Chapter 138 – Jumpoff
Once Jack came back out, he took a seat to finish his sandwich and Gatorade. He looked at his grandfather.
"So what do you know about these two that complained?" Jack asked.
"Connor Walker of Knox Farms and Oliver Kennedy of Sugar Creek Stables." James said. "Connor is new to the New York circuit. Apparently, he jumped in Southern California and came here. I don't know why. Oliver is a cousin of Ryan. I don't know how close or anything. I also don't know why Ryan didn't go jump for Sugar Creek to start with. I have gotten a call from them about him. I guess he asked if he could sign on there, but with the complaint you filed, no stable will allow him to jump until that is finalized. It sounds like he might be able to train at Sugar Creek and Ryan's father has demanded a quick resolution to the investigation."
"I am sure that he did." Jack said. "Thank you for telling me."
"Just don't do anything." James said. "It has been resolved. Both you and Doug will be jumping in the jumpoff."
"Has either of them made the jumpoff?" Jack asked.
"Oliver dropped a rail." James said. "Connor is yet to jump. There are two or three left."
"Fine." Jack said. "I am going to go sit where it is cooler. Please let me know when they are done jumping and moving the course for the jumpoff."
"Okay." James said. "What are you going to do?"
"Check a few things." Jack said.
James looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Jack didn't respond, but went back into the trailer. A few moments later, Doug came into the trailer and saw that Jack was on the phone. Doug grabbed a Gatorade and sandwich before sitting down. Doug waited until after Jack got off the phone.
"So what are you doing?" Doug asked.
"Talking to Devin." Jack said.
"About what?" Doug asked.
"I wanted to talk to him about security." Jack said. "Also about sending a few things with Frank who is bringing Katie and Opal up here. I also needed an update on other things."
"Okay." Doug said. "It will be nice to see Frank again. I was wondering who you got to go down there."
Jack and Doug sat and talked a little more and then went about looking at the course sheets for the jumpoff. They talked about the route that they wanted to take and how the others they had seen looked. They agreed, there was only one or two that gave them any competition. Doug was still worried about that Connor kid and wondered if he was done causing trouble. Ten minutes later James knocked on the door to let them know that the crews were just starting to set up for the jumpoff. Both Doug and Jack slipped their vests and jackets back on before heading out.
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"Ladies and gentlemen." Todd announced. "We have ten riders who made the jumpoff. We have JP Thornton and Bandit from Coal Creek. Doug Burke and Aphrodite from Coal Creek. David Wilson and Sprite from Tree Ridge Stables of Cortland. Connor Walker and Sugar from Knox Farms of Lake Placid. Holly Swenson and Copper from Vine Stables of Grangerville. David Bruno and Roma from Cavalli Farms of Petersburg. Maddie McCoy and Kite from Pear Blossom Ridge Farms of Hamilton. Finn Thompson and Beetlejuice from Phoenix Rising Stables of Oneonta. Kelly Campbell and Peanut from Sugar Creek Stables. Trista Smith and Buddy from Sugar Creek Stables. They will jump in reverse order once the field is set for the jumpoff. Good luck to all the riders."
Elizabeth was smiling as they announced Jack and Doug's names.
"At least they know what they will need to win." Lee said.
"Exactly." Father Mark said. "It looked like Jack didn't lose a step. People who don't know wouldn't know that he took a year off of competitive jumping."
"So he was always good?" Elizabeth asked.
"Mostly." Gran said. "He always tried. Sometimes he tried too hard and cut too close. So he would take down rails. As he got better at reading the angles, he took down fewer rails. JP was always determined to do his best. Even if he didn't have the fastest time, he never gave up. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened …."
"I know Gran." Father Mark said. "We can't think like that."
"I know." Gran said. "It is just hard because so many things changed after that."
Elizabeth knew that they were talking about Laura and felt bad. There was a part of her that really wanted to know the Jack that they talked about before Laura's accident. He sounded driven and fun, not that he wasn't now. But now, there was an underlying sadness to Jack that she wondered if it would ever go away. Elizabeth also wondered if she would be able to make Jack happy enough or if that she would be enough for Jack.
"You look deep in thought." Katie whispered, leaning over.
"I know that there is a sadness about Jack." Elizabeth said. "I can see in his eyes. He tries to hide it, but I can see it. I was thinking, wondering if it would ever go away. If I would be able to make him happy enough or if I would be enough for him."
"Put those thoughts out of your head." Father Mark said. "Jack loves you more than life itself. I have never seen him like this. When we talked …."
"It is okay." Elizabeth said. "You don't have to say what you talked about. I know that he loves me, but the fact is that there is still that underlying sadness in his eyes. I can understand to a point what he went through. I don't know what I would be like if I lost someone that close to me. The fact that he felt so alone afterward makes it worse. I can't help wondering if I will be enough for him. Neither of us have been serious about someone before. I am just afraid."
"I get that." Katie said. "But do you love Jack?"
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "Very much."
"That is what is important." Father Mark said. "I know that Jack loves you very much as well. Let's watch, it looks like the first rider is ready."
Elizabeth looked at the field.
"Why didn't they remove all the extra gates?" Elizabeth asked.
"They don't have to." Lee said. "They removed enough to make it clear where the course is and they added that last one that was set before."
"Okay." Elizabeth said.
Trista from Sugar Creek was the first to go and she dropped one of the double rails on the third jump. She finished with a time of fifty-one point twenty-two and five faults. The next to go was Kelly, the other rider from Sugar Creek. Kelly finished with a time of fifty point eighty-eight and no faults.
"I have a question." Elizabeth said.
"What is it?" Katie asked.
"Why did the first rider get five faults?" Elizabeth asked.
"She knocked a rail out of the cup on the double at the third jump." Katie said.
"She also went over the time and got one time fault." Father Mark said.
"So she took too long?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." Katie said.
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I thought that was it, but wanted to be sure."
The next to go was Finn of Phoenix Rising Stables. He had a clean run and finished with a time of fifty point ninety-six. The next was Maddie of Pear Blossom Ridge. Having watched the first few riders, she decided to be careful and go for a clean ride and not worry about time as much. Maddie ran a tight line and her horse turned well. She finished clean with a time of fifty point seventy-six.
Jack and Doug watched the first four riders. Jack was even more sure that he had a great line picked out. When they went to start warming up the horses, Nathan stayed with Marco and to watch the riders and report back to Jack and Doug how the other riders did. James went with Jack and Doug. There was still a part of him that wanted to keep an eye on Jack, since he wasn't sure that Jack had let it go, that the Connor kid had accused him of cheating. James didn't want Jack to start a fight, especially with Connor who was a minor.
The fifth rider to go was David of Cavalli Farms. He came out like he was going for the win and wanted to smash the time already set. David cut the corner that Jack had around the fence number ten. After the double combination of six a and b, David cut sharp to go over the added fence of number twelve. It was a double oxer and although he rubbed the back rail hard, it stayed up. David finished with a clean run and a time of fifty point thirty-two. After David, was Holly of Vine Stables. Holly was one of the youngest that made the jumpoff at barely fifteen. She just wanted to finish with a clean run. Holly took the conservative line and finished clean with a time of fifty point eighty-one.
When it was announced that Connor was riding, Jack left the warm-up area and went to the in gate to watch. Nathan moved over to stand next to him as they watched. Connor went out like David, like he had something to prove. Connor's horse stutter stepped after the third jump and caused Connor to lose a fraction of a second. He was clean the rest of the way, but finished second behind David with a time of fifty point forty-nine. As Jack watched Connor finish, he quietly cheered. Finishing second, Jack knew that as long as both him and Doug stuck to the plan and ran clean, Connor would finish out of the top three and that was exactly what Jack wanted. He would have loved for the brat to fall flat on his face, but he would take finishing out of the top three. As Connor came off the field, he glared at Jack.
"Jack." Nathan said. "Ignore him. You need to finish warming up."
"Fine." Jack muttered. "At least he won't win."
Jack went back and warmed up Bandit a little more and then came to stand next to Doug at the in gate as they both watched David finish his run.
"Good luck." Jack said.
"You too, brother." Doug said. "We got this."
"Just stick to the plan." Jack said.
Doug nodded. They watched as David finished and came off the field with a time of fifty point forty-seven. Doug went out and circled the field. He showed Aphrodite the new jump. After the first jump, Doug gave Aphrodite her head. He was going fast, but after the second jump, cut and took the third at a sharp angle. Despite a hard rub, the rail stayed up. Doug cut sharp and took the double combination clean. The minute that Aphrodite's rear feet hit the ground, Doug turned her sharp and went to the new gate and took the oxer at a slightly sharper angle than he had meant. He clipped the rail, but it stayed up. Once again, Doug galloped across the field and went to the last two jumps. He went over both clean and fast. When Doug galloped through the final timer to stop his run, he finished with a time of fifty point twenty-three.
Jack had watched Doug closely and knew exactly what he needed to do. Before taking the field, Jack leaned down and talked to Bandit for a moment. Jack sat back up, closed his eyes and said a quick prayer like he always did before running. Nathan watched as Jack went from spectator to focused competitor in a heartbeat. Nathan was amazed at how Jack could focus. He had no doubt that Jack was going to go out and win with a clear margin. While Jack was showing Bandit the new jump, James walked up next to Nathan. Doug was also sitting watching at the in gate.
"He has this." Doug said.
"I know." James said. "Are you okay with second place?"
"As long as I lose to Jack." Doug said. "I don't mind one bit."
"I am still amazed how he went from watching Doug to so focused." Nathan said. "He leaned down and said something to Bandit."
"Time to run." Doug said.
"What?" Nathan said.
"What Jack whispered to Bandit." Doug said.
"Okay." Nathan said. "Like I was saying, he leaned down, whispered to Bandit, sat up, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It looked like he said something to himself and then entered the field."
"He said a quick prayer." James said. "He has always done that since he fell and broke his collarbone when he was little."
Nathan nodded and then they watched as Jack brought Bandit up to almost a full gallop before the first jump. As James watched, he was worried.
"He is going too fast." Nathan whispered.
"He will be fine." Marco said. "I have seen him do this before. Just watch."
And watch, they did. Jack sailed over the first jump and Bandit's hind legs had barely touched the ground and he was off again. Jack stayed leaned forward in the saddle, almost like a jockey, without standing up in the stirrups. After the second jump, Jack didn't let Bandit have his head as he knew he needed to make a tight turn to three. After Jack landed three, he made a very sharp turn to the point that Bandit's hind feet kicked up a huge clump of dirt and grass, but it didn't seem to slow him down. In a flash, they were in the double combination and flew through it. Again, Jack made a sharp turn and took the oxer of the new jump. When he landed, he headed for the last two jumps. He cut in front of the water and took number nine at a sharp angle, which caused him to rub the rail, but it stayed. Jack turned Bandit and let him gallop to the last jump. They crossed the timer and stopped it with a time of forty-nine point ninety-two. Jack turned and looked at the video board and was surprised that he had broken the fifty second mark. He smiled and took a lap to celebrate his victory before heading off the field.
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