CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Blue Ribbon Hearts
The alarm rang before sunrise.
Luke was already awake.
Emily rolled over and smiled.
“You’re excited.”
Luke laughed.
“Can you tell?”
“You’ve checked the trailer three times.”
“I only checked it twice.”
Emily raised an eyebrow.
“Twice before breakfast.”
Luke grinned.
“Okay… maybe I’m a little excited.”
Today was special.
For the first time, they were taking their own horses to a local horse show.
? ? ?
By seven o’clock, the horses were loaded into the trailer.
Oscar whined dramatically as Luke closed the trailer door.
“I know,” Luke said, scratching behind his ears. “You want to come too.”
Oscar let out another long whine.
Emily laughed.
“I think he’s offended.”
“I think so.”
Kira calmly watched from the porch while Winston barely lifted his head from his favorite sleeping spot before deciding the excitement wasn’t worth getting up for.
? ? ?
The fairgrounds buzzed with activity.
Horse trailers lined the parking area, and riders warmed up in the practice arena.
Luke led his gelding toward the warm-up ring while Emily walked beside her mare.
“You nervous?” she asked.
“A little.”
“You’ve practiced for months.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“So have they.”
Luke patted the gelding’s neck.
“We’ve got this, buddy.”
? ? ?
Their first class was trail.
Luke guided his horse carefully over wooden poles, through a narrow gate, and across a small bridge.
His horse stayed calm through every obstacle.
Emily watched proudly from the rail.
When Luke finished, he rode over with a huge smile.
“That was fun.”
“You looked great.”
“I almost forgot the last turn.”
“But you didn’t.”
? ? ?
Emily entered the next class.
Her mare moved gracefully through the pattern.
When she finished, Luke applauded louder than anyone.
Emily laughed as she rode back over.
“Were you trying to embarrass me?”
“Absolutely.”
“I noticed.”
? ? ?
Late that afternoon, the announcer called everyone into the arena for awards.
Luke and Emily stood side by side.
Neither expected much.
When the ribbons were handed out, Emily earned a blue ribbon in her class.
Luke received a red ribbon for second place.
He smiled as the announcer shook his hand.
Emily rode over and held up her ribbon.
“We did it!”
Luke laughed.
“We sure did.”
“You aren’t disappointed?”
He looked around the arena.
“Not even a little.”
“Really?”
Luke nodded.
“A year ago, we didn’t even own horses.”
Emily smiled.
“Now we’re here.”
“That’s the real victory.”
? ? ?
Before loading the horses for the trip home, an older competitor walked over.
“You two are new around here.”
Luke nodded.
“We are.”
The man smiled warmly.
“You’ve got good horses.”
“Thank you.”
“But more importantly…”
He pointed toward the way Luke gently rubbed his gelding’s neck.
“…you treat them well.”
Luke smiled.
“We love them.”
“I can tell.”
The man tipped his hat.
“Keep coming back.”
“We will.”
? ? ?
As the sun began to set, Luke steered the truck toward home.
Emily held her blue ribbon in one hand and reached for Luke’s with the other.
“You know what my favorite part of today was?”
Luke glanced over.
“What?”
“It wasn’t winning.”
“No?”
“It was doing it together.”
Luke smiled.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Back at the farmhouse, the horses stepped into their pasture as if they were proud of themselves.
Oscar greeted them with excited whining.
Kira calmly welcomed them home.
Winston stretched, yawned, and wandered over just long enough to sniff the blue ribbon before returning to his nap.
Emily laughed.
“I think Winston’s impressed.”
Luke smiled.
“He’d never admit it.”
As darkness settled over the farm, Luke hung the ribbons on a hook inside the barn.
They weren’t just pieces of fabric.
They were reminders of a dream that had once seemed impossible.
A dream that had become real…
One mile after another.