He loved to talk and tell stories and willingly told Sierra his own history. His father had been a horse breeder in Portugal, but some bad luck and bad investments had resulted in the loss of his farm. At age eighteen, the boy João moved to the United States where a relative worked at a thoroughbred breeding farm. João had grown up riding dressage horses, but found better opportunities to make a living as a jockey in America. With his small size and experience, he had no trouble finding work as an exercise boy at local tracks. He proved himself adept with the thoroughbred colts and fillies and after getting his jockey license, established a reputation that kept him in work. He had been riding in races for ten years when he met River’s mother, an ambitious and talented woman in her early twenties. They formed a friendship when they discovered they both had a background in dressage and both loved the heart and soul of horses.
After years of racing and two serious injuries, João knew he should plan for a future when he could no longer work as a jockey. He began taking accounting and business courses through an on-line university, one or two classes at a time. When he retired as a jockey five years ago, he had earned a business degree and had already started a business as a financial and investment consultant. His mornings he devoted to Fiel and his chores around the farm. In the afternoons he worked from a room in the house he had set up as an office.
He had been married once but had divorced before there were children. His ex-wife grew tired of all the time he spent away from home during the racing season and had no desire to follow him around from track to track. He had no other family except a sister still living in Portugal.
With just a few questions from Sierra, she also learned more of River’s background. Both Renee and João had ridden horses for Cray Blackthorn, River’s father. João described him as a handsome man with a lot of charm and an eye for all the ladies. One of the first horses Renee rode for him, Raging River, was a long shot winner. João suspected that Renee, in the excitement of winning and the attentions from the handsome trainer, had had a brief affair with Cray. It didn’t take long however, for both Renee and João to discover that Cray was unscrupulous in his business dealings, and resorted to unethical as well as illegal methods in training his horses. When Renee caught him drugging a horse she was to ride, and then he blatantly lied to her about it, she refused to ever ride for him again. She hated Cray after that. She told João and he backed her up; also refusing mounts from Cray.
“Nevertheless, Renee chose to have her baby. She was perhaps not a conventional mother,” João reminisced. “But she loved that little boy with all her heart. I am afraid it would break her heart to know that Cray has custody of him.” He sighed deeply. “Ah, poor River. That man is using him as he uses the horses. All is about profit.”
“Didn’t she have any other family that could have taken him?” Sierra asked.
“Renee was born in Haiti and an orphan since the age of three. She was adopted by an American family and given many wonderful opportunities; riding and dance lessons and a college education. But they disowned her when she chose a career as a jockey. So sad and unfortunate.”
After the morning tea, Sierra insisted on washing up the few dishes, and from there, she began doing light housework for João. At first he was reluctant to allow it, but Sierra pleaded for the opportunity to repay his generosity; and he finally agreed. She dusted, vacuumed, and swept once a week, and kept the kitchen and bathroom scrubbed and polished. She wandered around outside and weeded and watered his flower beds and flower boxes when needed. It was easy work and she didn’t think anywhere near compensated for her lessons on Fiel.
*****
One morning, River showed up in time for Sierra’s lesson, and he stood with João, watching.
“Sit deep; now more weight on your inside seat…that’s right, down through the heel. It is just a micro-shifting of the pelvis; see how he bends easier on the circle?” João instructed. “Now give with your hands…ahhh, that’s right. See? See how he moves into the bit? Can you feel his back muscles underneath your seat?”
Sierra nodded and grinned, a look of bliss on her face.
“Beautiful! All right, very good. Give him all the reins now and let him stretch.”
Sierra complied and then walked Fiel over to where João and River stood at the low rail.
“River!” Sierra greeted him happily as she dismounted. “How did you get away from Pegasus?”
“The horses are all turned out and Manuel wants to work with the new girl cleaning stalls.” He gave a short laugh. “She’s not working out all that well. Anyway, he told me to take a few hours off and come watch you ride. He misses you.”
“I miss him too. Can you tell him that?”
“Sure.”
“And Rosa too.”
“Uh huh.”
They walked Fiel back to the crossties. River helped Sierra with his care while João left to make the tea. Then they all sat down on the porch.
“What do you think of this young lady riding now?” João asked.
“She looks great on Fiel,” River complimented Sierra through a mouthful of cinnamon roll.
“Yes, I think so. She has an ability and more important, a great desire to ride correctly.” João fumbled on the stand behind him for his cigarettes.
Sierra blushed under the praise.
River finished his roll and reached for a scone. “I think you should let her jump Fiel.”
Sierra set down her teacup, surprised at the suggestion and interested in how João would respond.
“Pah,” João snorted out on a puff of smoke. “Jumping, hopping; forcing these poor animals to do something so unnatural.”
“But they like it,” River insisted.
“Who says, the horse? I have seen at these shows; terror in their eyes, all hot and agitated. Hmmph, does not look like they are happy to me.”
River laughed. “Okay, I can’t argue with that. But, Sierra, you remember the day I rode Magic in that clinic? Did he look unhappy to you?”
Sierra would never forget the beautiful image of River and Magic sailing around the field that day. “No, he really looked like he enjoyed jumping as much as you,” she agreed.
“I swear, it started out with me asking and he was saying, ‘you want me to go over that?’ And before we finished the course, he was asking me, ‘can we go over this one?” River had a look in his eye of deep pleasure at the memory of that ride.
And nothing like talking about a horse to bring out the best of his verbal skills. It pleased Sierra to hear him speak of Magic.
“Not natural, not at all. I grant you, with a good relationship like you had with that one horse, sure, he will do anything for you,” João continued to defend his belief.
“Okay, what about the horse you told me about back on your father’s farm in Portugal; the one you couldn’t turn out into a field because he always jumped the fences?”
“He was a stallion. There were mares in the other fields. Very natural.”
Both River and Sierra laughed at his stubbornness.
“Now dressage, that is natural. You watch a happy horse, turned out fresh from his stall. Watch how he bucks and kicks up his heels. Then he goes into natural passage; brings his back end underneath him and so elegantly and natural, reaches out with his front legs.” João pawed in the air with his arms, demonstrating. “And pirouette, no problem, as he changes direction. Just watch how he races around in an open space, pirouettes, and changes his leads as he reverses. Natural, all natural.”
“Fiel can jump.” River turned to Sierra. “João bought him from a girl who evented him.”
“Really…he can jump?” Sierra asked. “I didn’t think Lusitanos could jump.”
“Any horse can learn to jump up to certain heights. Sure, Fiel has jumped before,” João admitted.
“I think you should let Sierra start jumping him, and then enter him in the horse trial next month.” River made the statement looking into the distance, toward Fiel in the
pasture.
Sierra noted the squaring of his jaw and the stiffening of his shoulders. What is this really about? She wondered.
“River, what is on your mind?” João asked.
“Tess and Crystal are driving me crazy. Ever since Tess rapped Galaxy in Sierra’s lesson, well he jumps high and wide now so he’s not taking rails down. She won her last two events. Someone needs to get out there and beat her; prove there are better ways to train and ride a horse.”
“You want revenge?” João asked in a gentle voice.
“I don’t know what I want…maybe,” River mumbled, looking down at his plate.
“River, isn’t Crystal riding training level? I’ve only ridden beginner novice. I couldn’t ride against her.” Sierra stated, amazed at his suggestion.
“She’s going to stay at novice level this year. You could easily ride novice level.”
Sierra was surprised to hear Crystal wasn’t taking Galaxy up to training level. And she knew her own abilities were probably at a level for the novice jumps; an increase from heights of two-feet-seven at the beginner novice level, to two-feet-eleven. She had been jumping three feet in her lessons with Tess. Part of her instantly wanted to jump at a chance to compete again. But she didn’t need revenge against Crystal, and certainly didn’t need to increase Crystal’s animosity towards her.
“You miss jumping, don’t you?” River persisted.
“Yes, of course, but…” Sierra looked over at João.
“It’s only novice level. Any horse can do novice level.” River also looked at João.
“River,” João said in a tone of reprimand.
“Well, Fiel can.”
João scratched the back of his head, took a last deep drag on his cigarette and then stubbed it out. He smiled at Sierra, eyes crinkling. “I will think about it.
*****
João did think about jumping and two days later he set up cavalletti for Sierra’s lesson. Fiel perked up and took the line of low jumps with energetic enthusiasm.
“Perhaps he is getting a little stale with just flat work,” João commented thoughtfully as he noted Fiel’s attitude.
And so it was settled. He downloaded the entry form from the website for the event and he and Sierra filled it out during morning tea.
“João, I can’t afford the entry fee,” Sierra exclaimed when she saw how much it cost.
“Miss Sierra, I will tell you this. I chose to live here in this area for my friend Renee. I wanted to see if I could perhaps do something for her son. But as I came to know River, I grew to love him and care for him for his own sake. When I agreed to teach you riding on my little Fiel, I did this as a favor to River. But now that I know you, I do it for the joy of your friendship and for who you are. You will let me take care of entering you in this competition for the pleasure it will give me.”
Sierra nodded and with her heart filled with gratitude, she solemnly stood, stepped over to his side and gave him a hug. He hugged her in return, patting her back, and murmured, “My little equestrienne.”
*****
Over the next few weeks before the horse trial, João added jumping into two to three of Sierra’s lessons each week. On the other days after working on the flat, Sierra galloped Fiel up and down the hills in the surrounding fields. Sierra spent the afternoons painting brick and stone images onto plywood panels, and then in the evenings, she and River used the panels to build cross country obstacles. River borrowed João’s tractor to drag a perfect-sized log that he had spotted in the surrounding woods, to add to the course. There was a low area in the field that naturally held water after hard rains, and was conveniently within reach of several lengths of garden hose. They lined the bottom with sand and gravel to create firm footing, filled it with water from the hose, and then had a water jump.
“He could have benefited from some trail work but I think he is fit enough; the dressage gymnastics have kept him in pretty good shape and you are conditioning him on your gallops,” João commented one morning as he checked Fiel’s heart and breathing rate after Sierra had completed a practice course over the field jumps. As far as she could tell, Fiel seemed to recover as quickly as any horse she had ridden at Pegasus. “Yes, I think he is ready.” João gave Fiel an affectionate pat on the rump as Sierra dismounted to cool him out.
*****
Show day arrived. Sierra awoke with rampaging butterflies in her stomach, but at the show grounds, once up on Fiel’s back in the warm-up arena and with João’s gentle coaching, she turned all her attention to Fiel. As she concentrated on his mood and energy, trying to keep him calm and focused on her aids, she also managed to calm herself.
“Good, good,” João whispered from the rail of the warm-up arena as Sierra passed him in an energetic working trot. “He is relaxed and listening to you,” he encouraged the next time she rode by. “You two are ready.”
Sierra rode the dressage test with her attention tuned into Fiel and consciously blocking out the distractions around the dressage ring. We are in our own ring, she told herself, ride just like at home. Fiel responded to all her aids, and after the final salute, applause greeted them as they exited the ring. João met her at the exit gate, grinning from ear to ear.
“Nice test,” the next rider complimented Sierra as she passed her, entering the gate.
“Thanks, you have a good ride,” Sierra replied.
“Very well ridden,” João commented as Sierra dismounted.
“I am so proud of him,” Sierra beamed as she loosened Fiel’s girth.
“I am proud of both of you.”
As Sierra led Fiel back to his stall she heard laughter and then a comment spoken in a loud voice, “What a jug-headed animal!”
“I didn’t think they allowed mules in combined training,” a familiar voice added.
Sierra looked toward the voices to find Crystal smirking down at her from the back of Galaxy with Gloria at his head.
The war was still on.
“Ignore such poor sportsmanship,” João advised with a very disgusted look on his face.
“Don’t worry,” Sierra laughed, hoping it sounded light-hearted, and not wanting to admit even to herself that such comments hurt her feelings.
Fiel remained energetic throughout the competition as if the cross country and stadium jumping events were no more strenuous than his work-outs at home. He completed both courses clean and without time penalties. As Sierra led him back to his stall after each event, he danced at the end of the bridle reins, arched his neck and passaged a few strides as he passed other horses.
“You are showing off,” Sierra laughed at him, but also very proud.
At the end of the event, Sierra finished in second place. Crystal came in first place, for Galaxy had also jumped clean, but they had a higher dressage score.
“I hope River won’t be too disappointed that I lost to Crystal,” Sierra said as she and João walked back from the booth where results had been posted, carrying her dressage test sheet and red ribbon.
João stopped in his tracks and took her shoulders to face him. “Showing your horse is not about beating the others. When you have done your best and your horse has given you his best as Fiel did today, then you have won. Do you understand?”
Sierra nodded.
“If everyone competed with a true spirit of horsemanship, then we would all celebrate every horse’s performance that has done well.”
“You’re right,” Sierra agreed out loud. Even so, she admitted to herself a begrudging disappointment that Fiel’s best had not been good enough to beat Crystal.
“I do not like to criticize a judge,” João said in a thoughtful tone, “but of course there is always an element of subjectivity in judging a dressage test which includes one’s personal biases and prejudices. I think this particular judge was perhaps a bit over impressed with that horse’s big movements. He is a very nice horse.”
“You mean Galaxy?”
“Yes, your friend’s horse. But I believe you
rode more correctly. At this level, that perhaps should count more than natural big movements. Her horse was often behind the bit, and not always engaged from the hind end. But his conformation is such that he still appears to look as if he is on the bit and balanced. Hmm..,” João made a noise to himself, thoughtful.
Although Sierra and Fiel didn’t win first place, they did qualify to compete in the Pacific Regional Combined Training Championship three-day event.
*****
25 High School
Our job as a rider is not to interfere with our horses. Our job is to allow a horse to express itself in whatever it is doing but not to interfere with that horse’s expression. – Carrie Schopf
*****
“You’ve grown at least three inches this summer,” Pam commented as she looked over Sierra’s wardrobe for the upcoming school year. Sierra wore either riding breeches or shorts all summer long and hadn’t noticed her increase in height. But as she tried on her jeans from last year, there was a considerable gap between the hem of the jeans and the top of her socks. “Well, Kitten, I guess we go shopping for new clothes.”
“Sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean to grow so much.” Sierra’s tone was bitter and sarcastic, reflecting her foul mood. Not only had she awakened with a stomach ache, but she didn’t even get to ride today because João had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Sierra had called Allison, thinking a long talk with her friend would help improve her day, but only got her voice mail and then remembered Allison was away for two weeks at some kind of fine arts camp. So Sierra had moped around with nothing to do and not interested in finding something to do, until her mother came home from the hospital where she was doing clinical training. The last thing she wanted when her mother arrived was to try on clothes, or worse, go shopping for clothes.
The Girl Who Loves Horses (Pegasus Equestrian Center Series) Page 19
