Steeplechase
I live by the belief that you only live once, and if you get a chance to experience something fun or exciting, you should do it. This mindset has given me many experiences that I can now entertain you with. 🙂
When I had my wonderful horse Markant and used him for a bit of everything, I was asked if I would consider participating in a steeplechase. I had to think for a while before I said yes, because Markant was not exactly like a thoroughbred—he was 173 cm tall and not the fastest in his movement. I concluded that someone has to come last, and at least I would have participated.
My horse was in excellent condition, as I used to ride hunts and train in various ways, so it wouldn’t be a struggle for him. It was similar to a hunt, just a bit faster. 🙂
There were beautiful jumps, and Markant was a gem when it came to jumping, so the first part wasn’t too difficult and was actually quite fun. The finishing stretch was set on a very long, steep uphill, which was a smart idea since it meant the pace wasn’t too fast. At the top of the hill stood the judges, positioned in the middle of the wide path. Everyone was riding as hard as they could, and I didn’t push too much because I knew I had no chance against the much faster horses. As expected, I wasn’t dead last but close, and I overheard the judge shouting that no one had crossed the finish line because they had all gone the wrong way, following the leaders.
Since I was in the rear, I had time to steer Markant back and over the finish line, and thus I came in second. 🙂 I think there were 16 participants.
When I went to accept the prize, it felt a bit off—it was kind of cheating. But on the other hand, I had completed the entire race, not knocked down any jumps, and stayed in it all the way. I chose to be happy for my prize; no one would benefit from me being ashamed, so it was a fantastic day. The ones who should have won took it really well, and we all had a good laugh. We were all there to have fun, and it was a fantastic stepplechase and a pleasure to ride!
That’s me in the blue shirt heading up the final hill!
