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Description
Show: FARFIELD SPRING FLING XC DERBY 2023
Horse: DW Questionable Choice
Rider: Katy Marsh

Word Count: 914

~~~

Katy glanced down at her watch, two minutes. Two minutes and she’d be out, competing on her first Prelim cross country course.

Trust him. You may have not done this before, but he has. Morgan’s voice rang through her head as Quest danced around the start box.

“Easy bud, I know. I know.” Katy muttered, attempting to calm her nerves. This would be her first time competing at this height, and she was nervous to make the step up. It wasn’t that large of a change, only a few inches, but the idea of competing at preliminary.

Katy sighed, one minute.

Quest seemed thrilled at the prospect of flying around the slightly larger course, his usually calm temperment having been swapped for that of a horse much hotter. He mouthed at the light snaffle, neck arched into the contact as he danced in place. The chilly, damp, air did nothing to calm his perky mood. His mane and tail, that had been neatly combed and tamed before their turn, was curling at the ends in the humid air, adding a sort of boy-ish charm.

“Almost there, just a few more seconds.”

The steward chose that moment to begin her countdown, “Three.”

Katy directed Quest towards the white box.

“Two.”

They were in the box.

“One.”

And off they went.

“Have a nice ride!” the steward called.

Katy grinned, finally back in her element, “Thank you!” She hollered over her shoulder, although her words were lost to the wind.

All that could be heard was the thunder of the gelding’s hooves, echoed by the blast of the wind as they galloped towards the first fence.

The first fence, a looming log jump, rose quickly in the distance. Quest found no issue with this and locked on immediately, his black tipped ears pricked forwards.

“Easy boy.” Katy growled, fighting to slow the buckskin as he gradually picked up speed.

Quest, easily ignoring her, only lengthened his stride, easily bounding over the hulking jump.

“Alrighty then. You really do know what you’re doing,” Katy huffed.

The next few jumps proceeded in a similar fashion. Quest galloped up to them, Katy second-guessing herself and Quest putting her worries to rest.

Things got hairy as they neared one of the final jumps, it was a deep coffin combination with a steep downward slope to begin. The light mist clinging to the trees had finally picked up and was now a drizzle that stung Katy’s eyes as they approached the combination.

Katy gritted her teeth and held her breath as they got closer, “Eaaasy.” He plowed ahead with reckless abandon, ignoring her cues to slow. She watched in fear as they galloped up to the base of the first log jump, angled perfectly problematic at the base of a steep decline.

Katy, finally giving up on her attempts of slowing Quest, leaned back and clutched the strap of her breast collar with a white-knuckled grip. Quest, ever the self-preserver, squatted his hocks and slid politely down the hill, finally slowing from the slightly crazed gallop he had before. Katy muttered the strides under her breath as they neared the jumps. Three, two, one. And they arced over the first jump, Katy neatly tucking up over Quest’s crest. Next was the ditch. One stride, and over. Quest showed his ditch-phobia full force as he leapt over the shallow trough. Finally, the second fence. Two strides away and a beast of a jump. A hulking log with an even larger hedge tucked behind it.

Katy sucked in a deep breath, two, one, over. She tucked her body down, folding into a neat bundle hovering over Quest’s withers. His knees rose in front of his chest, reaching forward as they crested over the hedge. He let out a grunt as his front legs hit the ground, immediately spurring forward into a swift gallop as they approached the final fence.

The last fence loomed at the top of a hill, it was a large keyhole with the host stable’s banner plastered across the front. Katy could feel Quest beginning to flag beneath her, his strides slowing as he ran out of gas.

“Come on boy, come on. You got this, almost there.” Katy gasped. She was beginning to feel the fatigue creeping into the edges of her limbs as well.

The gelding seemed to hit a second wind as the final jump came clearly into view, his strides gained in length and his ears pricked forward. Five, four, three, two, one, over.

They hadn’t even hit the ground before Katy was celebrating. One hand holding the reins while the other pumped up towards the sky.

“Good boy! You’re the best boy.” Katy cooed.

They finally slowed to a trot, they swiftly approached where Katy’s mentor and the barn owner of Driftwood Equestrian was waiting. As they got close, she slowed even further and slipped tot the ground, her joints aching on impact.

“I TOLD YOU. I knew he’d be good! Any sticky spots?” Morgan asked, as she pulled Katy into a quick hug.

Katy nodded, laughing into the hug, “Only one, at that big coffin combo. Nothing terrible.”

Morgan pulled back and nodded, her curly hair bouncing. The drizzle had apparently reached over here as well as drops clung to the older womens glasses. “Let's get him taken care of and then I want you to come meet my daughter Niamh! She’s here with a few of her students all the way from Snowdrift!”

~~~

Description
Show: FARFIELD SPRING FLING XC DERBY 2023
Horse: DW Questionable Choice
Rider: Katy Marsh

Word Count: 914

~~~

Katy glanced down at her watch, two minutes. Two minutes and she’d be out, competing on her first Prelim cross country course.

Trust him. You may have not done this before, but he has. Morgan’s voice rang through her head as Quest danced around the start box.

“Easy bud, I know. I know.” Katy muttered, attempting to calm her nerves. This would be her first time competing at this height, and she was nervous to make the step up. It wasn’t that large of a change, only a few inches, but the idea of competing at preliminary.

Katy sighed, one minute.

Quest seemed thrilled at the prospect of flying around the slightly larger course, his usually calm temperment having been swapped for that of a horse much hotter. He mouthed at the light snaffle, neck arched into the contact as he danced in place. The chilly, damp, air did nothing to calm his perky mood. His mane and tail, that had been neatly combed and tamed before their turn, was curling at the ends in the humid air, adding a sort of boy-ish charm.

“Almost there, just a few more seconds.”

The steward chose that moment to begin her countdown, “Three.”

Katy directed Quest towards the white box.

“Two.”

They were in the box.

“One.”

And off they went.

“Have a nice ride!” the steward called.

Katy grinned, finally back in her element, “Thank you!” She hollered over her shoulder, although her words were lost to the wind.

All that could be heard was the thunder of the gelding’s hooves, echoed by the blast of the wind as they galloped towards the first fence.

The first fence, a looming log jump, rose quickly in the distance. Quest found no issue with this and locked on immediately, his black tipped ears pricked forwards.

“Easy boy.” Katy growled, fighting to slow the buckskin as he gradually picked up speed.

Quest, easily ignoring her, only lengthened his stride, easily bounding over the hulking jump.

“Alrighty then. You really do know what you’re doing,” Katy huffed.

The next few jumps proceeded in a similar fashion. Quest galloped up to them, Katy second-guessing herself and Quest putting her worries to rest.

Things got hairy as they neared one of the final jumps, it was a deep coffin combination with a steep downward slope to begin. The light mist clinging to the trees had finally picked up and was now a drizzle that stung Katy’s eyes as they approached the combination.

Katy gritted her teeth and held her breath as they got closer, “Eaaasy.” He plowed ahead with reckless abandon, ignoring her cues to slow. She watched in fear as they galloped up to the base of the first log jump, angled perfectly problematic at the base of a steep decline.

Katy, finally giving up on her attempts of slowing Quest, leaned back and clutched the strap of her breast collar with a white-knuckled grip. Quest, ever the self-preserver, squatted his hocks and slid politely down the hill, finally slowing from the slightly crazed gallop he had before. Katy muttered the strides under her breath as they neared the jumps. Three, two, one. And they arced over the first jump, Katy neatly tucking up over Quest’s crest. Next was the ditch. One stride, and over. Quest showed his ditch-phobia full force as he leapt over the shallow trough. Finally, the second fence. Two strides away and a beast of a jump. A hulking log with an even larger hedge tucked behind it.

Katy sucked in a deep breath, two, one, over. She tucked her body down, folding into a neat bundle hovering over Quest’s withers. His knees rose in front of his chest, reaching forward as they crested over the hedge. He let out a grunt as his front legs hit the ground, immediately spurring forward into a swift gallop as they approached the final fence.

The last fence loomed at the top of a hill, it was a large keyhole with the host stable’s banner plastered across the front. Katy could feel Quest beginning to flag beneath her, his strides slowing as he ran out of gas.

“Come on boy, come on. You got this, almost there.” Katy gasped. She was beginning to feel the fatigue creeping into the edges of her limbs as well.

The gelding seemed to hit a second wind as the final jump came clearly into view, his strides gained in length and his ears pricked forward. Five, four, three, two, one, over.

They hadn’t even hit the ground before Katy was celebrating. One hand holding the reins while the other pumped up towards the sky.

“Good boy! You’re the best boy.” Katy cooed.

They finally slowed to a trot, they swiftly approached where Katy’s mentor and the barn owner of Driftwood Equestrian was waiting. As they got close, she slowed even further and slipped tot the ground, her joints aching on impact.

“I TOLD YOU. I knew he’d be good! Any sticky spots?” Morgan asked, as she pulled Katy into a quick hug.

Katy nodded, laughing into the hug, “Only one, at that big coffin combo. Nothing terrible.”

Morgan pulled back and nodded, her curly hair bouncing. The drizzle had apparently reached over here as well as drops clung to the older womens glasses. “Let's get him taken care of and then I want you to come meet my daughter Niamh! She’s here with a few of her students all the way from Snowdrift!”

~~~