Untitled
Jasmine Lee '17
I stood proudly next to my handsome, sleek white stallion. My hand was rubbing his forehead as he bent his neck to look for the treats in my pockets, openly displaying the large, blue, first-place ribbon on his bridle. The gentle breeze from the sea that surrounded our island on all sides tousled his mane, and I lifted a hand to fix it affectionately.
I couldn’t stop grinning. My teammates surrounded me on all sides, clamoring and shouting in joy and congratulations. I had done it yet again. Seven years ago I had made my name famous when I became the youngest person to win the Championship for showjumping on Champion, the stallion who stood next to me currently. The pair of us haven’t lost since.
“Alex Brown!” I turned as someone shouted my name. I knew who it was even before he roughly pushed my teammates aside to face me. Jack Smith, my arch-nemesis and rival for around nine years. He stood there panting for a moment. His fists were clenched around his crop, which, I saw with disgust, was coated in blood. I thought briefly back to the handsome black stallion that he rode earlier, King. I couldn’t bear to think of the horse now covered in vicious cuts and bruises from Jack’s riding crop.
“Good afternoon, Jack. Is there something I can do for you?” I asked politely. Suddenly, the tip of Jack’s crop was under my chin, and I placed a calming hand on Champion as he nickered warningly to Jack. I raised a calm eyebrow.
“I believe we both know who that blue ribbon belongs to, Alex. Hand it over, cheater!”
“And why would I do that? I believe I beat you by three seconds in the jump-off round.”
“You cheated!” I raised another eyebrow.
“With so many officials looking on? How have I cheated? All of our horses got thoroughly tested for steroids and calming IV’s.” Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know how! But that ribbon is mine! It has always been mine. You have never deserved that ribbon! Not the first time, not ever. The judges just pitied you seven years ago because your stupid parents died in that car crash!” Suddenly, Jack was pulled off of me roughly. I looked up to see an official frowning at him. I smiled slightly. That official had been here for years. He knew about Jack’s extreme bitterness and jealousy towards me.
“What is going on here?” he asked. Sam, my best friend and teammate, piped up quickly.
“Jack was angry that Alex had won the blue ribbon instead of him. He accused him of cheating, sir.” The official looked Jack over coldly and asked, “Did you now?” Jack clenched his teeth, but said nothing. The official glanced at me quickly. His eyes narrowed.
“Is that blood on your chin, son?” I quickly wiped the blood off.
“It’s from his crop, sir,” I responded quietly. The official held out his hand, and Jack gave the crop to the official. The official’s expression grew hard.
“Am I to understand that this is your stallion’s blood, Mr. Smith?” Jack still remained silent. The official nodded.
“I can’t prove you have beaten your stallion, Mr. Smith. But it also breaks my heart to know that you have. Therefore, as long as you stay away from Mr. Brown here, nothing more will happen today. If I see you doing anything in the future, however.…” The official turned and walked away without another word. Jack and I looked at each other again.
“Until next time then, Alex! Next time, that blue ribbon will hang off my horse’s bridle! Don’t doubt that,” Jack spun on his heel and stormed away from me.
A few months of rigorous training later, I returned to my small flat a short walk up the gravel path of the stables that led to the main road. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, the owners of the stables, were relaxing on the porch of their house, which was next to my flat. They had generously adopted me after my parent’s death by a car accident seven years ago when I was fifteen, and they gave me the flat next to their house, knowing that I was a lone wolf and would appreciate the space. By that time in my life, I was already spending all of my time here. I was already the best rider, despite my youth. I spent my days working here as a groom, rider, and trainer, jobs that I still do around here on top of training the rest of the team with the help of Mr. Anderson. Even then, people joked that I had one foot on the ground and the other in a stirrup.
I know all the horses better than I know myself, and I’ve trained all of them to become top showjumping horses. I met Champion when he was ten years old, and we immediately bonded. That horse is my life, and I’ve trained him into becoming the best showjumping horse on the island. I first entered Champion into Preliminaries when I was thirteen and that is where I met Jack. That was his first show, but he thought that he would win, despite his lack of experience. I, however, had years of experience showing at countless shows on countless horses. Champion and I won at Prelims, and Jack and I had our first confrontation.
I sighed and shook my head to clear it from all the memories. We still had one month left until our Prelims show. It would take place on October 1st. I, certainly, had high hopes.
Many months later in late May, I was dreaming of the upcoming Championship in late June. My dream soon turned into my worst nightmare, but it really wasn’t a nightmare at all.
I jerked awake from my lovely dream by the terrified screams of horses, sounds I never knew horses were capable of, but they were coming from my horses. The next thing I knew, I had thrown open the door after throwing on my clothes. My heart stopped.
The stable, my stable, was on fire. It was still early enough for the fire to be fairly small, only licking at the front right corner. I glanced at the Anderson’s house. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were watching in horror and shock.
“What are you doing?” I yelled, “Call the fire department! Get the team out here! We need help! Quickly!” I sprinted faster then ever before toward the nearest entrance to the stable, my brain focusing only on the safety of the horses that I loved so dearly. I plunged the key into the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. Only then did I see the wooden boards that had been nailed to the door and the wall, sealing the entrance. It was then that I realized that this was no accident. I ran to the nearest window, but I stopped in dismay. The windows were nailed shut. Now I was starting to truly panic, and I couldn’t stop thinking that this was all my fault.
I was running out of time. The fire was getting bigger by the second, and the screams of the horses only grew in magnitude. All I could think about was that River, a grey mare who occupied the corner stall, which was currently burning, could die. More importantly, Champion was in the stall next to her.
My gaze suddenly snapped to the small pond right next to the stable. I sprinted towards it, ripping off my jacket and soaking it quickly in water. As I dashed back, my eyes widened to see that the fire had already burned a hole large enough for a horse to fit through. I could see River’s terrified, soot stained face, and I knew what I needed to do now.
Some patches of fire still dotted the ground. I threw my wet jacket on the ground to extinguish them before picking it back up and facing the hole. I was terrified. I was so, so unbelievably terrified. I wondered briefly if it would be better to just stand back and remain unharmed. Then, I heard Champion scream, a sound that motivated me more than anything ever will. I ran inside without another thought. I snatched River’s halter off the hook and pulled it over her. I tugged her forward towards the ever growing hole, but she refused to move.
“Come on, girl. Come on. We have to get you out. Come on.” She still wouldn’t budge, and I knew she was afraid of the flames that danced just in front of us. I tore off my shirt and folded it over her eyes. I pulled her head down close to mine, and I began to sing and hum comforting tunes. Slowly, she started walking forward, calmed slightly by the sound of my voice and her inability to see the flames. She began to walk faster, until we were both outside again. I saw Sam and my teammates, who were just barely visible in the dark night, in front of me. I handed River’s lead rope to Sam and ran back in.
Excruciatingly slowly, I led the horses out one by one, as I sang as best as I could to each one of them. When the fire department finally arrived, I was just leading the horse that occupied the last stall out. I handed him to one of my teammates, and collapsed from exhaustion.
“Water,” I croaked. My lungs were coated in soot and ash, and I was having trouble breathing. One of the firefighters handed me a cup, and I drank greedily. Then, I saw them. A few of my teammates were holding Jack and some members of his team, all of whom were squirming and struggling. My expression hardened. I knew who had started this fire the moment I laid eyes on the nailed door, but seeing Jack filled me with rage like nothing else ever could. Before I knew it, I had launched myself at him with an angry scream that transformed into a sob as someone pulled me back. I struggled and struggled against that someone to let me go and attack the man that had set the place on fire, tried to kill my horses, endangered Champion’s life.
Suddenly a police car pulled up. An officer stepped out of the car and asked, “What’s happened?” he asked. Mrs. Anderson stepped forward.
“These boys,” she responded, pointing at Jack and his friends, “purposefully set my stables on fire, and they tried to kill all of my horses as well. If Alex hadn’t risked his life to save them, most of them would probably be dead.” The officer raised an eyebrow.
“Is there any proof that these boys started the fire?” Sam stepped forward.
“Yes, sir. We found this tank of gasoline. It has the name ‘Smith’ and the address of Jack Smith, the name of the man over there,” he nodded at Jack, “This tank of gasoline belongs to his family.” The officer nodded.
“All right. Boys,” he said turning to Jack and his friends, “I’m going to have to arrest you. There’ll be a trial later, but you’re coming with me for now.”
A month later, I sat in a chair next to the pond with my head in my hands. The horses had been relocated to the storage barn behind the burned down stable, which was now being rebuilt. Champion had been greatly injured from the fire, but I hadn’t noticed in my haste. He had been severely burned, and it was possible that he could die, a possibility that shattered my heart into tiny pieces, especially since I felt that his condition was my fault. I should have tried to get along with Jack better. I should have predicted something like this would happen. I should have let Jack win to prevent him from becoming so angry.
“Well?” I asked as the vet suddenly sat down next to me. He looked down for a moment.
“He’s not good. He’s just given up. He’s not even fighting anymore. He has lost his will to survive. I couldn’t even get him to move at all. I…I’m very sorry to say this, Alex, but he will probably die soon if he doesn’t start fighting.” I ran my hands through my hair.
“How do you know he’s stopped fighting?”
“You can see it in his eyes and in how he refuses to move even the tiniest bit as he lays there in his stall.” I nodded and stood up.
“I’m going to go visit him.” The vet nodded. When I reached Champion’s stall, the sight that greeted my eyes pained me. The vet was right. The defeat was plain in Champion’s eyes. I entered and sat next to him, pulling his white head into my lap. I don’t know how long I sat there, crying, sobbing, and pleading for Champion to fight for his life.
Then, suddenly, Champion lifted his great head to look at me. I looked back at him, not breathing or blinking an eye. After a moment, he began to move his neck, then his legs, and then his body, as he slowly pushed himself forward. He nickered softly to me, and put his nose next to my face. I gasped in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet. Champion reared painfully and whinnied, and I was screaming and shouting for the vet because I knew. I knew Champion was going to live. It was clear in his eyes. The fight and fire in him returned, and he became the stallion I loved so much once again. Whenever his determination had been so evident in the past, he was always about to attempt something difficult for him and succeed.
Suddenly, it didn’t matter that I would not compete in this year’s Championship. It didn’t matter that someone else would take this year’s blue ribbon. It didn’t matter that Jack and his friends had been punished too lightly with only 5 years in prison. Champion was going to be with me for many more years to come, and that is all that mattered.
I couldn’t stop grinning. My teammates surrounded me on all sides, clamoring and shouting in joy and congratulations. I had done it yet again. Seven years ago I had made my name famous when I became the youngest person to win the Championship for showjumping on Champion, the stallion who stood next to me currently. The pair of us haven’t lost since.
“Alex Brown!” I turned as someone shouted my name. I knew who it was even before he roughly pushed my teammates aside to face me. Jack Smith, my arch-nemesis and rival for around nine years. He stood there panting for a moment. His fists were clenched around his crop, which, I saw with disgust, was coated in blood. I thought briefly back to the handsome black stallion that he rode earlier, King. I couldn’t bear to think of the horse now covered in vicious cuts and bruises from Jack’s riding crop.
“Good afternoon, Jack. Is there something I can do for you?” I asked politely. Suddenly, the tip of Jack’s crop was under my chin, and I placed a calming hand on Champion as he nickered warningly to Jack. I raised a calm eyebrow.
“I believe we both know who that blue ribbon belongs to, Alex. Hand it over, cheater!”
“And why would I do that? I believe I beat you by three seconds in the jump-off round.”
“You cheated!” I raised another eyebrow.
“With so many officials looking on? How have I cheated? All of our horses got thoroughly tested for steroids and calming IV’s.” Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know how! But that ribbon is mine! It has always been mine. You have never deserved that ribbon! Not the first time, not ever. The judges just pitied you seven years ago because your stupid parents died in that car crash!” Suddenly, Jack was pulled off of me roughly. I looked up to see an official frowning at him. I smiled slightly. That official had been here for years. He knew about Jack’s extreme bitterness and jealousy towards me.
“What is going on here?” he asked. Sam, my best friend and teammate, piped up quickly.
“Jack was angry that Alex had won the blue ribbon instead of him. He accused him of cheating, sir.” The official looked Jack over coldly and asked, “Did you now?” Jack clenched his teeth, but said nothing. The official glanced at me quickly. His eyes narrowed.
“Is that blood on your chin, son?” I quickly wiped the blood off.
“It’s from his crop, sir,” I responded quietly. The official held out his hand, and Jack gave the crop to the official. The official’s expression grew hard.
“Am I to understand that this is your stallion’s blood, Mr. Smith?” Jack still remained silent. The official nodded.
“I can’t prove you have beaten your stallion, Mr. Smith. But it also breaks my heart to know that you have. Therefore, as long as you stay away from Mr. Brown here, nothing more will happen today. If I see you doing anything in the future, however.…” The official turned and walked away without another word. Jack and I looked at each other again.
“Until next time then, Alex! Next time, that blue ribbon will hang off my horse’s bridle! Don’t doubt that,” Jack spun on his heel and stormed away from me.
A few months of rigorous training later, I returned to my small flat a short walk up the gravel path of the stables that led to the main road. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, the owners of the stables, were relaxing on the porch of their house, which was next to my flat. They had generously adopted me after my parent’s death by a car accident seven years ago when I was fifteen, and they gave me the flat next to their house, knowing that I was a lone wolf and would appreciate the space. By that time in my life, I was already spending all of my time here. I was already the best rider, despite my youth. I spent my days working here as a groom, rider, and trainer, jobs that I still do around here on top of training the rest of the team with the help of Mr. Anderson. Even then, people joked that I had one foot on the ground and the other in a stirrup.
I know all the horses better than I know myself, and I’ve trained all of them to become top showjumping horses. I met Champion when he was ten years old, and we immediately bonded. That horse is my life, and I’ve trained him into becoming the best showjumping horse on the island. I first entered Champion into Preliminaries when I was thirteen and that is where I met Jack. That was his first show, but he thought that he would win, despite his lack of experience. I, however, had years of experience showing at countless shows on countless horses. Champion and I won at Prelims, and Jack and I had our first confrontation.
I sighed and shook my head to clear it from all the memories. We still had one month left until our Prelims show. It would take place on October 1st. I, certainly, had high hopes.
Many months later in late May, I was dreaming of the upcoming Championship in late June. My dream soon turned into my worst nightmare, but it really wasn’t a nightmare at all.
I jerked awake from my lovely dream by the terrified screams of horses, sounds I never knew horses were capable of, but they were coming from my horses. The next thing I knew, I had thrown open the door after throwing on my clothes. My heart stopped.
The stable, my stable, was on fire. It was still early enough for the fire to be fairly small, only licking at the front right corner. I glanced at the Anderson’s house. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were watching in horror and shock.
“What are you doing?” I yelled, “Call the fire department! Get the team out here! We need help! Quickly!” I sprinted faster then ever before toward the nearest entrance to the stable, my brain focusing only on the safety of the horses that I loved so dearly. I plunged the key into the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. Only then did I see the wooden boards that had been nailed to the door and the wall, sealing the entrance. It was then that I realized that this was no accident. I ran to the nearest window, but I stopped in dismay. The windows were nailed shut. Now I was starting to truly panic, and I couldn’t stop thinking that this was all my fault.
I was running out of time. The fire was getting bigger by the second, and the screams of the horses only grew in magnitude. All I could think about was that River, a grey mare who occupied the corner stall, which was currently burning, could die. More importantly, Champion was in the stall next to her.
My gaze suddenly snapped to the small pond right next to the stable. I sprinted towards it, ripping off my jacket and soaking it quickly in water. As I dashed back, my eyes widened to see that the fire had already burned a hole large enough for a horse to fit through. I could see River’s terrified, soot stained face, and I knew what I needed to do now.
Some patches of fire still dotted the ground. I threw my wet jacket on the ground to extinguish them before picking it back up and facing the hole. I was terrified. I was so, so unbelievably terrified. I wondered briefly if it would be better to just stand back and remain unharmed. Then, I heard Champion scream, a sound that motivated me more than anything ever will. I ran inside without another thought. I snatched River’s halter off the hook and pulled it over her. I tugged her forward towards the ever growing hole, but she refused to move.
“Come on, girl. Come on. We have to get you out. Come on.” She still wouldn’t budge, and I knew she was afraid of the flames that danced just in front of us. I tore off my shirt and folded it over her eyes. I pulled her head down close to mine, and I began to sing and hum comforting tunes. Slowly, she started walking forward, calmed slightly by the sound of my voice and her inability to see the flames. She began to walk faster, until we were both outside again. I saw Sam and my teammates, who were just barely visible in the dark night, in front of me. I handed River’s lead rope to Sam and ran back in.
Excruciatingly slowly, I led the horses out one by one, as I sang as best as I could to each one of them. When the fire department finally arrived, I was just leading the horse that occupied the last stall out. I handed him to one of my teammates, and collapsed from exhaustion.
“Water,” I croaked. My lungs were coated in soot and ash, and I was having trouble breathing. One of the firefighters handed me a cup, and I drank greedily. Then, I saw them. A few of my teammates were holding Jack and some members of his team, all of whom were squirming and struggling. My expression hardened. I knew who had started this fire the moment I laid eyes on the nailed door, but seeing Jack filled me with rage like nothing else ever could. Before I knew it, I had launched myself at him with an angry scream that transformed into a sob as someone pulled me back. I struggled and struggled against that someone to let me go and attack the man that had set the place on fire, tried to kill my horses, endangered Champion’s life.
Suddenly a police car pulled up. An officer stepped out of the car and asked, “What’s happened?” he asked. Mrs. Anderson stepped forward.
“These boys,” she responded, pointing at Jack and his friends, “purposefully set my stables on fire, and they tried to kill all of my horses as well. If Alex hadn’t risked his life to save them, most of them would probably be dead.” The officer raised an eyebrow.
“Is there any proof that these boys started the fire?” Sam stepped forward.
“Yes, sir. We found this tank of gasoline. It has the name ‘Smith’ and the address of Jack Smith, the name of the man over there,” he nodded at Jack, “This tank of gasoline belongs to his family.” The officer nodded.
“All right. Boys,” he said turning to Jack and his friends, “I’m going to have to arrest you. There’ll be a trial later, but you’re coming with me for now.”
A month later, I sat in a chair next to the pond with my head in my hands. The horses had been relocated to the storage barn behind the burned down stable, which was now being rebuilt. Champion had been greatly injured from the fire, but I hadn’t noticed in my haste. He had been severely burned, and it was possible that he could die, a possibility that shattered my heart into tiny pieces, especially since I felt that his condition was my fault. I should have tried to get along with Jack better. I should have predicted something like this would happen. I should have let Jack win to prevent him from becoming so angry.
“Well?” I asked as the vet suddenly sat down next to me. He looked down for a moment.
“He’s not good. He’s just given up. He’s not even fighting anymore. He has lost his will to survive. I couldn’t even get him to move at all. I…I’m very sorry to say this, Alex, but he will probably die soon if he doesn’t start fighting.” I ran my hands through my hair.
“How do you know he’s stopped fighting?”
“You can see it in his eyes and in how he refuses to move even the tiniest bit as he lays there in his stall.” I nodded and stood up.
“I’m going to go visit him.” The vet nodded. When I reached Champion’s stall, the sight that greeted my eyes pained me. The vet was right. The defeat was plain in Champion’s eyes. I entered and sat next to him, pulling his white head into my lap. I don’t know how long I sat there, crying, sobbing, and pleading for Champion to fight for his life.
Then, suddenly, Champion lifted his great head to look at me. I looked back at him, not breathing or blinking an eye. After a moment, he began to move his neck, then his legs, and then his body, as he slowly pushed himself forward. He nickered softly to me, and put his nose next to my face. I gasped in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet. Champion reared painfully and whinnied, and I was screaming and shouting for the vet because I knew. I knew Champion was going to live. It was clear in his eyes. The fight and fire in him returned, and he became the stallion I loved so much once again. Whenever his determination had been so evident in the past, he was always about to attempt something difficult for him and succeed.
Suddenly, it didn’t matter that I would not compete in this year’s Championship. It didn’t matter that someone else would take this year’s blue ribbon. It didn’t matter that Jack and his friends had been punished too lightly with only 5 years in prison. Champion was going to be with me for many more years to come, and that is all that mattered.