(LOL-I was bored and thanks me like ur stories too!!!! )
30 minutes later, Ashleigh and Mona were in Stardust’s stall. Mona had only seen the foal right after he’d been born.
“Isn’t he cute?” Ashleigh asked, her friend, not taking her eyes off the foal.
Mona nodded her head strongly.
“He sure is, Ash. I just wish I could get Frisky to have a foal. Teehee. Wouldn’t that be adorable,” Mona cooed.
Ashleigh frowned a little. “Yes…”
“And, he’d be a little champion just like his mommy, stealing the blue ribbon,” Mona went on.
She gave the foal a little gesture.
“Hey! Who says Frisky’s foal would steal the ribbon?” Ashleigh argued, playfully. She gave Stardust and her foal a piece of apple she’d been saving just for them.
Mona leaned against Stardust. “Well,” she began. “For starters we’re going to win the show no matter what, Frisky and I that is”
But Ashleigh didn’t let her finish.
“Take that back Little Miss Competitive!” She shreiked, then clasped a hand over her mouth and blushed.
Mona giggled. Then Ashleigh too joined her.
“Come on, pal. Let’s go get a snack. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.” Ashleigh suggested.
So the two girls went up to the house to grab a quick snack and an apple for Ty who they were going to work with next.
Re: Ashleigh (PG-13 for now...may change)
“Ty!” Ashleigh cooed, “Come here, boy. Look what we’ve brought you, big boy!” Ashleigh outstretched her arm towards the gelding. He titled his head at her from where he was standing at the back of the stall. His ears pricked forwards at them and a sweet expression on his face.
“Aww” Mona cooed now too. “He’s adorable!”
Ashleigh nodded, “I know! I cant wait to see what he can do!” she exclaimed and lifted the latch to the stall door.
Ty, this time noticing the apple, lurched forward.
“Easy boy! It’s only me! You’ve seen me around havent you! But never did I think then I’d actually be riding you!” Ashleigh stroked his neck, gently. “Pass me a curry comb will you, Mona. If you want you can go over him with a body brush. I’m sure he’s dusty. I don’t remember him being ridden in ages!”
So Mona, left the stall and handed Ashleigh the green rubber curry comb. Then she went to do his coat, which as Ashleigh had guessed, was very dirty!
“He hasn’t been groomed in a long time, Ash.” Mona observed, going over his legs.
Ashleigh, who was all focused on Ty, nodded. “Yeah. I cant remember when he was last ridden,” she repeated. “But mom said he’d be okay. He’s quite gentle even though he’s still pretty young” she scratched his neck.
“I’ll go get his saddle be right,” Ashleigh began.
“It’s okay, Ash. I got it right here,” Jonas said coming up, interuppting. He carried an old stubben saddle which looked like it hadnt been used in quite sometime or hadn’t been cleaned in quite sometime. He also held a bridle with a flash noseband.
“Will I be needing that?” Ashleigh asked, reffering to the flash.
Jonas shook his head, “I don’t think so but it might be a good idea too”
Ashleigh shrugged.
Re: Ashleigh (PG-13 for now...may change)
Several minutes later, she, Jonas and Mona were in the ring outside near the road, Ashleigh leading Ty.
“Don’t forget to tighten his girth, this old guy knows most of the tricks in the manual if not all,” Jonas reminded.
Mona giggled. “Yeah, Frisky certainly knows of few of them herself. Here, Ash. I’ll hold the other stirrup while Jonas gives you a leg up,” she offered then held a hold of the stirrup.
“Nah. I don’t think you’ll need my help. Ty’s well trained you should be fine! But holler if you do, Elaine and Derek are out right now looking at something at the saddlery and picking up some feed” Jonas told them, then walked away into the barn.
Ashleigh put her foot into the stirrup and just as she was about to hop on, Ty danced sideways.
“Hey! It’s okay, Ty” she told him, patting his neck and tried again.
Same thing. Ty danced sideways nearly knocking over poor Mona.
“Here, I’ll try giving you a leg up,” Mona offered.
Ashleigh firmly shook her head, “No Mona. I can do it myself,” she told her friend, sternly.
Mona shrugged and backed away.
This time when she got her foot in, Ty stood still. “That’s a good boy” Ashleigh whispered to the horse. Once she was in the saddle she smiled down at Mona. “See. I can do it!”
“Right on, Ash!” Mona said, clapping.
Ty’s ears pricked forward at the clapping and he danced sideways.
“Whoa boy!” Ashleigh shouted, but it was too late, she landed on the ground.
Sitting up, Ty trotted over to Ashleigh and nuzzled her.
“What was that for?” Ashleigh demanded.
Then she heard giggling.
It wasn’t Mona. It was two people on top of horses. Actually only one was riding, the other was walking beside the one riding. It was Anne-Marie. She was on top of her horse not even 20 feet away.
Anne-Marie patted her horse’s neck.
“What are you doing here?” Ashleigh asked, angrily.
Anne-Marie only giggled. “I’m riding,”
“Yeah, on Ashleighs parents farm!” Mona retorted coming up beside Ashleigh.
Anne-Marie only laughed. She hopped down. “I am not. I’m on public riding area. Actually I was just on my way to my riding lesson,” she stroked her horse’s neck and smiled at the other person who was a boy, which they assumed was her boyfriend.
“Can you just please go?” Ashleigh asked, nearly ready to cry. Things had not gone the way she had expected.
“Alright, alright! I don’t really want to spend much time on this,” Anne-Marie paused and looked around Edgardale, “This little, dumb farm. I have better things to do. Including praticing for the show, which I’m going to win! Isn’t that right?” She turned towards the boy who nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Anne-Marie returned it, happily.
“Who’s your horse?” Mona asked, out of curiousity.
Anne-Marie grinned and left the boy’s arms briefly. “This is Lucky Charm- one of my three superb horses. Incase you didn’t know already, Lucky Charm is a very expensive, good horse. She has excellent paces and great movement,” Anne-Marie bragged.
Ashleigh shot Mona an evil look which said, ‘MONA! You and your big mouth!’ she growled under her breathe.
“C’mon Mark,” Anne-Marie told the boy, giving him a light kiss. He hugged her for a few moments and then got on.
Mona and Ashleigh watched in disgust as Anne-Marie got on, waved happily and then trotted away and smoothly popping into a beautiful rocking canter. As much as they hated to admit, she was right. The mare was beautiful, but that didn’t mean Ashleigh and Mona weren’t going to work hard.
Re: Ashleigh (PG-13 for now...may change)
A few days later, Ashleigh was in Ty’s stall. Her mother had just told her, after Ashleigh’s long explanation why her pants were so dirty from falling,( although she did not want her mother to think she could not ride Ty) that they might have to use a gel pad with Ty because his back muscles were so stiff. He also must have been really alarmed and startled by something when Mona had been over. Ashleigh had told herself she HAD to win! She couldn’t let Anne-Marie take home the prize, the gold and the blue ribbon. It just wasn’t right. Why did she have to be so into riding anyway? It was Ashleigh’s thing.
But there was no use in complaining. Anne-Marie had every right to like horses and riding.
“Hey Ash,” a voice said, coming up behind her. It was Jonas.
“Oh my gosh! Stop doing that!” She giggled out. Then blushed, “Sorry I didn’t mean it to sound like that”
“It’s ok,” Jonas said, casually, grabbing some haynets. “Want to help with the hay?” he asked.
Ashleigh nodded. She loved helping around the farm. Her farm, which she called it. Which it was, actually.
She scooped some flakes into each net, then went around to the stalls and tied them up for each of the horses.
Ashleigh enjoyed this, unlike her sister- the only one who didn’t, Caroline. Ashleigh thought of her sister’s disgusted face when she’d asked her if she’d like to help with Ty or the foal sometime. Then Caroline had gone back to her boring Teen Magazine and talking to her friends on the telephone. Ashleigh had only shrugged and then gone to the barn.
She went into Stardust’s stall and gave the mare a loving pat and her hay. The mare nudged her. Ashleigh smiled, “Hey big girl. You want some of this don’t you!” she showed the mare a big carrot. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been spending much time with you,” Ashleigh told the mare and leaned against her, while she happily ate. “It’s not that I don’t still love you. I’m helping out with Ty now!” She gave the mare a hug then went over to the foal, giving him a kiss on the tip of his soft, small velvet nose.
“He’s growing,” Mrs. Griffin said coming up to the stall.
Ashleigh whirled around, “Hi. Yeah he is!” she said in agreement.
For a few moments they stood in admiration as Stardust contently licked the foal clean with her smooth pink tongue.
“Have you decided on a name yet?” Mrs. Griffin wondered.
Ashleigh gasped. “No! I haven’t! Oh how dumb I am he doesn’t even have a name.” She frowned, angry at herself.
Mrs. Griffin laughed. “It takes a long think!” she exclaimed in Ashleigh’s defense. “Anyway there’s plenty of time. In the meanwhile you’ve got lots of things to do. Including Ty, training that foal- we need to get a halter on him before he gets to old and, and your homework!”
Ashleigh groaned at the thought of her homework. She had received a C on her math test- a few days ago.
“Speaking of homework…” Mrs. Griffin went on. “What did you get on that math test, Ash?” she asked, sweeping the aisle of the barn.
Hestitating, Ashleigh wasn’t sure what to say. If she told the truth, surely she would not be able to ride in the show or maybe even at all! If she lied…Ashleigh frowned. How could she think about lying to anyone especially her mother?! Ashleigh was not the sort of person who would do such a thing.
“Uh. Okay. I don’t really know for sure,” she mumbled. It was partly true. She’d only seen the C and it could of said C + or C-. Ashleigh wasn’t sure.
Mrs. Griffin nodded. “Hm. Okay. Well let me know when you do know. It’s very important to keep those grades up”
After she had left, Ashleigh rolled her eyes at her mother. That’s what she always said. Besides with Ashleigh’s great riding she’d earn enough money to buy a nicer farm then Anne-Marie could ever have!
Anne-Marie! Ashleigh hadn’t thought of that. Growling to herself as she went to sweep down another aisle she thought of ways she could win. If Ashleigh didn’t win, Anne-Marie would never stop bragging. If Mona won, that would be better then Miss Snob but still, Ashleigh desperately wanted to.
What am I doing? Ashleigh thought. Being so competitive! Frustrated at herself for the fifth time, Ashleigh swept some bits of shavings and hay out the door of the farm in slow easy strokes with a big flick at the end.
Re: Ashleigh (PG-13 for now...may change)
“Right on, Ashleigh!” Mona called, as Ashleigh pushed the big gelding into an easy trot. Mona was over at Ashleigh’s again, this time with Frisky, praticing. She stood still in the middle aboard her pretty mare, watching.
Ashleigh grinned. “Thanks” she answered, giving him a pat.
Ty was going beautifully for Ashleigh. Together they had done some big circles, transitions from walk to trot. Ty’s ears swished back and forth as Ashleigh asked him to go on into a faster smoother pace.
As she eased him on, Ty then gave out a surprised leap into canter, knocking Ashleigh onto his big neck.
“Whoa, Ash! You alright?” Mona hollered, trotting up on Frisky.
Regaining her balance, Ashleigh pushed herself off his neck. “I’m fine,” she snapped. “It was just a little leap, doesn’t matter!” then she turned away from her friend and urged Ty into a canter.
This time, he went nicely into it even though he was on the wrong lead, it was still a great canter.
Mona just shrugged then popped Frisky into a steady canter circle.
For a few minutes they just cantered around, although Ashleigh kept Ty a fair distance from Frisky because they didn’t really know each other yet.
“She’d going nicely,” Ashleigh finally told her friend, brining Ty to a halt.
Mona went around the ring once more than came in. “Thanks! I’m nearly ready for the show. I just need to do some more dressage and jumping with her,”
“Dressage?” Ashleigh repeated. She hadnt been aware there’d be dressage at this show.
“Yeah,” Mona went on. “There’s some basic tests and a course of jumps. Remember? And then the judges judge you on how well your test, course is. Then, Ash you’ll love this, you race down a small track once. Judged on time of course. Whoever has the highest average wins!”
“Wow! I didn’t know you knew so much about this!” Ashleigh gasped. It was a lot and as far as she was concerned- she was doomed! What if Ty couldn’t jump or do dressage? She had absolutely no chance of winning, even if she had a first on the racing- Ty’s best event. Ashleigh rarely even jumped Stardust. It was just the occasional log or two on the trails or the rare vertical. Dressage was a no-no. Ashleigh wanted to be a jockey, NOT an eventer. But she wanted to win the show.
“Is there anything else?” Ashleigh asked, timidly.
Mona nodded. “Yes,” she said in a fake know-it-all voice. “Grooming and conformation, although I don’t think it’s worth too much”
Hmm…Ashleigh thought. Ty had fairly good conformation and definitely could be well groomed! Ashleigh began to dream of him with a flowing mane and tail…
Re: Ashleigh (PG-13 for now...may change)
good good! lol love the conflict.lol anyway, have more soon!
Elegance...speed...stamina...
The power...the exhilaration...the grace...the excitment...
It all comes together to make up one great sport and one excellent horse...
Eventing
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