Leap of Faith

by Laura Sieveking

  ‘I knew Miranda – Sasha’s mum – years ago. She was a showjumper and I used to compete with her. We were in the same age group and often had to compete in big competitions against each other. Well, one year, let’s just say Sasha’s mum made a choice that wasn’t the best decision of her life. I saw her do something bad at a competition and I reported her to the officials. Nothing was proven, but she forever blamed me for the bad name she got in showjumping after that incident.’

  It suddenly all clicked. Alicia’s story. The sleepy horses.

  ‘YOU saw her drug the horses?’ I asked wildly.

  ‘How on earth do you know that story?’ Mum asked, alarmed.

  ‘A girl in the dorm told me about it. So it’s true?! Was she trying to kill the other horses?’

  Mum laughed slightly and shook her head. ‘No, it wasn’t that sinister. It was anti-anxiety medication which is used by vets for horses that get extreme travel sickness. It calms them down but it also makes them incredibly sleepy. But it was still a stupid thing to do and very dangerous – imagine if one of those sleepy horses had taken a bad fall on the course!’

  I shook my head, disbelieving.

  ‘So, the year you won the showjumping nationals – was that the year after the scandal?’ I felt like all the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place.

  Mum nodded.

  So, my mum took Sasha’s mum’s title. And my mum was the reason that people suspected Sasha’s mum of drugging the horses. It all made sense! Of course Sasha’s mum would have it in for me – she didn’t want me taking Sasha’s title, the way my mum had taken hers!

  ‘Look,’ Mum said evenly, ‘this is ancient history – there is no need to bring up this old scandal again. I suggest you just leave this horrible incident in the past and concentrate on having a great competition with Honey.’

  Maybe Mum was right. I’d had enough scandal around me at the Academy already and I didn’t want to create more drama. But it all made so much sense. I had to tell Jenna.

  I said goodnight to Mum and logged off the video call.

  I wandered into the living room, where several girls were hanging out – some were lounged on the couches watching TV while others were sitting, sipping hot chocolate and chatting. On the floor in a tight circle were Jenna, Rosie and Alicia. They were crowded around the jar of chocolate spread. Each of them had a teaspoon and were digging into the jar one by one.

  ‘Grab a teaspoon, Chlo!’ Jenna sang as I approached.

  ‘No time for that,’ I whispered, nudging Alicia to open up the circle. ‘I have some amazing news.’

  The three girls ushered me into the circle and we all dipped our heads low in secrecy.

  ‘I was just talking to my mum and you’ll never guess who it was that dobbed on Sasha’s mum all those years ago …’

  Alicia, Rosie and Jenna shook their heads, anticipating a bombshell.

  ‘My mum!’

  ‘What?’ cried Alicia.

  ‘Yep, she just told me. They were competing in the same competition and my mum was the one who saw Sasha’s mum putting something in the horse’s buckets! And it gets worse; my mum was also the one who took her title the following year.’

  ‘So, if your mum was the one who revealed the whole scandal, then that totally explains why Sasha and her mum have it in for you!’ exclaimed Jenna.

  ‘Exactly. It all makes sense now. Of course they don’t want me to take Sasha’s title – that would be like history repeating itself.’

  ‘Are you going to tell Sasha you know?’ Rosie whispered.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ I said. ‘My mum reckons I need to leave the past in the past and just get on with the future.’

  Alicia nodded. ‘I reckon that’s pretty good advice.’

  ‘But now you have to try extra hard to beat Sasha in the comp,’ Jenna said excitedly.

  ‘Yeah, that’s if I can get over the wall.’

  ‘Look, we all have our own fears in showjumping, Chlo,’ Jenna said, placing her hand on my shoulder. ‘Sasha is petrified of the treble combo and you have the wall. At the end of the day, we’ll just have to see who can get past their fears to become a champion. Just have faith, and take the leap.’

  I let Jenna’s words sink in. She was totally right. I had to trust my riding skills and trust my horse. Honey could do it. I just had to have faith in her and take that leap.

  I stared at my beautiful horse, Honey, as she glistened in the sunlight. Her coat was shining with flecks of gold – just like a rich, warm, fresh pot of honey. Her mane was neatly braided and her tail was smooth and brushed. She had a glint of pride in her eyes, knowing she was looking fabulous.

  ‘Well, hello there, gorgeous!’ I cooed as I stroked her nose.

  It was competition day and there was an air of anticipation, nerves and excitement around the school. The equestrian students had been given the entire day off to attend the competition while the rest of the students at the Academy continued with regular classes.

  I’d dressed myself early – probably too early – as I could barely contain my excitement. I looked down at my cream-coloured breeches and gave them a quick dust with my hands to make sure they stayed in pristine condition.

  I pulled the cuffs of my crisp white shirt through the sleeves of my navy blue riding jacket. The jacket is a bit like a blazer and looks very smart. In my hand I carried my competition helmet – a black helmet which I saved for competition day. My riding boots shone with black polish that I’d put on the night before. I felt prepared.

  It was far too early to be getting Honey ready. Most of the other girls were still getting dressed in the boarding house, so I thought I’d take Honey for a morning walk around the grounds. I didn’t want to take her for a fast ride – I certainly didn’t want her getting sweaty or tired. I saddled her up and led her out of the stables and into the morning sunshine. It was a spectacular day.

  I rode Honey down past the outdoor arena, which was going to host the showjumping competition. I could see the marshals setting up the course. There was a treble combination jump (which made me think of Sasha) as well as the towering 1.2-metre ‘brick’ wall. I knew the wall wasn’t really made of bricks – it was just a pattern painted onto the foam blocks. But it looked rock solid to me.

  Honey and I had been doing heaps of wall jumps in training in the lead-up to competition day. We’d been clearing high jumps but hadn’t yet successfully made it over a 1.2-metre wall jump. I was going to have to put all my faith in Honey to get us over that wall today.

  We trotted down through the open fields at the back of the Academy. I pulled Honey up and breathed in the morning air, deep into my lungs. It was a stunning winter day with a warm sun and a cool, refreshing breeze. Even though the Academy had a lot of open land, it still didn’t have the smell of the farm. I could hear trucks in the distance on the highway and the occasional siren as an ambulance raced through the city streets.

  We kept riding together as I tried to clear my mind of all the stress I felt about this competition.

  After a while, I began to walk Honey back past the ring where we would be competing. The course was now fully set up and I eyed off the combinations and order of the jumps. I knew we’d have the chance to ‘walk the course’ later. Before the competition starts, riders are allowed to walk through the whole course, taking notes of the jumps and working out the distances between them. We’d also get to do some practice jumping before having to compete. Other riders were now strolling around, chatting to each other with nervous excitement as it was getting closer to competition time.

  All the girls looked amazing in their cream jodhpurs, crisp jackets and immaculate helmets. The horses looked stunning too – shining black, red, grey and brown coats and neatly braided manes. This was what I loved about riding – the energy before a competition which could be felt among both the horses and the riders. I glanced down at my jacket which bore the emblem of the Academy – it was a shield with four symbols on it, each depicting a
different attribute of an Academy girl. There was a lion, representing strength. The second symbol was an eagle, which showed spirit and nobility. The third was a plume of feathers, which showed service to others. And last were the laurel leaves, which meant triumph. Underneath the crest were the Latin words Luceat lux vestra, which meant ‘Let your light shine’. At that moment, looking around at the amazing grounds of the Academy, I felt so proud.

  I took Honey back up to the stables and dismounted. I decided to give her another quick brush and check her out before going over to the competition arena to walk the course with Miss Spencer.

  ‘Looking good, Honey!’ a cheerful voice sang from behind me.

  I laughed. ‘You too, Atlanta,’ I said, nodding at Jenna’s horse.

  Jenna beamed as she organised her saddle on Atlanta’s back. Atlanta looked just as excited as Jenna, his dark eyes twinkling in anticipation.

  ‘You coming to the ring now?’ Jenna asked as she finished getting Atlanta ready.

  ‘Yep, I just want to give Honey one more brush.’

  ‘Meet you there!’ Jenna waved as she led Atlanta out of the stables and down the track towards the competition ring.

  By now, the stables had cleared out and all the girls were heading to the competition. I finished smoothing Honey’s shining coat and saddled her up again.

  ‘How are you feeling about the wall, Chloe?’ a cold voice said from behind me.

  I slowly turned and saw Sasha standing by the stable door. Her mother was behind her, lightly brushing Sasha’s horse Midnight.

  ‘I know I can do it,’ I said flatly. I wasn’t going to let her psych me out.

  ‘You wouldn’t want to fall off your horse again – how is your arm?’ Her voice was sharp. I could see her mum smirking behind her as she heard every word her daughter was saying.

  I took a deep breath and shook my head. I wasn’t going to let her get to me. I had to be strong and win this. Win this for me, for Honey and for Mum.

  Normally, I’m a pretty shy person. In fact, when there’s confrontation, I’m the first to run a million miles away. I hate speaking up for myself. But in that moment, I thought of Sasha’s mum cheating in the nationals all those years ago. I thought about those poor tired horses. I thought about my mum and about Honey and about how Sasha was standing here right now, trying to mess with my head. And for the first time in my life, I snapped.

  ‘My arm is great,’ I said, with the most confident voice I could muster. ‘And my horse is great and we are going to win today, fair and square.’ My cheeks were red with embarrassment, betraying my confident voice.

  Behind Sasha, I saw her mum look up suddenly and wince when I said ‘fair and square’. She knew I was talking about her cheating all those years ago. Her eyes narrowed in anger.

  ‘Sasha, darling, take Midnight down to the ring,’ Sasha’s mum said coolly, as Sasha bundled up Midnight’s reins in her fingers.

  My cheeks were still flaming red from my outburst and I quickly turned away from Sasha and her mum. I stood up straight and walked confidently into the storeroom to put Honey’s brush back onto her shelf. It was the first time I’d never stood up for myself in that way and I felt proud.

  Suddenly, there was a whoosh and a loud bang. Everything went dim. I spun around to see the door of the storeroom had slammed shut behind me.

  My mind raced – how did the door that was latched open just magically slam behind me? I pushed the door to try to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.

  I could hear the harsh cackle of Sasha’s mum as she left the stables. I banged the door with my shoulder, trying to force it open. But it was no use.

  ‘Heeeeeelp!’ I screamed. All I could hear was the cold silence of the empty stables. Everyone had left to start warming up for the competition. How was anyone going to find me? It dawned on me that the only way I was going to get out of here was when everyone came back to the stables – at the END of the competition. I was going to miss the whole thing.

  I looked around wildly for a window or another way out. There was nothing. I yelled some more and banged on the door.

  But nobody was there to hear me.

  I was stuck and I was completely alone.

  I looked around as my eyes adjusted to the dimness of the storeroom. Thin streaks of light poked through the gaps in the wood. The storeroom was huge – shelves lined the walls with all sorts of equipment bundled onto them. Saddle hooks jutted out from the walls with a few unused saddles hanging idly. Boxes of brushes and grooming equipment sat on the floor. The room smelled musty but it also had the odour of horses, which is a comforting smell to me.

  I scanned the ceiling – maybe there was a vent I could climb out of, or a high window I could scale the shelves to reach. But there was nothing. I tried my luck again at pushing the door. I banged it hard with my shoulder four or five times in a row but it wouldn’t budge. I remembered Jenna’s warning when I first came to the Academy – the storeroom door was meant to be kept open as it would get stuck if it was shut. She got that right!

  I sighed and sank down to the floor. I glanced at my watch. The walk-through of the course would already have taken place and the riders would be doing their warm-up round. I was missing it all.

  Suddenly, I heard a rhythmic thudding sound, far off. It got louder. It was the unmistakable sound of a horse and it was riding towards the stables! I jumped to my feet and pressed my ear to the door, listening closely. The hooves were definitely getting louder. I heard the horse pull up and someone dismount in a hurry. Whoever it was, they were coming into the stables!

  ‘Help! Is someone there? I’m stuck in the storeroom!’

  The footsteps stopped. Silence.

  ‘Is there someone in the stables? It’s me – Chloe Humphries – I’m stuck in here!’ I gasped.

  ‘Chloe?’ a voice said slowly.

  ‘Yes, who’s there? Please help me!’

  Silence.

  ‘I just came back to get my other helmet but what a surprise to hear you are still in here. I thought you’d done a runner from the comp.’

  I stopped dead still. I knew that voice. It was smooth and cold. It was Sasha.

  ‘Sasha, you’ve gotta help me,’ I pleaded.

  ‘Do I? Well, I’m not the one stupid enough to get myself locked in a storeroom on competition day,’ she said sharply.

  I wasn’t sure what to say. My mind raced – I had seen Sasha walking away with Midnight, so she couldn’t have been the one who locked me in. That only left one person. My face reddened in anger.

  ‘Well, if you knew who had shut me in here, maybe you’d be a bit more sorry about the whole situation!’ I yelled angrily.

  Sasha didn’t reply for a minute. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘It was your mum!’

  The stable went deadly silent. It was quiet for so long that I began to wonder if Sasha had actually snuck out.

  ‘Don’t make up lies, Chloe,’ she snapped. ‘I know what you are like. You are just like your mother. My mum told me about the lies your mum made up about her all those years ago. It ruined her showjumping career. So don’t go around making up more lies!’

  ‘Sasha, my mum wasn’t telling lies. She saw your mum putting things in the horses’ water. Alicia’s mum even knew about it. And if your mum isn’t a cheat, then why has she shut me in a storage room right before the competition? Don’t you think maybe this whole situation just shows she is a cheat – that maybe she does play dirty in order to win?’ I was panting, red-faced and angry. I’d never confronted anyone in the way I was confronting Sasha now. My heart beat wildly. I knew that Sasha was my only chance of getting out of the storeroom and into the competition.

  ‘M-m-maybe my mum didn’t even know you were in the storeroom,’ Sasha stammered.

  ‘She laughed, Sasha. She laughed and left me in here. Come on, you know as well as anyone that the storeroom door is usually latched open. And after you left with Midnight you know there was nobody else up here but
me and your mum.’

  Silence.

  ‘You don’t have to be like her,’ I spluttered. ‘Let me out and we can have a real competition. I know you are scared of the treble combo and you know I’m scared of the wall. Let me out and let’s smash this comp. We can both take a leap of faith – just like Jenna says – and we’ll see who the best rider is on the day. You don’t want to win by cheating me out of the competition!’

  Sasha was silent again. I just wished I could see her face to know how she was processing what I was saying.

  I heard her boots shuffle slightly. Was she coming to try and open the door? Then I heard her as her boots clicked and clacked away from the storeroom. She was leaving!

  ‘Sasha, wait!’ I yelled. But it was too late. Sasha’s footsteps began to get quieter as she walked out towards the stable door. Her footsteps then completely disappeared. And she didn’t say a word.

  I hunched down and buried my face in my knees. Fresh tears broke free and I sobbed. It was like every bad emotion I’d felt over the last few weeks had all come together in a flowing river of tears. I missed the farm. I missed my family. I loved the Academy, but here I was, stuck in a storeroom instead of beating my fears in my first big competition for the year. This was meant to be my moment to shine. And I was sitting in darkness.

  I looked at my watch. The competition was officially starting in five minutes. I had no hope now.

  Suddenly, a thunderous roar could be heard from the other side of the storeroom door. It sounded like an army truck had just driven, full speed, into the stable. I heard Honey make an alarmed sound from her stall.

  ‘Stand back from the door – way back!’ a voice yelled.

  ‘What?’ I shouted. I was so confused.

  ‘Get back as far as you can!’ the voice commanded.

  I scuttled to the back of the storeroom, quivering with shock and fear. What was going on?