WATTYS 2019
Emily Martin, your typical seventeen-year-old girl. well, kind of. For the past fourteen years, she's been living with her aunt, Hannah, who just happens to breed and train some of Florida's finest horses. Emily's life had always been lo...
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"You're positive you have everything?" I asked Leo as I shut the trailer door. We had just loaded Aspen, Vegas, and Dublin.
"Yes, yes," he laughed. "I'm good."
"You too, Molly?" I double checked.
"All set," she affirmed. "Let's go."
I got in the driver's seat of my truck that was attached to the trailer. Hannah had to tow another trailer for boarders who were going, so I took our horses.
It was only a fifteen-ish minute drive to the show, so we got there quickly and took a good spot. Once we got there, we hung up hay bags and unloaded the horses. We pulled our tack out and started last-minute grooming.
I love showing. I really do, but the whole 'hurry up and wait' deal killed me. I knew I had at least three hours until my round, but I had to have Dublin ready NOW. I groomed his mane and tail to perfection and show sheened the crap out of him. His dark bay dapples shone, and he looked amazing. I re-polished his feet and got all the gunk out of his eyes and nose. I took the clipper to his bridle path one more time just to make sure it was perfect, then trimmed the stubble off his nose and lips. He tried eating the blade a few times, but we got through it.
"How's it going over here?" Hannah asked as she strolled over to our trailer.
"Good," the three of us said in unison.
"Cool," she laughed. "So, Molly, you're the first jumper in your class. Your scheduled for noon, but that might fluctuate depending on ho long other people's classes take. Em, you're third, and Leo, you're last in the class of fifteen."
He silently nodded his head and got back to grooming.
"You all know the course?" she asked, glancing over at Molly.
"Yeah we do," Molly laughed, and enthusiastically jumped into reciting the jumping pattern.
"Alright, you guys sound all set," Han laughed and shook her head. "Plan on warming up in about an hour."
We all finished bothering our horses and headed over to the ring to watch the classes. Leo brought his camera. The current class was 2' 10 and under. There were only five entries, but it was adorable to watch little kids and their horses and ponies zoom around the course. The youngest kid ended up winning. She as eight, and rode an adorable Appaloosa the announcer called Cupcake. The next class was 2' 11-15, which was an odd group of kids, but it worked out.
As we were watching, I heard someone walk up behind us. Molly was the first to react.
"Justine," she said stiffly. "Nice to see you here."
"Oh, please," Justine rolled her eyes. "I don't even know why you bothered coming. I win every year."
"You've never competed against us, though," Leo said from behind me. He was still behind his camera, taking pictures of the jumpers.
