Flying Finish

A Story by Autumn Takatch

short story again. that's all I write, for now anyway

By: Autumn Takatch Flying Finish

I knew today was Saturday, the heat blazed searing and burning all who entered its fiery domain. The girl and her seventeen hand horse had been up next to tackle the twisting and winding jumping course. The jitters of the last run of the day sunk into the the nerves of the girl making her mount dance and sway. There were big striped oxers, stoned walls, flowery graves, and others. Horses of every shape, size, and color came to compete or have a glimpse of the demanding course in all its turmoil. This is when a blonde petite girl came riding in head down preparing for the moment that would either forever change their lives for the good, or bad.

It had come up to the very last turn the girl and her horse were cantering steadily around it and towards the oxer. This jump loomed in front of the pair promising difficulty with intimidating red stripes, flowers, and other brightly contraptions to divert horse and rider's attention. The soft, deep, and ruddy colored sand turned up flying dirt chunks to the hoofbeats of a three step gait.

The dark bay thoroughbreds gleaming coat caught the evening sun's rays lighting up the fibrous hairs making them seem afire. The salty sweat stinging and dripping off both in wet sheens ricocheting backward after every rhythmic pace of the bays flaring nostrils taking in deep humid fast breaths. Racing on the rider poised with a look of hard determination set deep in the pale lines awarding the girls face with the confidence of a clear round pressed forward the geldings ground eating stride immediately closing the distance between.

Almost in slow motion they approached the five-foot jump. The horse hesitating momentarily at the jumps absurdness and contrast in color throwing off his stride. The rider digs in her heels frustrated and pushing the bay faster with all her might urging him on with the lights blaring and blinding the eyes permanently making the jump in what seemed like lengthening darkness.

The crowd in the stands gasp and everything goes stock still as the horses powerful haunches dig deep into the sand springing into the air looking to be with wings carrying them across the obstacle. Soaring in the breeze for what felt like minutes with the geldings knees snapped to his chin he puts every last ounce of muscle bound strength to make his rider proud.

His hind legs clips the rail and teeters about to bounce off the holdings but somehow a miracle occurs and it stays in place with the rider leaned over the mane her fingers and twisted almost in embrace in the black mass of mane whipping in every recess of the blondes face.

The crowd explodes in applause, cheering, screaming, and wolf whistles while both touch the ground for a flying finish!! Snorting and pawing the thoroughbred gives a huge buck in excitement while there was not any doubt. They HAD won!