Chapter 209 You Played Yourself (2)
The stakes for this contest were downright outrageous.
Around the arena, the students who had come to watch were thrilled by the drama. The bigger the spectacle, the better. Within seconds, someone fast on the keyboard had already posted on the school forum.
[Everyone get to the riding arena right now — HBBK Level Three rider Kelly vs. Amelia, who's riding for the first time, in an obstacle jumping match! If Kelly loses, she'll follow Amelia's lead at Prestige High School from now on!]
The post was pure bait, designed to pull in a crowd.
Amelia only glanced at Kelly and said evenly, "You said it yourself. I hope you don't regret it later."
"Regret?" Kelly rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with mockery. "If you have time to talk big, you should be finding yourself a chest protector and leg guards. Wouldn't want you flying off the horse straight into the hospital."
Amelia and Kelly were both names people knew at Prestige High School. The post spread fast, and within minutes replies were flooding in. By the time the mid-morning break arrived, plenty of students had decided they were coming to watch.
Meanwhile, Amelia had already begun learning the basics of obstacle jumping from Lon.
"Amelia, are you sure you want to go through with this match against Kelly?" Lon asked, his gaze steady on her as she sat in the saddle, helmet secured.
"Yes," she answered simply.
Lon studied her for a moment. "Is this because you want that Moonfern?"
A quiet "Mm" was all she gave him.
His eyes softened slightly. "Then that boy—Zander, your brother—must mean a great deal to you. You're willing to take risks for him."
"All my brothers are important to me," she said, her voice even.
Lon found himself wondering if she truly was Rosie, or even a Rose Dryad at all. Most Rose Dryads were selfish to the core, unwilling to risk injury for another, and certainly not inclined to form deep bonds with humans.
"In that case, I'll teach you the essentials of jumping," he said, drawing the reins in. "I'll explain first, then demonstrate."
Prestige High School's riding arena had a dedicated obstacle course divided into low, medium, and high difficulty zones.
The low zone was made up of vertical obstacles—single rails, wooden planks, or movable walls. Today's setup was a single rail balanced between two vertical posts. The higher the rail, the greater the challenge for the horse.
The straight course stretched two hundred meters, with five rails in total. The first stood at about one foot eight inches, followed by two feet three inches, two feet eleven inches, three feet seven inches, and finally the tallest at roughly four feet three inches. In regular lessons, students rarely went beyond the third rail; anything over three feet three inches carried real risk for non-professionals.
The medium zone featured spread obstacles—two single rails placed in parallel, requiring the horse to clear both in a single jump, testing height and width together.
The high zone was for combination obstacles, where singles and doubles were set close together, forcing rapid consecutive jumps with no room for error.
Given Amelia's beginner status, Lon decided the match would be in the low zone only. Five rails, penalties for refusals or knocking the rail down, and an automatic loss for falling.
Still, at Amelia's request, he explained the technique for spread jumps as well.
Half an hour later, Amelia and Kelly each sat astride their horses at the starting line of the low zone. The dark red stripe marking the start of the first obstacle glinted faintly in the light.
By now, the forum post had gone viral. The timing was perfect—mid-morning break meant students from all grades had streamed into the arena. Some had even started a poll online.
The results were no surprise: over ninety percent backed Kelly.
Kelly's HBBK Level Three certification was well known. Just earlier this year she'd won at the River City Equestrian Association's competition. An internationally certified rider with awards to her name versus someone learning to jump for the first time—there was hardly any suspense.
Those few who voted for Amelia were dismissed as dreamers.
Kelly's eyes lit up at the sight of the crowd. Excitement thrummed through her. If Amelia wanted to show off, Kelly was more than happy to make her look foolish. The low zone's five rails were child's play for her. For Amelia, even with Lon's crash course, reaching the third rail would be an achievement.
Today, Kelly thought, was her turn to shine.
Lon stepped forward to act as referee.
Kelly, brimming with confidence, went first.
The whistle blew, and she urged her horse forward. First rail, second, third... the rhythm was perfect. When she cleared the fifth and tallest rail, the crowd erupted into applause and cheers.
It was flawless.
Kelly's skill was undeniable—every movement clean, every takeoff timed with precision. As the cheers washed over her, she steered her horse back to the start, her pulse racing, her whole body light with adrenaline. This hadn't even felt like a real challenge. More like a warm-up.
She turned her gaze toward Amelia, chin tilted high, eyes gleaming with condescension. "Oh dear... should I have slowed down for you?"
She raised her brows in mock encouragement. "Do your best, Amelia. If you can't clear the obstacles, that's fine. Just don't fall off and knock your head—wouldn't want me feeling guilty for giving you a concussion."