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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 9, 2011 10:51:35 GMT -5
Heaven. That's where Phoebe Caden Jones was right now. She'd just had an amazing ride with Tommy, and the weather just was that chilly, but warm kind that made your adrenaline pump. Or hers, at least. She'd decided it was warm enough to hose Thomas down, and had stuck him in his stall in a smart looking navy cooler with sky blue trim. 'All Aboard' was monogrammed on to one side, along with the name of the division they had won wherever she had gotten that. Tommy had about eight prize coolers, but this one was Phoebe's favorite.
Now the blonde was sitting on her tack trunk outside of Fiona's stall. The mare had been here almost four days now and she still hadn't quite settled. She paced nervously in her stall, and was the loudest horse in the barn. Usually Fiona was just an angel, but she hated being moved around. Yesterday, Phoebe had made the tough decision to leave her at North Creek for the Westbrook show and borrow one of John's horses.
Fiona stopped her pacing for a quick second to stick her lips through the stall bars to nip at Phoebe's hair. Phoebe turned around, holding her ponytail, then settled back into her previous position. She knew she should probably ride Chloe. The mare got bratty and out of shape quickly, and it was hard to get her back to normal.
Phoebe stood up to go grab tack, but stopped as she saw a rather familiar face.
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 9, 2011 11:11:26 GMT -5
Oliver had just finished riding his gelding Asher. The horse was being a pain, but he had to be ridden. Usually, he wasn't a complete and total idiot, but today, the horse felt the need to act up at every little thing. They hit several rails and every time the gelding had to buck a couple times. When he refused to jump a small oxer, Oliver was more than ready to give the horse several hard smacks with the stick. Riding Asher was really grating on the boy's nerves. The horse knew what it was supposed to do and he didn't do it. It wasn't the prettiest of rides, but Ollie had made his point that the horse was subordinate to the rider.
He walked back to the barn with a hot horse. If Ashton Creek was bad being ridden, he could be even worse on the ground. Every time the gelding reached over to try and wipe his face on Oliver, Oliver used part of the reins and flicked the horse in the shoulder. Idiot. This horse is insane. He keeps trying to rub his head all over me and every time he starts, I act on it. I don't change the reaction, but Asher seems to think I will. Stupid, stupid horse. At the entrance of the barn, the boy paused and his horse took the advantage to lick his shirt. "Asher! Quit it!" He jerked the reins and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
Inside the boarder's barn, Oliver could make out another figure up ahead. She looked familiar, but from that distance, he couldn't pinpoint a name. His five stalls were past the girl, so he'd have to pass her to be able to put Asher away. As he got closer, he recognized her more clearly. Phoebe Jones. They had ridden against each other more than once and he had to admit, Phoebe was a good rider. He stopped a few feet away since the boy didn't want his gelding getting any ideas about rubbing his head all over the girl. "Good day, Phoebe. I haven't seen you in awhile. How are you?"
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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 9, 2011 11:30:00 GMT -5
Oliver Dalton. She had competed against him a few times, enough to say he was a decent rider. Actually the last time they rode at the same show was probably last month, when she took Tommy and Fiona to the 11-12 Hunter Derby in Lexington. They hadn't been in the same division. Or if he had been, she didn't remember. But Phoebe's memory was a little off when it came to horse shows, so he may have not even been there at all.
Phoebe actually didn't recognize the horse he was holding. She knew Olliver had always had the same four, but this one was new to her. The longest time Phoebe had had a horse was three years, and that was Fiona.
The blond stood and answered his question. "Great, actually. Although my mare has been a nervous wreck all week." Phoebe gestured behind her toward Fiona, who had switched direction and was now pacing the other way. Olliver probably recognized Fiona. She did nab some spectacular titles at USHJA Finals this year.
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 9, 2011 14:02:44 GMT -5
Oliver William Dalton "Great, actually. Although my mare has been a nervous wreck all week."
He smiled slightly. He was well aware that Fiona could be unpredictable at times and with Asher, could seriously relate. Asher tried to take a step towards Phoebe, but was pushed back by his rider before the gelding could get anywhere. There was no way he was getting close enough to leave horse hairs all over her. With Asher's weird behavior, he had wisely not been taken to the Hunter Derby the previous month. The four that went were Oliver's usual, Doll, Tiny, Ollie, and Sherry. Even though both riders were in the AA ciruit, they hadn't entered the same classes outside of warmup rounds which really didn't count.
"Could just be the stress of moving, but that should have passed by now. Then again, Tiny Tim has been acting like there's a space monster in every stall--the coward. Still, Fiona has always been weird, or at least as much as I can remember from the shows." Ashton Creek was getting impatient. He pawed at the ground, begging to move. The horse also wanted to wipe his nose on something and there was Phoebe who might not be expecting a visit from the gelding. Still, the horse stood quietly and dropped his head, sniffing at the ground. "Asher's been settling in quite nicely. As much of a hot head as ever, but that's him. As you probably know, Doll doesn't really care where she is as long as she's comfortable." The only nice part about talking to people he already knew was that he didn't have to explain everything about his horses. These people already knew him and his mounts. Asher was a bit more obscure, but the horse wasn't shown as often as say Worlds Away or Surrogate Doll.
((Sorry for the really short post.))
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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 9, 2011 14:46:19 GMT -5
"That's what I assume. It's tough for her to adjust." Phoebe glanced at the horse beside Oliver. Asher! That was his name. He was still unfamiliar, so Phoebe didn't attempt petting him. Patting stranger horses had put her in the ER once, but it was a stupid mistake when she was six.
"And yep, at state finals when I was eleven, every horse in the division spooked at rolltop with flowers on top. Fiona went right over that, but refused a solid white vertical." Phoebe rolled her eyes and gazed at her bay mare. She had thrown her right into a standard and given Phoebe a broken wrist, but she left that out.
Doll.. Wasn't that the one that always had to know what was going on? Yep. She remembered the mare. She seemed more like a Jumper to Phoebe, but she won in the Hunters, so it was working out just fine, she supposed.
Phoebe was aware of famous riders, being one herself, and their horses, but she didn't study them like most others. Unless she had ridden the horse before, it was hard to think of them on the spot, or if she had recently competed against them.
"So, are you showing at Westbrook this month?" Phoebe asked with more of a smile. "I'm not bringing Fiona. I've decided to try and ride one of John Berkely's horses."
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 9, 2011 15:49:21 GMT -5
Oliver William Dalton "And yep, at state finals when I was eleven, every horse in the division spooked at rolltop with flowers on top. Fiona went right over that, but refused a solid white vertical."
Oliver remembered that show. He had been competing with Ollie in the Junior Jumper class, but had decided to watch the Hunters for a bit, too. He had found it incredibly amusing that the horse hadn't so much as batted an eye at the possibly scary jump and then tossed the rider at a harmless vertical. The boy threw one arm over his gelding's neck and leaned against the horse. Asher was behaving himself for once and deserved a few pets for that. I plan on showing Asher and my regular four since it's been a couple weeks since they last showed. Asher shouldn't do anything too difficult, he the most unpredictable of the group. Doll will be doing Hunters like always and Ollie can do the Jumpers. Everyone else just gets spread around as I need them.
"So, are you showing at Westbrook this month? I'm not bringing Fiona. I've decided to try and ride one of John Berkely's horses."
"Yeah. I decided to show Asher in some of the low level stuff. He's nice, but a bit irratic under saddle. I might try borrowing a horse for the next show or a lesson. There's not really any reason for me not to show. Still, with a few famous riders in the mix, the competition's going to be tough. Not that I mind or anything." Oliver looked passed Phoebe down towards where his own horses were stabled. Not many kids had five horses, but Dalton was one of the lucky few. Oliver had competed and won at shows all over the nation and he could tell that his classmates knew the names of all his horses except usually, for Asher. The gelding was the only partially obscure member of his team and that suited Oliver just fine. Once he was done riding for the day, the boy was making plans to make a beeline to the boys' dorms so that he could avoid everyone else.
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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 9, 2011 16:06:57 GMT -5
"Yeah, we're doing our normal stuff. I've decided to throw my Jumper, Cover Girl, in the Derby." Phoebe gestured over toward the gray mare. "You think Tiny Tim is big?"
Nerves have never gotten to Phoebe. The only reason why she would be unfocused would be because she was thinking about something that had happened at home. Competing against Oliver Dalton and Canton Hale? Whatever. She was either better than them or she wasn't. Although once that thought escaped her mind she knew that wasn't true, and definitely couldn't be decided at one show. Phoebe didn't have much of a positive background, or history, or relation with anyone on the inside if the Hunter world. That never benefited her, and she was well aware some kids had piles of blue ribbons because their daddies had piles of cash and some harsh words thrown in the judge's general direction.
Back on topic. "Asher isn't the most patient of equines, is he?"
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 9, 2011 17:18:24 GMT -5
Oliver William Dalton "Yeah, we're doing our normal stuff. I've decided to throw my Jumper, Cover Girl, in the Derby. You think Tiny Tim is big?"
Tiny Tim? The horse was massive and very powerful jumper. Well, powerful only because he had to clear everything or the monster under the bed would eat him. Still, the horse was pretty well known. Big, black, and a total coward. As for Cover Girl, Ollie had to admit that the mare looked like a good jumper. "Nice looking mare you got. Bigger than Tiny, but Tiny is still an awfully big horse. Just by looking, I'd estimate around a hand taller than Tiny." Oliver didn't care who he was up against. He could be riding against Olympic level riders and not be bothered in the least. The competition didn't matter. They fell into two categories. The riders that were better than himself and the riders that were poorer than himself. Over the school year, it would be proved as to which famous rider was better--himself, Canton, Phoebe, or one of the other big name riders. The lesser known riders were probably good as well or else they wouldn't be at North Creek. However, they didn't have the same fame and status as the big name riders.
"Asher isn't the most patient of equines, is he?"
"Ashton Creek has never been patient when I've ridden him. Racey and a complete slob. Still, he's got the potential. With Asher, I'm a little less concerned over how I place." When his gelding sidestepped away from the rider, Oliver lost balance and stumbled, catching himself and half glaring at the gelding. Really? In front of Phoebe, Asher? She's a good rider and the least you can do is pretend to behave yourself. Almost as if to spite Oliver, Asher took a step back and reached with his neck so that he could rub his entire face all over Ollie's back. The boy pushed the gelding's head away only to have it come back and keep using the boy as a scratching post. Oliver tightened his hold on the reins and dragged the horse's head away from his back, slightly annoyed.
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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 9, 2011 18:24:26 GMT -5
"Mhm. Spot on actually, eighteen hands of pure terror." Phoebe laughed. "Only sometimes." She sat back down on her wooden tack trunk, swinging her Monacos back and forth, back and forth.
She paid more attention when he talked this time. "Oh yeah, I agree. I'm the same with Breakeven. I just want to get her on the boards so some short stirrup tyke can take her on. That pony is not a keeper." Phoebe didn't really know if she wanted to keep Break or not. It wasn't out of the question, but Phoebe would much rather ride various ponies in a show than just Break. She wasn't the one to get specifically attached to a horse, and couldn't even begin to think what it would be like to have the same horse for more than five years. Boring and push button, Phoebe assumed.
Phoebe stepped back as Asher pushed his head into Oliver. The gelding was not happy right now, she could tell. She stopped kicking her feet, motioning for him to go through. Oliver would put his horse away, then he would either come back to talk to Phoebe or not. She really didn't care.
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 9, 2011 20:30:12 GMT -5
Oliver William Dalton "Oh yeah, I agree. I'm the same with Breakeven. I just want to get her on the boards so some short stirrup tyke can take her on. That pony is not a keeper."
Oliver tried to remember who Breakeven was, but was drawing a blank. Probably a newer horse or one that wasn't exceptionally fancy. Asher was becoming quite the problem horse for Oliver and as much as he would have liked to make the gelding a keeper, the horse would probably be sold at the end of the school year to someone who could handle him and had more time. As soon as Phoebe gave him space, Oliver walked his horse back to his stall and quickly untacked him, giving the gelding a few extra pats for being so patient. The horse wasn't that hot and the weather was becoming too cool for a shower. He had the running martingale and bridle thrown over one shoulder and the saddle, saddlepad, and girth over one arm. The tack room was relatively closeby and hung everything up exactly where it belonged. It only took a few minutes and since this might be the only time for awhile he would actually get to talk in private with Phoebe, wandered back over to where her horses were housed.
"I think Asher's happier in his stall where he can make a mess of his food and water. Hopefully I can get a few ribbons on him, work out some of his worse problems, and sell him. How has Tommy been? You did bring him here, right?" Oliver ran one hand along his back, feeling a few short hairs lodged into his jacket. Oh well, at least the contents of Asher's nose hadn't been wiped onto his nice jacket. Oliver had since decided that he wasn't going to date any girls. There were too many of them and quite a few wanted nothing more than to be an exclusive couple with the famous male rider. Even the riders who were at his level were nothing more than fellow students and competitors. That was how he viewed all of them. Competition. Sure, there was everyone from those who could barely ride to those who had a fair chance of beating him, but nothing more. He could make friends with a few students, invariably end up on someone's bad side, but so long as relationships stayed out of the equation, Oliver Dalton would manage.
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Post by Phoebe Caden Jones on Oct 10, 2011 19:38:55 GMT -5
After boy and horse passed through the aisle, Phoebe continued kicking her wellies. She waited extremely patiently while Oliver untacked the handsome horse, thinking of the course possibilities of the upcoming show. She really wished none of Chloe's fences had any tight rollbacks. And that the ring was large enough for her oaf-like stride.
Then he was back. "That isn't too hard to believe." Phoebe laughed. Out of all the horses she'd ever owned, all of her geldings were the messiest. The only exception was Tommy so far. Speaking of Tommy.. "Thomas? Of course I brought him! He's an angel, as always. Pinning high, too." Wasn't that the truth. The gelding had taken champion of every division they'd showed in since last December.
The chestnut gelding poked his head over the stall door at the sound of his name. He was in a light sheet that matched Phoebe's own wellies. Usually they saved the whole matching look for shows, but today she just felt colorful. The gelding flipped his upper lip and raised his head. Phoebe rolled her eyes and laughed at the horse, who had now returned to his previous position, his head resting lazily on the stall door.
ooc: Me and my horse have the same wellie boots and blanket. We wore that to state last year xD
[/size] been a long cold 251 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Olliver and/or Alyssa. since its been clear outfit. slowly melting i like it.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0 [/color].[/blockquote][/size] [/center]
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Post by Oliver Dalton on Oct 12, 2011 19:15:29 GMT -5
Oliver William Dalton "That isn't too hard to believe."
Come to think of it, none of Oliver's geldings were perfect with the exception of Ollie, except even he liked to run into people. Tiny was scared of everything that ever graced the earth and Asher...Asher was a nightmare. Under saddle, the horse did everything it could to take control. Asher would buck, rear, prop in front of fences, make incredibly sharp turns that should not be possible, anything he could think of the wreak havoc in the mind of his rider. That was Asher's style and as much as Oliver hated it, such trick riding did make life a bit more lively. If riding skill was judged by the number of falls a rider has lived through, then Oliver would be a pretty good rider just from falling off Asher hundreds of times.
"Thomas? Of course I brought him! He's an angel, as always. Pinning high, too."
"I'm pretty sure he's beaten Doll once or twice. I don't show her as often as some of my other horses anymore, so I could be wrong." Still, Oliver was pretty certain that Thomas had proved to be a superior horse to Doll even though his mare was an angel compared to some geldings. While the boy refrained from commenting, he quite liked the horse that Phoebe owned. While not very fashionably inclined, he did notice the matching attire with mild amusement. Oliver himself wasn't much for bright pastel colors, but each to his own. He looked down at his watch momentarily. Still enough time left to finish the conversation before he had to call back to his parents and give a quick update on how everyone was settling in. Five minute call at most, but punctuality was key. In particular, the boy's former trainer was a real stickler for being on time would compain about being just five seconds late. "How have you been settling in? Roomates not giving you hell or anything? Classes are supposed to start soon, but there's still a few more days of freedom." Well, I'd prefer to have a room to myself, but one or two roomates isn't that bad. I mean, at least he's not insisting on putting up posters of all the bands I hate.
((I found a pair of welliebobs in that print the other day in a catalog.))
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