse snorted and turned away.
"Hey. I know it's been a long tough winter for you, with all this going on. It has been for me, too." Jessie whispered again, "But this is the last time we have to do this and then its back to the stables and time in the paddock with the grass….and hey. How about an apple or two?"
Buttercup's ears pricked and she harrumphed, hitting the ground with her hoof. Jessie laughed a little.
"You want a apple, girl?"
Buttercup turned her head, and blinked lazily at Jessie.
"Well, if you jump all the hurdles, I promise you an apple." Jessie petted her again, and Buttercup snorted once more.
"I promise. Hand on heart. But you gotta jump 'em all properly. You know? Don't knock any bars off." Jessie said softly, kindly.
Buttercup gave another whinny and bowed her head a little, and Jessie could have sworn she was nodding in agreement.