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walktrotcanter7 — In Their Element : FIRST PLACE

Published: 2011-12-29 18:26:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 1284; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 0
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Description Riki won first place in the Cross Country!!!

Aaand finally! The long awaited ENTRY for the Winter Festival!


CSS Adalrik and Vivian Morgan competing in Cross Country at ~EquineRibbon 's Serenity Lake Stable in the Winter Festival !

Arrival
Training 1
Training 2
Training 3
Training 4
Training 5
Extra 1
Extra 2
Extra 3
Extra 4
Extra 5
Results Night
*Goodness... I put A LOT into this show... O.o
.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.
Vivian slid her leg back and then forward again in a windshield-wiper motion along Riki's glossy side to cue him into the canter. He willingly burst forward into his highly elevated, large-strided canter. He rocked back and forth rhythmically as Vivian brought him around in a small circle towards the very first jump of the course. As soon as they hit this fence, the clock would start ticking.

Riki leapt eagerly into his canter when His Girl cued him. He recognized the fences, and they weren't at all intimidating, but they were extraordinary and unusual. His Girl collected his reins and he felt a little tug on the bit as she gave him a half halt. He obeyed and framed up as they faced the fence. Ears pricked and eyes bright, Riki gracefully crouched and then flew over the jump. Upon landing he gave His Girl a little tug on the reins to ask for more speed.

Vivian responded to Riki with another halt halt. He needed to hold himself together in the arena. Once they were out on the field, he could have all the speed he wanted. The next fence was a double. A bounce. Vivian grimaced. They were lucky it was a straight shot, no tight turns, but still... Oh, how she hated bounces.

Riki complied when His Girl half halted him again. He looked ahead as the next fence came into view. They were lined up wonderfully to take it straight on. Without a another half halt to collect him, Riki sized up the jump and launched over it. He snorted in surprise when another fence of equal height loomed up directly in front of him.

Vivian swore under her breath as Riki launched over the first fence. She had forgotten to collect him, and he had taken it far to long, leaving them only a tiny, tiny space for take off over the next fence. Vivian prayed that Riki would use his springy hind legs to get over the second fence in the bounce, but prepared herself for a refusal. It was all she could do to push her heels into his sides and toss the reins up his neck as far as she could.

Riki felt His Girl tense just as he had when he realized there was a second fence. There was no time to hesitate. No time to pause. No space to pause. As his front legs touched the ground and his hind end came down off of the first fence in the bounce, Riki heaved up his front end and then kicked off of the sandy footing as hard as he could.

Vivian realized she had pressed her eyelids closed and forced herself to open them as Riki's thick neck slammed into her hands and moved her chest more upright. He had taken it. Vivian was far too forward over the jump, way to ahead of Riki, and she lost a stirrup upon landing, but Riki didn't falter as his hooves dug into the sand.

His Girl was out of place. She had lost her balance between the fences. Riki felt the empty iron slam against his side as he landed in the sand, and he flinched. He veered sideways to the left but was faced by another fence. He was instantly relieved when he felt pressure from His Girl on his mouth, guiding him gently off to the right.

Vivian tried to compose herself off of the fence as the stirrup slipped out from under her toe. When Riki shied from the sharp pressure on his right side, she was unprepared. But she quickly recovered and guided him off to the right in a 180° turn towards the next fence. She kept Riki cantering while she tried to catch her stirrup, but it's rhythm had been off-set, and it swung back and forth along Riki's side wildly.

The swinging iron was more than a little distracting to Riki who tried to carry on normally. He felt His Girl's toe prodding against his side abnormally as she tried to catch the iron. He was frightened that she would fall, but the pressure she kept applying to his sides told him to keep going. He fought against his better judgment and carried His Girl to the fourth fence.

Vivian quit looking for the "damned iron" as she would later call it and focused on reverting back to to the basics of horsemanship. She knew that there was absolutely no way to get the stirrup back at the moment, but after this fourth fence there was a longer break between the next two. Riki cantered on like a champ up to the next fence. It was just a single, praise God, and as he launched over it, Vivian gave him his mouth while she held on for dear life with her legs.

Riki realized that His Girl was just trying to stay on when she gripped his sides so tightly over the fence. He just focused on getting over the fence and not stopping. He flattened out over the fence, pressing his legs up to his chest and then unfolding and extending his legs to touch the ground. He kept his head high and his chest lifted upon landing in order to keep His Girl in the saddle.

Vivian braced herself for the landing, gripping Riki's sides with the insides of her calves. She tried as hard as she possibly could to not hinder Riki in his performance. Vivian held herself up upon landing and allowed herself to sit in the saddle as she guided Riki in a very large 180° turn across the entire arena towards the opposite rail where the next fences were. As Riki cantered evenly for her, Vivian reached down and steadied the swinging leathers and iron.

Riki used up all of the space provided in the arena as he circled around towards the next line of fences. He felt His Girl fumbling for her stirrup again, her toe searching up and down his round side. Riki felt her uneven seat on his back suddenly shift as her toe slipped into the iron and she was able to rise to a half seat. Happily, Riki increased his speed in the canter and his ears pricked up as they approached the next fence.

Relief flooded Vivian as her toe finally slipped back into the swinging iron. She lifted herself off of Riki's back into a gentle half seat. As Riki increased his speed, she allowed him. Collecting Riki right before the fence, they took off in perfect sync and soared over the fence effortlessly.
--
Cecilia had the clamp her hands over her mouth when Vivian lost her stirrup to keep herself from screaming. She held her breath in anxiety as Vivian fumbled and Riki shied. She pressed her eyes closed and waited for shouts for a medic when Vivian decided to take Riki over that fourth fence without her stirrup. Was she CRAZY?!

When no one screamed after a few seconds, Cecilia peeked through her fingers and was amazed to see Vivian still perched atop the large bay stallion. Cecilia watched as she regained her stirrup and headed for the next fence. As Vivian completed the next four jumps inside of the arena, Cecilia vowed that she would get a Show Jumping trainer for Riki who had more experience than Vivian did.

As Vivian and Riki galloped wildly from the sandy arena and headed out across the snowy ground towards the rest of the course, Cecilia knew that she could breath a sigh of relief now that they were out in the open.
They were in their element now.


Riki, Vi and Cecilia © Me, =walktrotcanter7
Reference used to draw Riki and Vivian! I drew this MONTHS ago and have since misplaced it.
Ref for writing out the navigation of the course:
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Comments: 123

walktrotcanter7 In reply to ??? [2011-12-29 19:33:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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WinterRiverAC In reply to ??? [2011-12-29 18:54:27 +0000 UTC]

I think Vivian is cold >> Riki looks happy as a bunny!
Good luck!!!

~Rissa

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to WinterRiverAC [2011-12-29 19:00:37 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, Rissa! xD And you'd be surprised! Even though it wasn't a cross country course, I used to start sweating in a fleece sweater when I rode in 3 feet of snow in PA. xD

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WinterRiverAC In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 20:27:46 +0000 UTC]

Very nice XD But oh ya i knwo what you mean.
When id ride big bear early in the mornings just after
the sun was peaking over the ridge i kept thinking
id be freezing. But wrapped up in my biking leathers
id start sweating and every time we got close to the
house id toss off a layer XD

~Rissa

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

walktrotcanter7 In reply to WinterRiverAC [2011-12-29 20:33:53 +0000 UTC]

Yup! When riding, I always find myself sweating. Even if it so windy and freezing, I ALWAYS end up taking off my coat and jackets after a few minutes. LOL

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WinterRiverAC In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 20:49:18 +0000 UTC]

Ya my horse kept thinking im nuts i swear lawl! XD

~Rissa

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Shotechi [2011-12-29 18:43:25 +0000 UTC]

Woow! Incredible *3*
I love the pose of the rider O: really striking.

And the story is just epic. I was listening to James Bond-music when I read it x'D fitting xD

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to Shotechi [2011-12-29 18:44:39 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

Oh, THANK YOU FOR READING THE STORY! I put a TON of effort into writing that.

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Shotechi In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 18:48:22 +0000 UTC]

I always read the story
Reeeeally, really well done *3*

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to Shotechi [2011-12-29 19:00:52 +0000 UTC]

Oh, thank you! Thank you!

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horsesrule813 In reply to ??? [2011-12-29 18:38:30 +0000 UTC]

WOW THIS LOOKS AMAZING

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to horsesrule813 [2011-12-29 18:41:24 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!!!

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horsesrule813 In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 19:02:28 +0000 UTC]

No probs

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Boooberry In reply to ??? [2011-12-29 18:36:33 +0000 UTC]

wow wow wow! This looks amazing!
The motion and the horse`s pose are so intense! And I really love your backgrounds, I envy your skills for drawing trees. I suck at them. XD

I wish the best of luck to these two!

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to Boooberry [2011-12-29 18:40:30 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I put so, so much into this entry, this entire show! Those trees almost KILLED me! I nearly lost my sanity drawing them. I looked up so much artwork to reference off of in order to draw them. LMAO Thank you, Eva!

I hope they do well. And if not, I still had SO much fun at this show, it's how I met *CubanacanWarmbloods !

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Boooberry In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 18:49:30 +0000 UTC]

You are very welcome! . Respect for the trees and all the hard work, lol. I myself would never have the patience.
and also, ohmai, what a story. .. WOW! it brings the reader right into the action, simply amazing! I love how it lets us into Riki`s head, and you also portrayed the course and the action of the competition beautifully!

Pffffff with such a great entry and that ton of extra pics, they will surely do an amazing job!

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to Boooberry [2011-12-29 19:21:11 +0000 UTC]

Well... I did it over the course of several days. But the trees did take GREAT patience. xD

I am so glad you read it! I hope people read it. I put so much time into it. LOL I wrote part from Riki's perspective because of how you did it for your horses. I wanted to try it out and figured that this would be perfect. ^^

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Boooberry In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 19:24:26 +0000 UTC]

gawd I seriously admire you .. and your patience!

Of course I did. XD It sucks you in totally, I was doomed after the first paragraph. You wrote it beautifully, and its totally worth the time it took! it is indeed perfect. I will practice this more often as well, with entries for bigger shows.

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walktrotcanter7 In reply to Boooberry [2011-12-29 19:36:07 +0000 UTC]

Well... The admiration is mutual. ^^

Aaaaaah! THANK YOU!!! It means a lot when people read my stories and then let me know what they think of them. ^^

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Boooberry In reply to walktrotcanter7 [2011-12-29 19:41:09 +0000 UTC]

aawwww ..

Hehe you`re welcome!

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sobreiros In reply to ??? [2011-12-29 18:33:24 +0000 UTC]

Whoa! This looks amazing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

walktrotcanter7 In reply to sobreiros [2011-12-29 18:35:18 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! It took DAYS!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0


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