It was the beginning of the Worlds FEI Cup, an extremely important and significant event that requires months of training for both horse and rider. The three-day event involves dressage, eventing and jumping.
It was the morning of October 13th 1993, when Jane Grey approached her 17hand black eventer. It was a big morning, as both horse and rider was about to embark on one of their most momentous event of their careers. Naturally both athletes were extremely nervous, the butterflies weren’t helped when it was overheard earlier that morning that Jane was expected to have a nervous break-down and embarrass herself in front of everyone present in the stadium and national television. “Morning handsome” She whispered to Chestar, he answered with a lit whinny his eyes shinning at the sight of his beloved rider. “You ready for today?”
He blew a raspberry in response, Jane knew her partner well enough to know what he meant, it was very unlike Chestar to be blowing raspberries, and it usually meant he was unsure of something.
“Yea, me too” Jane answered simply.
It was left unspoken but both were nervous and uneasy. Jane’s hands trembled as she gently caressed Chestar’s head, he in turn was very unlike his playful self, his ears and eyes were circulating the room alertly.
It was an hour before they were making their first appearance; Jane was up in the lockers running last minute strategies through her head as she was pulling on her show jacket. The grooms were finishing with Chestar. The course was being checked by the commentators and the judges were refreshing their memories on rules and regulations. The stage was set.
10:00 am Jane Grey mounted her steed.
10:15 am, Chestar and Jane Grey left the warm up ring for the starting post.
Jane felt her heart beating in her mouth, Chestar was moving uneasily from side to side beneath her.
The starting bell sounded.
Chestar leapt with astounding power onto the course his muscles tensing and relaxing in unison and even intervals as he took on each jump with flying grace, ferocity and eagerness. Jane Grey was standing firmly on each impediment looking for the next hurdle that stood in their way, team work between the two was almost clockwork as horse and rider seem to be reading each other’s minds.
They were finally approaching the final obstacle: a six meter wide watering ditch with three ox-bow jumps towards the end. Water had always been Chestar’s best field, as his ears pricked forward and picked himself into a gallop, Jane eased her reigns to hand over control, she knew he wouldn’t let her down.
Chestar entered the water.
The cold, he flinched.
His haunches lifted.
He scooted from under Jane as he tried to dodge the sudden shock.
Jane Grey lost a stirrup she struggled to latch her foot back on as she also desperately tryied to steer Chestar into the right direction.
They made it.
First place.
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