Deviation Actions
Description
“Hey young blood,
Doesn’t it feel like our time is running out?
I’m gonna change you like a remix
Then I’ll raise you like a Phoenix”
- Fall Out Boy, The Phoenix
Horse: Emerald’s Alpha Phoenicis
Rider: Lu Emerald
Show: SlightlyMad’s Third Annual All-Showjumping Show
Class: Speed Derby
Avertisement: fav.me/dc11q6f
Extra images: fav.me/dc4syqe, sta.sh/011rm7avwu6s
S T O R Y (531 words)
A soft breeze races past. The cold wind sharpening your senses and preparing you for what’s coming.
It isn’t long before your name is called. You can feel your stresslevel rising with each step your loyal companion takes toward the arena.
‘No, stop’, you tell yourself, ‘No need to stress, I can do this. We can do this.’
Those words are enough to give you some courage. You send your mare the signal to go into a gallop and off you go, riding around the arena.
You look over the parcours, mapping all the jumps and repeating the route in your head. Gently tugging the reins, you send the horse off to the first jump. You can feel her speeding up. One stride, two strides, three... You get into jumping position and you can feel the force the mare uses in her hindlegs as she frees herself from the ground. You’re flying, high in the sky and liberated from all your worries. Your equine lands with a thud, sand flying up and hitting you in the eye. You have no time to pay attention to it though, because you need to concentrate. The setting sun casts an orange glow on the second jump, making it’s fire look vibrant and dangerous. You hear your heart stutter, wondering if your horse will get scared and refuse to jump. The mare isn’t afraid at all though, and she lifts both of you off the ground. Once you come down, you turn her head towards the next jump. She quickens her pace and takes off a little too early. Everything seems to slow down. The strength she used for the take off might compromise though, you tell yourself. Besides that, you had a lot of speed. You see how your mare tugs her frontlegs in, almost hitting herself in the face while doing so. ‘Please let us make it, please, please, please...’, you beg to every single god or powerful deity there is. But gravity is ruthless and mean. It pulls you down and before you know it, you and your horse are back on the ground again. You hear another thud though, and watch in horror as the upper pole falls onto the damp sand of the arena. You faintly hear the crowd gasp, the sound echoing in your head. You ignore it and move on, telling your companion to go faster to make up for the time loss.
The next jump goes much better. You are able to continue in a quick tempo and you can see your companion enjoying it. Her ears are perked forward and her head alert. You smile to yourself.
She clears the next few jumps and it seems like gravity has taken mercy on you.
Your breath is ragged when you approach the last jump. One last time you bend forward into jumping position and feel the air stroke your cheeks as the mare clears the last jump. The crowd cheers for you and you can’t help but smile. You give your horse a pat on the shoulder and laugh out loud. In the sunlight she looks like she’s on fire.
Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes.
(C) Art, Phoenix and Lu by me
Reference image:
www.pinterest.com/pin/59109813…
