Loving Spirit

the grooms’ quarters of the box and pulled off her old jeans. She had her show jodhpurs underneath. She replaited her hair in a single neat plait, put on her red tie, her brown jodhpur boots, her tweed jacket and leather gloves. Putting on her velvet hat, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were glowing.
    Opening the door, she jumped down from the horsebox. Luke grinned. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’
    She nodded, for once almost lost for words with the excitement and nerves.
    ‘I love it too,’ he admitted. ‘It’s good having someone else here who enjoys it. I know Joe would sooner stay at home. I wish I was riding today.’ He undid Picasso’s headcollar. ‘Here. On you get.’
    She mounted and went to check the girth, but Luke caught her arm. ‘No, wait. You’ll get grease on your gloves. Let me.’ He checked, running his finger between the girth and Picasso’s side. It wasn’t quite tight enough and he moved her leg forward, lifting up the saddle flap. As she looked down on his dark head while he hiked the girth up another hole, his shoulder holding her leg out of the way, she wished he could always be this nice.
    ‘Thanks,’ she said.
    ‘My pleasure.’ For just a moment there was the hint of his usual mocking expression, but then his face relaxed and he let her leg fall back into place. He swept the cloth over her boots where they had brushed against Picasso’s neck, removing the last specks of dust. ‘Just go out there and win.’
    ‘I’ll try.’ She clicked her tongue and Picasso moved off.
    Spirit whinnied.
    Ellie smiled. She knew it was silly, but she was sure he was wishing her good luck too.
    As soon as Ellie rode into the ring, her nerves vanished. She cantered round, feeling Picasso’s eagerness. ‘Steady, steady,’ she breathed as they approached the first jump. He flew over, his ears pricked. Jump followed jump. She remembered Joe’s advice at the final fence and was ready when she felt him speed up. Now was not the time for one of his infamous bucks. Keeping him firmly in hand, she placed him perfectly at the fence. He cleared it by miles and she rode on strongly, keeping a good hold on his head. She ended the round with her heart singing. A clear round! Her uncle met her at the exit with a rare smile.
    ‘Good work, lass,’ he said, clapping Picasso’s neck.
    There was a grey pony in the smaller ring, doing itsindividual show for the second judge. In the individual show they had to walk, trot, canter and gallop. Ellie waited for her turn and, as the grey left, she rode in. Picasso performed beautifully, floating across the ground, his neck arched, reaching perfectly for the bit before doing a really fast gallop. Joe had told Ellie that Picasso loved being in the ring, and she could feel it exuding from the pony’s every pore. He made it easy for her to ride as well as she possibly could, speeding up and slowing down whenever she asked.
    She finished by bowing to the judge, and then Joe and her uncle helped her whisk Picasso’s saddle off so she could lead him back into the ring for the judge to check him over one last time. Picasso stood like a statue and didn’t put a foot wrong as she then walked and trotted him in-hand. At the end of the class, all the ponies were called back into the ring together by the steward. They lined up and Picasso was pronounced the winner.
    Ellie could hardly contain her delight as the judge hooked a red rosette on to the string that held her number in place and congratulated her. Her first show and she had won – or at least Picasso had! She led the lap of honour while everyone clapped loudly.
    Getting out of the ring, she leapt off and hugged Picasso. The next second Joe, Luke and Len were congratulating her.
    ‘He was awesome!’ she gasped.
    ‘So were you!’ said Joe.
    Luke grinned. ‘I knew you’d enjoy it.’
    ‘It was a good ride,’ said Len, nodding approvingly. ‘A very good ride.’
    Ellie took Picasso back to the horsebox, glowing with pride, but her showing day wasn’t over. Later on she had to take him in the working hunter pony championship for the ponies who had been placed first and second in their classes. They came second overall in that and were presented with another even larger rosette for being Reserve Champion, even beating Joe and Barney who had won their class too.
    Afterwards, Ellie and Joe rode the ponies back to the car park. They took it in turns to get changed in the living