Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Going For Gold ❯ Chapter 62 ( Chapter 62 )

"Going for Gold"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

 

Chapter 62

 

It didn't take long for the course to be adjusted and soon the commentator was calling for all four riders in the jump off to enter the ring and walk it. Heero handed Shini's reins to Duo who took the gray and led him around, Joe doing the same with Romeo.

 

Heero took particular notice of the turns he would need to make on the shortened course if he were to have a good time. The jumps had been raised too, which added that extra degree of difficulty to the course.

 

“I'd say that this is where the event will be won or lost,” Treize commented as they paused between fences nine and twelve.

 

“I think I agree,” responded Heero and took a good look back at the course again, mapping out in his mind exactly where he would need to have Shinigami take off and land in order to make the sharp turns. With the course walked, both riders exited the arena and went back to their respective horses and grooms.

 

“What's it like?” Duo asked Heero as he tightened up the gray's girth in readiness for Heero to mount.

 

“Tight,” came Heero's reply. “They aren't fooling around.”

 

“Ah. You will be careful, won't you?”

 

Heero smiled. “Of course.”

 

“What's the order?”

 

Looking back at the course, Heero recited the order of jumps for the jump off, mentally riding the track at the same time. “Jumps one then six which isn't too sharp a turn. Then it's the triple, followed by nine and twelve. I'd say it will all come down to the tightness of the turn you can get between jumps nine and twelve.”

 

Duo glanced at the arena and jumps, a low whistle escaping his lips. “That is going to be a tight turn,” he muttered.

 

“You can take the slightly longer route and go around four to come into twelve, or cut on the inside of four and take the risk.”

 

Duo didn't think there was much point in asking Heero which way he planned to go, as he probably already knew; but he asked anyway. “Which way are you planning on going?”

 

“Cutting through the inside, it will save a lot of time.”

 

“And Treize?”

 

“He's going to do the same.”

 

Duo nodded. “Just promise me you will come back safe.”

 

Heero took a quick look around and then gave Duo's arm a light squeeze as he prepared to mount. “I'll be careful. Don't worry, if I don't think Shini is going well enough for the sharp turn then I'll go the long way.”

 

Smiling in return, Duo knew the words were meant to comfort, but he also knew Heero would be taking the risk; he had to if he wanted any chance of making the Olympic team.

 

Heero pushed off the ground and swung easily into the saddle, Shini danced a little and Heero ran a soothing hand over the gray neck as he gave the horse the aid to walk forward. “Easy, Shini, this one is going to be a real test so you need to calm down and listen to me,” he said softly as he moved away to warm the horse up.

 

Shini tossed his head and gave a couple of side steps. He was fit and raring to go!

 

The commentator called for the first competitor in the jump off to enter the ring and Heero turned Shini back to the collecting ring to watch.

 

The rider saluted the judge and then, once the bell had rung, set off for the course with a fast pace and grim look on his face. Duo chewed his bottom lip as he watched the rider and horse clear the first jump and turn sharply for fence six.

 

“Too tight,” Treize muttered as he appeared beside Heero and Duo.

 

Somehow the horse managed to twist itself in mid air and scrape its hind legs over the jump, the effort costing it as it landed a touch awkwardly. The rider tried to collect the horse but with only a few strides and a left turn as well to the triple, he didn't quite get enough impulsion back into his mount. The horse gamely tackled part A, clearing it and then launching into the air for part B. The hind legs dragged over the top pole and whilst it rolled and rattled in the cups, it stayed put. It was clear though that the horse was running out of steam and part C proved too much, the forelegs catching the top pole a good whack and sending it crashing to the ground. Knowing his chances of winning were probably shot, the rider did the sensible thing and steadied his horse, built the impulsion and instead of taking the shorter track, went the longer way to ensure his horse cleared the remaining two jumps.

 

“Four faults and a time of 53:23,” the commentator announced. “Now for our second rider in the jump off; Heero Yuy riding Shinigami.”

 

“Good luck, Heero.” Duo squeezed Heero's calf and then turned to pat Shini. “Take care of him, boy.”

 

Heero smiled and mouthed 'I love you', before collecting his reins up and urging Shinigami into the ring.

 

Joe and Treize also wished him good luck and then moved a touch closer to Duo to offer their support to the vet.

 

Heero rode into the ring, reins supple between his fingers and Shinigami feeling like a ticking time bomb beneath him. He saluted the judge and gathered his horse, turning to head for the start. The bell went, Heero urged the gray forward into a canter and turned through the start flags. They were off.

 

Gray ears pricked, Shini eyed up the first jump, lengthening his stride and sailing over it easily. As soon as his forefeet hit the ground, his master's seat and legs were there, driving him together, shortening his stride and taking a sharp left turn. They cut inside jump five and were on track for jump six.

 

“Nice turn,” Treize said as his eyes tracked the rider and horse.

 

Duo felt like his stomach was jumping the course with Heero.

 

Shini picked his take off point and cleared the gate without any extra effort.

 

“Good boy,” Heero praised. “Now for the triple, you need to listen to me, boy.” Heero sat down deep, driving Shini's hindquarters underneath and building the impulsion. Shini responded well, containing his energy as he eyed off the first element of the triple.

 

They met part A square on and Shini gathered himself together, pushing his body from the ground and tucking his forelegs neatly underneath as he sailed over the brightly colored poles. Landing safely, Heero was immediately there, fingers light on the reins, legs pushing the horse back together and containing the impulsion. One stride and Shini was launching himself into the air again, body straining as he put in the effort to clear the jump. Once more they landed safely and Heero was there with his seat and leg, driving the horse together and maintaining the balance and impulsion. Shini took two strides before pushing the powerful hindquarters to the limit, launching his body into the air and arching over the final element of the triple.

 

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” muttered Duo as he watched through half closed eyes as his boyfriend cleared the triple. It wasn't until the gray's four hooves were on the ground once again, did he let go a breath of air he hadn't been aware he was holding.

 

“That was great, Shini,” Heero muttered taking a moment to pat the gray neck as he gathered the contact again. Sitting deep into the saddle, Heero rode his horse forward, building the impulsion yet again, knowing that the following two jumps would be the make or break of his round. They cut around the outside of jump eight, Heero lining up jump nine and taking a second to glance across to see where he would need to ride the stallion to get inside jump four and save time.

 

Spotting the jump ahead, Shini gauged his take off point, noted the height of the fence and began to lengthen out his stride. Hind hooves bit deep into the turf, powerful muscles bunched and strained as they pushed the body into the air and over the jump.

 

Immediately Shini began his downward descent, Heero began to lean his body weight to the right and slowly drop his weight back to the saddle. Front hooves touched down, followed by the hind legs and Heero was there, hands light on the reins, slowing the horse and guiding the stallion to the right.

 

“Fuck!” Duo exclaimed as he watched Shinigami land and within a stride begin to prop and turn.

 

Treize whistled through his teeth. “Sharp turn,” he acknowledged.

 

“That horse has certainly improved,” Joe stated, obviously impressed.

 

Jump four flashed past Heero's left side as Shini made the very sharp turn right. Heero pushed himself deeper into the saddle, knees pressed against the flaps as he used a combination of his seat, legs, body weight and hands to check the stallion's speed and direction, driving the horse together and turning him to face the final jump.

 

“Last one, boy,” Heero told the gray.

 

Shini cocked back an ear; he was enjoying himself.

 

The triple loomed ahead, Heero checked the speed and quickly calculated the striding left. It was spot on. Giving with his hands, Heero's body rose up and forward, weight coming out of the saddle and being taken on Heero's knees and ankles.

 

Shini dug deep, pushing from the ground with his powerful hindquarters and soaring into the air. The gray body seemed to pause in mid air before forelegs reached out for the fast approaching ground. Tendons and ligaments absorbed the shock of landing, hindquarters following the forehand and straining to propel the body forward towards the finish flags.

 

Keeping his contact with Shini's mouth light enough to simply guide the animal, Heero drove his legs against the gray flanks, urging his horse into a gallop and through the finish flags.

 

“Yes! Go Heero!” Duo cheered from the collecting ring as he watched his lover shoot through the finish.

 

“Clear round in a time of 32:15 seconds for Heero Yuy and Shinigami. Ladies and gentlemen, that is our new leader and the time to beat!”

 

Duo cheered again from inside the collecting ring as Heero made his way towards them, a smile from ear to ear on his face and hand enthusiastically petting the damp, gray neck.

 

“Good luck, Treize,” Duo called out as the ginger haired man rode into the ring.

 

“Good luck, boss,” said Joe and then turned to congratulate Heero as he rode out.

 

“Fantastic round, Heero. You've really laid down the gauntlet,” Treize commented as he passed his pupil in the arena, Romeo fresh beneath him.

 

“Good luck to you, Treize,” Heero replied. “If anyone can beat me, it will be you.”

 

Treize gave a laugh. “We'll see,” he said and then rode off towards the judge.

 

Heero exited the ring and rode over to Duo and Joe, slipping from the saddle as soon as Shini stopped.

 

“That was great, Heero. You certainly gave them all something to chase and really impressed the selectors I'm betting,” Duo said as he gave Heero a friendly clap to the shoulder.

 

“I hope so,” Heero replied. “It was Shini though who did all the work.” Heero ran a loving hand along the satiny shoulder.

 

“He was a good boy, wasn't he?” Duo stated and then fished in his pocket to retrieve the much loved carrots and feed them to Shini.

 

The stallion gave a wuffle of delight and took the offered reward. He crunched happily on the carrots, knowing instinctively that he'd done something good.

 

“Treize is off,” Joe announced quietly, Heero and Duo turning to watch the other man and see how he fared.

 

Romeo was eager to jump and pulled hard against the hands restraining him.

 

“Steady my son,” said Treize as he quieted the stallion with a soothing pat and soft tone.

 

Cantering down, Treize looked for the start flags and turned Romeo for them. They passed between, breaking the timer beam and approached the first fence in the jump off.

 

Romeo flew over jump one, bay ears pricked and eager for the next one. Treize maintained his contact with the bay stallion's mouth and checked the horse upon landing, using his seat and leg to turn the large animal inside jump five as Heero had done previously. They came on track for jump six, heading dead center.

 

Listening to his rider's aids, Romeo shortened his stride a touch and then gathered himself together for the jump over fence six. The large body flew into the air and cleared the jump with inches to spare. Once they returned to earth, Treize was there, collecting the stallion and riding him forward for the triple. Treize knew the combination fences were the stallion's biggest problem; given the size of the horse and his long stride, Romeo sometimes had difficulty in adjusting to suit the number of strides between obstacles.

 

Course designers set the number of strides between jumps to the average stride length of a horse; that being about eleven foot. As Romeo had a slightly longer stride, Treize needed to keep his concentration and shorten the big fellow's stride accordingly if they were to jump clean. Lots of work over grids had helped tremendously in teaching Romeo to shorten and lengthen as Treize asked.

 

With Romeo listening, they took a stride and then sailed into the air again, clearing part B and coming back to ground safely. With two strides between B and C, Treize was careful to maintain the contact with his horse and have enough impulsion there to clear the final element.

 

“Nicely ridden,” Duo commented as he watched their friend clear all three elements of the triple.

 

“Romefeller has come a long way,” Heero mused.

 

“And so he should, the amount of time and effort the boss has put into him,” Joe chuckled.

 

“Good boy, Romeo,” Treize praised the stallion. “Now for the tough ones.”

 

The bay cocked an ear, noting the pleased tone in his master's voice and gave a snort of his own.

 

With jump nine now in his sight, Treize sat deeper and collected Romeo up. The impulsion was there, the horse obedient to the slightest touch from Treize, now all they had to do was clear the jump.

 

Giving with his hands, Treize followed the movement of his mount, body shifting forwards as the bay hindquarters pushed the animal into the air and over the jump.

 

“It's going to be close,” Duo muttered as his eyes switched between the clock and Treize.

 

Heero was holding his breath. Yes, he wanted Treize to do well, especially with the selectors watching; but he also wanted to win himself.

 

As Romeo landed, Treize immediately dropped his weight and shortened his reins, bringing the horse to the right and asking for a sharp turn. Muscles strained as the bay did his best to slow his speed, turn and then accelerate again.

 

They cut just inside jump four.

 

Romeo's long legs ate up the ground as they bore down on the final jump. The clock was still ticking but Treize paid it no mind. He was fixated completely on the final fence and clearing it. Legs drove hard against the stallion's sides, urging him forward and over the final fence. The bay responded, lengthening out and then shooting into the air.

 

Moments later they were touching down, hooves biting deep into the turf. Treize turned for the finish flags and gave the bay his head. Romeo galloped on, ears flattened as he sped up.

 

Duo nervously watched the clock and silently counted down the seconds.

 

A bay blur flashed between the flags and stopped the clock.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, a clear round for Treize Khushrenada riding Romefeller in a time of 33:20 seconds! What a ride! Our leader though is still Heero Yuy by just fifty-five hundredths of a second. Can the last rider to go beat that time?” The commentator was clearly excited.

 

Treize exited the arena as the last rider to go entered, exchanging comments of 'good luck' and 'well done' as they passed. Once out of the arena, Treize rode over to where Joe was waiting with Heero and Duo.

 

“That was a great round, boss,” Joe enthused as he took the bay from Treize and began to loosen the girth once Treize had dismounted.

 

“He was a good boy,” Treize replied with a pat to the bay neck.

 

“Well done, Treize. I thought for sure you had beaten my time,” Heero congratulated.

 

“We gave it our best shot,” Treize replied with a grin. “Seems it wasn't quite quick enough.”

 

“It was an excellent round, Treize. I have to say that Romefeller has improved a great deal since I last saw him compete,” Duo commented. “If you both keep up this level of competition then I'm certain you will both be selected for the Olympics.”

 

“Thank you, Duo. All we can do is hope it's good enough to impress those selectors and we do just as well, if not better than the others on the shortlist,” Treize stated with a warm smile. Despite his time not being as fast as Heero's, he was still very pleased with the way Romeo had performed.

 

“How's the last rider going?” Duo asked and all four turned their attention back to the arena.

 

The final rider was also out to win. They had started off at a steady pace and increased speed as they progressed around the course. So far they were clear in a good time and currently taking the triple. The brown gelding cleared part A, landed and negotiated part B without any trouble. Part C was similarly cleared and they were heading for jump nine.

 

Four sets of eyes in the collecting ring watched the performance, occasionally switching to glance at the clock before returning to the horse and rider on course.

 

It was going to be a close finish.

 

The brown jumped fence nine and the rider did their best to emulate Heero and Treize in their sharp turn to jump twelve. The brown wasn't quite so nimble on his feet as Shini or Romeo, despite being slightly smaller in height, and thus made a slightly wider turn. They did manage to straighten up and met the final fence square on. The brown launched into the air and cleared the jump, touching down and sprinting for the finish.

 

“Shit! It's gonna be close,” Duo muttered as he watched the clock.

 

The beam was cut and the clock stopped - along with several hearts and lungs.

 

“Clear round in a time of 34:35 seconds! What an exciting finish...”

 

The commentator continued on with his little announcement, but neither Duo, Heero or Treize heard him, they were too busy congratulating each other.

 

“You won, Heero!” Duo cried out, all excited and almost blew it, only just stopping himself from enveloping his lover in his arms and kissing him senseless. He managed to skillfully turn the attempted hug into a one armed embrace, the sort one would give a good friend.

 

“Well done, Heero,” Treize said as he shook his pupil's hand.

 

“Thank you,” Heero replied to both Duo and Treize, his mind was still in a bit of a daze, the win being a significant one due to several reasons; the selectors attendance, the difficulty of the course and the level of competition.

 

The commentator began to call for the four riders to enter the ring for the presentation and both Treize and Heero scrambled to get mounted up. With girths tightened and helmets secure, Heero led the way into the arena, Treize behind him then the brown gelding and lastly the chestnut.

 

They lined up amidst clapping and cheering from the crowd and the judge, along with the sponsor, came forward to make the presentations.

 

Heero accepted the prize money in an envelope with politeness and thanked the sponsor for their generosity. The judge placed the blue rosette on Shinigami's bridle then paused to shake hands with Heero and say a few words, passing on his well wishes for Heero to reach his goal and be selected for the Olympic team.

 

Having finished congratulating Heero, the judge moved on to Treize and placed the red rosette on Romeo's bridle.

 

“I understand you are also on the shortlist for the Olympic team?” the judge asked as he paused to shake hands with Treize.

 

“Yes, yes, I am. Along with Heero here, we both hope to make the team to London,” Treize replied with a nod in Heero's direction.

 

“Good luck to you both. If you keep up the current level of competition then I'm pretty sure you will both impress the selectors and be in with a damn good chance.”

 

“Thank you,” Treize said and smiled at Heero who was doing his best to keep the blush from his cheeks with the praise.

 

The judge moved on down the line and once he'd finished putting the last rosette on the fourth place getter, they were free to do their customary lap of honor.

 

Shini snorted and tossed his head as he cantered around. He knew he'd done well and was eager to leave the ring and have some more of those orange treats that his master and the other nice human seemed to always have readily available.

 

Exiting the arena, both men made their way through the crowd towards Joe and Duo, nodding thanks at those other competitors that congratulated them on their way. Finally reaching the groom's side, Treize dismounted and handed the reins to Joe, giving the young groom a hand to loosen the girth and run up the stirrups.

 

Duo was immediately beside Shinigami, undoing the noseband whilst Heero dismounted and ran up his stirrups. With both horses a little more comfortable, the four made their way back to the parking area and began to get the horses ready for the trip home.

 

“All in all I'd say it's been a very successful show, Heero,” Treize commented.

 

“I agree,” Heero replied. “When will Virgo be going?”

 

“She's being picked up in a couple of weeks. The guy wants to sort out stabling and such first,” replied Treize.

 

“Okay.” Noting Duo putting on Shini's floating boots, Heero decided it was time to go. “I'll see you at work on Tuesday, Treize.”

 

“Will do, Heero. Enjoy the day off.”

 

“I will.” Heero turned and walked back over to Duo and helped him with the hind leg boots.

 

Shinigami was soon rugged and all the gear safely squashed back in the car. Heero lowered the tailgate whilst Duo hung a full haynet inside the float for the stallion to nibble on while they drove home. Untying Shini, Heero led the gray onto the float, Duo putting the tail chain in place and then lifting the tailgate once the horse was safely inside. Heero gave him a hand to lock the tailgate into place and then they climbed into the car and set off for home.

 

* * *

 

Several more weeks passed and Heero was attending a show pretty much each weekend. If he wasn't competing on Shini, he was riding one of Treize's horses. Virgo had been collected by her new owner and so far had settled in well. Simon had been pleased with his purchase and thus far had taken her out to a couple of smaller shows to familiarize himself with the mare and the way she went in competition.

 

Heero had been sad to see the tall mare go, but he was comforted in the knowledge that Simon was a good rider and she would have an excellent home with him. As Simon lived a couple of counties over, it also meant Heero got to see the mare quite often as Simon attended many of the same shows Heero and Treize did.

 

The two new horses were coming along quite nicely, the black seeming to be a little sharper than the chestnut stallion. It was like that though with horses; they were very similar to humans. Some learnt very quickly, others took a bit longer. Heero didn't mind either way, as long as the horse understood what he was asking from it and did its best to try to please him, then Heero was satisfied.

 

One could not rush the education of a horse, not if you wanted the animal to give its best and be successful. Most top show jumpers, and dressage horses too for that matter, didn't reach their full potential or top competitive form until they were eight years or older. The majority of horses competing at Olympic level were around ten to twelve years of age.

 

It would be a while yet before either the black or the chestnut would be out there competing. Heero needed to cover all the basic groundwork first, teaching the horse to lengthen and shorten stride, collect up and listen closely to the rider's aids. To have a well educated horse on the flat meant hours of work and could take many months to achieve.

 

Once that groundwork was done though, the rider had a good, solid foundation with which to continue on and like a building; if the foundation was solid, whatever else was built on top would remain strong and firm.

 

Two more shows had been and gone with the selectors in attendance. Heero and Shini had gone well, the gray jumping his heart out for Heero and coming home with a second and first. Treize had also gone well with Romeo, the bay having placed first and third.

 

With only one more show to go that the selectors would be attending, Heero knew he had to put in a good performance.

 

Luckily that show wasn't for another two weeks yet which meant Shini could have a bit of a break before competing again.

 

Heero was a little concerned that the gray could start to go 'stale' with all the jumping he'd been doing and so he changed his work program a touch to try to prevent that problem before it occurred. He started to take Shini out for a few more bush rides - something the stallion seemed to really enjoy - especially when Duo joined them on Angel.

 

The mare had been going well under saddle and Duo had enough confidence now in his own riding skills to ride the mare out of the paddock. Duo enjoyed the rides out just as much as Heero and the horses. It gave him a much needed break from the surgery and the rigors of his daily vet life. He'd really enjoyed riding out before on Scythe, but as the mare's age had progressed, that had not been possible any longer. With Scythe now having gone to a better place and Heero breaking Angel in, Duo could once again enjoy those rides out.

 

The pair were currently lazing along at a very relaxed walk, following the track that would lead them back to the quiet lane that ran at the back of Duo's property when Duo's pager went off. It was a Saturday afternoon, Heero had returned from Treize's and seeing that Duo didn't have anything booked for afternoon surgery, suggested that they go for a bush ride. Duo had jumped at the chance and eagerly caught the horses.

 

The ride had been lovely, the sun not too hot on their backs and the horses willing and eager. They'd seen a group of kangaroos all lying down under the shade of a large gum tree and paused to take in the sight before continuing their ride. Now they were pleasantly tired, relaxed and looking forward to getting back to the stables. Duo had evening consults as Hilde was on her day off, Catherine was also enjoying half day off and as far as Duo knew, the two women were going out somewhere together.

 

He mused over that thought as they rode back towards the stables. The pair had gotten very close lately and if Duo was reading the body language right, he was pretty sure they were slowly becoming a couple. He smiled to himself over that thought. He sincerely hoped they were forming a relationship, they were good for each other. Catherine had begun to open up more, her sunny personality showing through as she settled more into her job. She loved animals and clearly had an excellent rapport with the clients.

 

Hilde was very similar. Her excellent vet skills, knowledge and caring attitude had seen her grow as a vet and the clients all adored her.

 

Yep, if those two did hook up it would be the best thing for both of them.

 

Duo was suddenly shaken from his mental wanderings as his pager went off, scaring the shit out of Angel too. The mare jumped and shifted suddenly sideways, Duo having to grab for the mane and pommel of the saddle to prevent himself from falling off.

 

“Shit!” he cursed as he managed to remain in the saddle, even if it was a little undignified. Quickly reaching for his pager on his belt, he brought the mare to a halt and checked the small screen.

 

“What's up?” Heero questioned as he brought Shini to a halt beside them.

 

“Not sure. I need to ring the pager service,” Duo replied absently and clipping the pager back on his belt, he fished in his pocket for his cell phone. “Doctor Maxwell here. You paged me?”

 

Heero watched and listened to the one sided conversation.

 

“I see. No problem. I'll get back to the surgery as quickly as I can. Thank you.” Duo cut the call, put the phone back in his pocket and collected up the reins, turning to Heero as he did so.

 

“What is it?” Heero asked as he also shortened his reins, sensing there was something important about to happen.

 

“I need to get back to the surgery urgently. There's a case coming in, an emergency.”

 

“I see.” Heero gathered himself together, turned Shini's head towards home and started off at a brisk trot.

 

Duo followed on Angel and once they were cantering side by side down the track, he gave Heero the rest of the details.

 

“It's a horse coming in. From what the pager service told me it's been in a floating accident.”

 

“Aa.” Heero's mind began to tick over. A floating accident could result in some horrific injuries to a horse. Time would be of the essence here. He gave Shini a little more rein, letting the stallion stretch out and increase his speed. Angel followed suit.

 

“Any idea what the injuries are?” he asked, his voice almost whipped away by the wind.

 

“No. They didn't say. All they could tell me was the horse was still in the float and on its way to the surgery. ETA, ten minutes.”

 

“Okay.” Heero checked Shini's speed and brought the stallion to a fast trot as they reached the end of the track and turned onto the wide verge of the lane that would take them back to Duo's property.

 

Moments later they entered the stable yard, a car and float seconds behind them.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...