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ChapterNine
THEO
Riding around the warmup arena, I shove my cell in my jacket pocket after sending a reply to my piccola. I glance at Tessa who is standing by a jump, waiting for me to give her instructions on what to do next.
“Can you pop into an upright, Tessa? Around a meter in height. Then do the same with the oxer. Thank you.” She nods, getting to work. Although the competition today isn’t as big as the Winter tour, it’s still important for my young horses. It’s the perfect place to get their careers started and give them some experience. It may seem pointless, me doing this, because I’m sure in the next couple of months they will be sold, but I won’t take that out on my animals. They deserve the best start in life and being here today is doing just that.
Pushing into a canter, I circle, then come to the upright. Sully clears it with ease, giving the jump more height than necessary. I’ll be sad to see him sold—all my horses sold—but I have high hopes for Sully and what comes next for him in his showjumping career. To say he is talented is an understatement. I bought him as a three-year-old at an auction in Belgium last year. He was one of the most popular entries and Melody’s father paid over the top for him. He won’t be hard to sell, there has already been interest in him. I just hope he goes to someone who can bring him on like he deserves.
“Theo Rhodes and Sullivan VH to the tunnel,” the collecting ring steward booms over a megaphone, snapping me out of my thoughts. I do a flying change and quickly jump the oxer, smiling when Sully does as I expect. He clears it as if he were jumping a one sixty fence and not a meter.
“He’s flying,” Tessa says as she catches up to me.
“Yeah, he is. Give him a couple of years and he will be the top of his game.”
She smiles, patting his neck as we walk to the tunnel. I watch as the competitor in the arena comes around to the last few jumps. I’m in my zone, ready to do my thing, when I hear an irritating voice drawl. “That’s a nice one you got there Theo. I tried to buy him last year, but you outbid me. Maybe I’ll have another chance soon.”
I scowl over at Dean, who is wearing a smug smirk. I don’t know what happened to us. We were never best friends, only acquaintances, but still. I know he has always been jealous of me, my success, but we spent time together on the circuit, had fun even. Now he seems to go out of his way to fuck with me, to get a reaction out of me. I won’t give him the satisfaction anymore.
Ignoring him, I focus on what I do best.
Showjumping.
Entering the arena, I circle, pull to a stop, and salute the judges. It’s not necessary but I think it’s polite, so I always do it no matter the level I’m competing. Pushing into a canter, I loop around to the first fence. Sully clears it, then bucks, clearly feeling fresh out at his first competition. I kick him forward to the second, which is a brightly colored oxer around one meter five in height. Although I can feel him looking at it like it’s about to kill him, I don’t give him a chance to spook. I grip him tightly with my legs and push him forward, hitting it in perfect stride.
Making my way around the rest of the course, I stay alert. Sully is young, inexperienced, and it’s going to take a few times of getting him out to these sorts of competitions until he is comfortable. I will make sure I do enough with all of my young horses so that when I go to Europe next month, Tessa or whoever else competes them whilst I am away has an easy time of it.
Coming to the last fence, I’m clear so far. But the combination with an upright, to an oxer, to a triple bar, is a bit more technical than the rest of the course. If that wasn’t hard enough, the jump builder has made the distances too long in between. I put my leg on, hitting the first part perfectly. Almost imperceptibly, I kick Sully between the first and second part trying to make up the distance, so I don’t hit a stride out or bury him deep into it. It works and he clears it. I make the exact same moves to the last part, and Sully appreciates my help and finishes with a clear round. I couldn’t be happier with his first competition. Yes, he was spooked in places, but he’s only four and it’s expected. I leave the arena happy with my result and hop off, handing him to Gabby, one of my staff.
Tess has hold of my next horse—Thera—ready for me to mount. I only have around six competitors before my next round, and I am eager to get it over with so I can see my piccola.
Hopping on, I warm her up the same as Sully and before I know it, it’s my turn again. I finish on another clear round, and I couldn’t be happier with both of their performances. It’s a huge thing, their first competition, and they both made it look easy. They did so well, in fact, I’m considering asking my father to invest in both Sully and Thera. It would make more sense to invest in my top horses, but I’m excited about what the youngsters are going to bring to the world of showjumping. Their jumping today impressed me, and I think they are both worth keeping. My silent investor, Finley Mckay, a restaurateur from San Francisco, wants to put his money into Beau. He has visions of attending the Olympics, travelling the world as an owner of the number one horse in the world. That’s Beau. If I impress Finley enough, he will more than likely plow more money into me. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.
Once I’ve finished, made sure the horses are okay, and have gotten Tessa and the rest of the staff ready to get back to the farm, I make my way to the pavilion to see the love of my life. Entering the door, I scan the room only to come up empty. I nod my head at a few people I know, then move towards the private balconies, smiling when I find her out there, too engrossed in what’s happening in the arena to notice my presence. Greg doesn’t miss me though. Neither does her sister or her guard. Greg scowls and I shoot him a smirk. I can’t deny it makes me happy winding him up. If he thinks for one minute his words and looks will make me run for the hills and away from Thalia, then he can think again.
“Well done, Theo, very impressive. Although I was expecting the number one showjumper in the world and a man with an ego the size of yours to jump bigger fences than you did.”
My piccola’s head snaps up and to me at her sister’s words. I smile at her before turning back to the pain in my ass. “Well, Aria, I would normally be competing at top levels, but this competition is for the young horses. It would be stupid of me to jump any bigger before they’re ready.” She snickers. I grin before my head moves to Thalia who is hobbling towards me. I rush towards her, stopping her in her tracks.
“What are you doing? Sit down and rest your knee.”
“You were brilliant. Both horses are amazing, but Sully is something special.”
I nod in agreement before glancing around to make sure no one is watching our exchange, or our proximity to each other. I’m thankful, it’s quiet today and all my other students have gone home to their parents, visiting before we leave for London.
“Yes, I agree. I see them both doing great things.” I slowly turn her. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I nudge, silently asking her to take a seat. She does and I take one next to her. I can feel her eyes on me, but I stay focused on the arena. I don’t want her to witness the sadness that I’m sure is on my face.
“Theo?” she murmurs. I glance at her unable to resist when she says my name. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. It is what it is. There will be more horses but there will never be another you,” I say low enough for only her to hear. Reaching out, she grabs my hand and squeezes before releasing me. “Did you eat?” I ask.
It’s Aria that answers. I would be annoyed if she didn’t amuse me so much. Whereas Thalia is quiet and reserved, Aria is outspoken and loud. “We didn’t actually.”
I glance at her. “I was talking to your sister.”
She smirks. “Well, I answered for her. We were just about to leave. Our parents want to video call with us.”
I look back to my piccola who lets out a sigh. “She’s right. I just wanted to see you and then we were going to get back. Will you come over tonight?”
