Turniertag im Jorvik Stall

I was about to go for a ride with Field when a van pulled up. It was Jamie Springflower — whose horses had stayed at Meadowland for therapy some time ago.

Gillian: “Hi Jamie, what are you doing here?”

Jamie: “Hi Gillian, I actually came to see you. There’s a tournament at Jorvik Stables this weekend. I wanted to ask if you’d like to come along.”

A tournament? In this weather? Jamie explained that it almost never snowed in Jarlaheim because it lies directly by the sea. That’s why most winter competitions were held there. I agreed. Since we still had masses of snow and freezing temperatures at home, we went inside first and had some tea. On the day of the tournament, Jamie picked me up and we drove together to Jorvik Stables. We watched the other riders tackle the course. A rider on a black horse had just entered the arena. She looked familiar. Where had I seen her before? Then I remembered — I had read an article about her in Riders Today. It was Claire Riverton. Her family owned Jarla Equestrian, and she was one of the most successful show jumpers in Europe. And here I was, standing less than five meters away from her. When she finished, she walked past Jamie and me. The two of them knew each other.

Jamie: “Great round, Riverton. But just wait until it’s my turn. This is Gillian Meadowland — she inherited the ranch from old George. Gillian, this is Claire, a good friend of mine. Where’s Rowan?”

Claire: “Thanks, Springflower. I’m curious to see what you’ve got. Hi Gillian, nice to meet you. Rowan’s up next.”

The next rider was Rowan Clearwater. Claire, Rowan, and Jamie had grown up together and started their show jumping careers side by side. For them, friendship always came before rivalry.

Claire: “Come on, Rowan, you’ve got this!”

Jamie: “He’s really fast — and still clear so far.”

Then it was Jamie’s turn. Coffee performed brilliantly. They had incredible speed and seemed certain to take the win. But at the final combination before the finish — on the second jump — a rail fell. Jamie’s chances of victory were gone. After the competition, we all sat together in the stands.

Claire: “Honestly, I think I’m done with competitive riding, Gillian. I’d like to do something more meaningful.”

Gillian: “Claire, you should come and see what we’re doing at Meadowland.”

Jamie: “I totally messed that up… damn! Did she just say ‘something more meaningful’? What could be more meaningful than competition riding?”

Rowan: “I thought you did it on purpose so I could win! No, just kidding. You know how it goes — sometimes I win, next time you win. Unless Claire’s competing.”

In the end, Rowan took first place, followed by Claire in second. I watched the victory lap while Jamie packed up his things, still disappointed. We had agreed to meet in Fort Pinta that evening to celebrate. There was a disco in Fort Pinta, and that’s where we spent the evening. While dancing, the boys kept scanning the room for girls.

Gillian: “Typical men… dancing with us while checking out other girls.”

Claire: “Oh let them. At least the offended drama king is in a good mood again, and the high-flyer stops talking about his victory for a few minutes.”

We celebrated until the early morning — talking, drinking, laughing. It was such a wonderful group. I instantly felt connected to Claire. She was bursting with ideas about training horses. I absolutely had to show her Meadowland and hear her opinion.