Win's ears pricked up as he saw we were headed for something other than a tiny crossrail.  I closed my fingers slightly, warning him not to rush it.  He listened, albeit begrudgingly.  

One.  Two.  Three.  Four.  I counted in my head.  My hands flowed with his head as powerful hindlegs propelled us up and over.  I savor the brief moments of flying. 

The force of his hooves hitting ground is like a pebble being thrown into a still pond.  It sends ripples through my very being.

As we canter away, I feel like something is... missing.  For a moment, I can't put my finger on it.  But then I realize:  I'm not thinking about the next jump, how fast I can get to it, the number of strides I need to make.  

When was the last time I jumped for fun and not practice? 

Tessa passes me in canter on Challenger and I turned to see what she was doing.  She was aiming for a brown colored vertical. 

I could see Challenger wanted to back off a little, but Tessa wouldn't hear of it, keeping her eyes up and forward.  Shocker passes across on the other side of the jump going across to an oxer.  But Tessa doesn't waver in her line.  

Challenger springs lightly into the air just as he did the first time I saw him, clearing the rail well above what was needed.  After landing, Tessa gave him a small rub on the neck in praise.  

I turned my attention back to where I was going.  With four riders in an arena, going wherever they wanted and jumping what they willed, things were quite chaotic.  I needed my wits about me.  

I picked out my next jump which didn't look to be in anybody's way.  I wasn't sure about our stride, but I knew that it would be somewhere between six or five.  

I knew Win could get us out of the jam if needed, but I hated not being able to see it.  I clucked to him, asking for a longer stride to see if we could make it in five.  

We made it in five longer strides.  Win jumped slightly flat because of it, but that wasn't of much concern with this smaller height.  

Again I took in my surroundings, calculated, and picked out my next jump, which I decided would be the red vertical.  I couldn't tell our stride until we'd rounded the turn.  

I realized it would be a short four, or a long three?  I couldn't tell, so I opted to try and shorten.  Win didn't like this idea and resisted me, plunging ahead instead. 

This set us off and we reached the jump at an awkward distance.  We could either 'chip in' or jump long.  Neither option was a good one. 

Win made the choice for me and chose a long jump.  Because he was already somewhat flat, he jumped even flatter.  I winced as I heard a solid rap.  

As we turned and Win changed leads, I looked back.  Mr. Wellen was putting back up the dropped rail.  

I narrowed my eyes as I began to turn Win to head for that red vertical again.  It was not going to get the best of us.  

I sat up and leaned back slightly, telling Win he'd better start collecting himself.  He listened and shortened his stride.  I could feel that it would be a five stride.  

Sure enough, it was five.  This time Win jumped more round, and we cleared the vertical with ease, just as we should have the first time.  

I didn't have much time to rejoice in our triumph however, because coming right up in front of me was Lacy and Russo on the way to another jump.  I didn't want to interrupt their line, so I leaned back and forced Win into a tight turn. 

He let me know he didn't like this by tossing his head and almost acting like he was going to buck, but we made the turn and didn't run into Lacy and Russo.  

For ten minutes or so it went on this way.  We jumped whatever we felt like it, whenever we felt like it, within reason of course.  

And as we did, I felt myself beginning to loosen up a little.  My perfectionism began to melt away and I didn't mind as much if Win knocked a rail or if we got our stride wrong.  We were here to have fun.  

Everyone else looked to be enjoying themselves, Lacy had the cheesiest grin on her face and was chattering about how perfect Russo was being and what amazing designs the jumps were, etc.  Mrs. Wellen looked well pleased with her horse Shocker, and the mare herself looked satisfied.  

Tessa had a small happy grin on her face and calm demeanor,  but if you looked into her eyes, you could see she was as giddy as Lacy.  She patted Challenger multiple times. 

We gathered together in a circle, slightly breathless, faces red with exertion.  

"Oh that was such good fun!" crowed Lacy.

Tessa nodded.  "It sure was, although we nearly crashed several times."  She looked at her mother.  "How much time do we have left?"

Her mother glanced at the watch on her wrist.  "Fifteen to twenty minutes...  We're going to be cutting it close."  

"Well, let's not waste any time," said Lacy as she gathered up her reins.  "I want to try out that cross country course." 

We all followed her lead.  Tessa looked back at her father, who was following behind us.  "Hey dad, think you could take some videos for us?"  

"Oh, I guess so.  But only 'cause I love you," he said as he pulled out his self phone.

"Thanks."  

The horses sensed we were going somewhere else, and they started stepping more lively.  Since all of them were event horses, they knew a cross country course when they saw it.  

I gathered my rein a bit shorter on Win.  Cross country, like every eventer, was my favorite part.  

I glanced at Tessa.  A grin had finally broken out on her face.  She locked eyes with me and winked.  

Surprising myself, I winked back at her.  

Our horses hooves when from clacking on gravel to being muffled in the grass as we arrived onto the cross country course.  

Win and I startled slightly as Lacy let out a whoop and Russo sprang forward.  "See you later!"  

I wasted no time in raising to my half seat and kicking Win into a canter, which he was very eager to do.  Tessa too cued Challenger to canter.

For a few moments we galloped side by side.  As we came up to the jumps Tessa split from me, aiming for a huge log.  I watched for a moment to see if Challenger would be hesitant, but he wasn't.  

I turned my attention back in front of me and picked out a coop with brush on top for my first jump.  It was something we could jump at this pace if we wanted to and not get in too much trouble.  

Win locked onto it.  I didn't bother with strides, I knew he'd find the distance.  And if he didn't, it wasn't going to be that big of a deal.  

He gathered himself and launched us into the air, the wind pulling back my hair.  I gave him his head, pressing my hands into his neck.  For once I wasn't planning for the next jump or thinking about our time.  I was just enjoying my horse. 

We landed and galloped away smoothly.  I looked around for another jump.  To my right was one on a hill.  I knew that after that jump was a bank.  Sounded good to me.  But I'd need to check Win a bit going up to it.  

He didn't like this, and quite frankly I didn't like having to do it.  But he listened to me.  

I leaned forward, once again letting him have his head as he locked onto the jump at the top of the hill.  

One huge lunging stride.  There's the jump.  Win gathers himself, we're in the air.  I see the bank on the other side.  As soon as we land, I squeeze and cluck to him.

He doesn't hesitate and takes one stride before plunging down off the other side.  My stomach is left hanging, but the thrill of adrenaline that runs through me makes it all worth it.

As I'm regathering my reins Tessa canters by.  "Good one!" she calls to me.  

"Thanks!"

I'm not sure she hears me as she's now focused on the next jump, which if she jumps it will land them in the water.  

Challenger flicks an ear back to his rider, as if to say, "Hey, do we really want to do this?"  

"Yes!"  She answers with a firm squeeze and a giving of her hand.  

"Okay!"  He bounds forward in three strides and clears it easily.  They land with a huge splash and canter on.

I decide to follow their lead, I like water. 

AN:  You know, when I first created the rough outline of this book...  We were supposed to be nearly finished with it by now.  

Instead, we're nearing half-way ( in terms of the plot) but we're not quite there yet.  So much for outlines XD

If you're an attentive reader, you'll notice I switch between present and past tense.  When I'm writing exciting scenes, I tend to write in present tense.  So... yeah.  First draft problems.  

Anyhow, hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, it was just meant to be fun and enjoyable for the characters as well as the readers.  See you next Sunday!