3rd Anniversary Showcase - Liberty

[Ottilia’s POV]
3rd Anniversary Showcase - Liberty - Fjellhov Stud

Ottilia’s curls bounced around her shoulders as she half-walked half-ran next to her Loshenka mare. Marinka, the equine in question, pranced over the gravel pathway toward the arena looking out over the mountains of Norway. It was a breathtaking sight, with the aurora borealis glistering through the night sky above the tall mountain peaks. Its light cast a ray of colors over the wide pine forests stretching beneath the mountain range, and the fields that came after the forest thinned out.

Marinka wasn’t phased by the bystanders lurking around, taking in the appearances of each Loshenka passing by. Ottilia was glad for this. She didn’t know beforehand how well-visited Fjellhov Stud’s anniversary show would be, but it turned out that the packed showgrounds she secretly expected were pleasantly calm instead. There was quite an audience, sure, but Ottilia didn’t feel overwhelmed by their presence.

‘’Hush, Mari, easy. Woah.’’

Ottilia brought the mare to a stop a few steps from the arena gate, so the pair before her could still exit once they were done. A stallion blue as the ocean depths trotted around his playground, his silver tail in a starry shimmer following his turns. Ottilia was in awe from the flawless movements this tall Loshenka showed his audience. A little fairy tale existing.

She caught herself in a daydream and nearly missed the gate girl welcoming her in. The man and his stallion had just passed by, just their backs visible now when Ottilia looked over her shoulder. She sighed and let Marinka inside, turning her head toward her before taking off the halter completely. Marinka would come back to her once she’d called, so she wasn’t worried about causing a scene trying to catch her horse.

Marinka turned around and moved away in a brisk walk. She took in the space around her, the people beyond the fences and the darkness of the forests behind them. In the back, still by the gate, stood Ottilia, quietly cheering her mare on. Marinka shook her head, silky mane catching the green and magenta colors of the aurora, and trotted off. Her smooth movements took her around the back of the arena, head low, sniffing the dirt. As she came forth again, she raised her head in a proud display and pranced around, earning several ‘ooh’s’ and ‘aah’s’.

Ottilia quickly snatched her phone from her breeches’ pocket and clicked to film the show. She couldn’t miss this moment, she had been chattering away about this show to her parents and siblings for weeks in advance. The moment the invite letter fell on her doorstep, the world around her seemed to turn for the better. She still had no clue how they’d find her, but she was too caught up in the dream to really bother trying to figure it out.

Marinka braced herself for a canter, stretching her legs and thundering past the fenceline. The ground felt hard, but not uncomfortably so. Marinka, living in Norway herself at a small stable called Pine Creek, was used to the weather conditions and clearly showed so. At the long end of the arena, she let out a couple of bucks, her excitement no longer wanting to be contained by pride and showing off.

Ottilia giggled to herself. Marinka could be the most serious, hard working mare you’d have ever seen. But occasionally, like now, she’d break character and do silly things Ottilia was sure she’d love to do more often if her diva personality wasn’t in the way.

Ottilia stopped recording and put her phone away, softly whistling for the mare to come. Marinka turned her head and let out a dragon-like noise, cold clouds blowing away from her. She turned around in her tracks and trotted back to Ottilia, who stood waiting with her halter and leadrope. The mare carefully stopped before her, lowering her head for Ottilia to access.
Having her mare back in the halter and the gate now opened by the gate girl, Ottilia walked out again, waving with a wide grin to the applauding audience. She was proud of her horse, and showed so every time she could. She was also proud of herself, despite not knowing how, having made it to this beautiful stud farm to show the very horse that was probably bred here. Marinka hadn’t always lived with her. She’d bought her from some kind people who wanted to move on with different hobbies, and Ottilia gladly took over the care of this mare.

They passed over the parking lot, and in the corner of her vision she could see the glimpse of dark blue she’d seen earlier. She turned her head, and saw the sea depths blue stallion again, now tied to a wooden post. His rider, a tall, handsome man, carefully brushed the dust off of his shiny coat. When he turned his head to her direction, she quickly looked away again, feeling the heat burn in her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if it was out of embarrassment having been caught staring, or if it was the beauty of him that caught her off guard. Either way, she quickly scurried away toward the main stables, out of sight out of mind.

Marinka gave her rider a look that suspiciously looked like a side eye.

‘’Not a word!’’ Ottilia mumbled, pointing a finger at the mare. Marinka shook her mane and followed Ottilia into her stable. ‘’I wasn’t looking like that, you little stinker.’’

Ottilia mumbled beneath her breath, something about ‘’boys’’ and ‘’nosy’’. Unclipping the halter and slipping it over Marinka’s neck, she allowed the mare to dive her nose into the fresh net of hay that the kind stable workers had hung up for her during the time they were out for the show. She made a mental note to thank them for that before she’d leave again for Pine Creek.

Otillia gave the mare a gentle pat on her neck. She hoped that the next shows they’d be going to were just as great an experience as this one. And secretly, she also wished that the man and his stallion would be there again. Perhaps she’d have the courage to talk to him next time.