Chapter Sixty Three : Impossible Heights

Eight Months Later……….

The beating of the large flags sailing high on their posts in the warm Ocala sunshine provided the only noise as a hushed silence fell on the vast sand arena, spectators crammed into the bleachers for as far as the eye could see. A lone horse and rider cantered rhythmically from the gate into the centre of the arena. The horse’s glossy bay coat shone like a new penny, toned and chiselled muscles rippling under a supple skin. Stopping to salute the judge’s box, the rider turned out immaculately in white breeches, long polished leather boots and a tailored show jacket enhancing her petite frame, momentarily glanced left towards the VIP Tent before she smoothly gathered the horse in hand and cantered away.

Jon nervously bit his fist as his eyes followed the horse and rider’s every movement. He couldn’t ever remember being more nervous, not even the first time he got up on stage in front of 50,000 screaming fans all those years ago. No, this gut twisting feeling was in a league of its own. At his side, Dorothea squeezed his arm hard, betraying her own nerves. Together they watched as the rider waited for the bell to ring and then circled to canter down towards the first of the twelve enormous fences that decorated the arena.

A pin drop could have been heard across the field as everybody’s eyes followed the progress of the pair around the course. The rhythmic blowing of the horse’s breathing was magnified tenfold in the silence, the only pause coming every time the magnificent animal leaped carefully over the brightly coloured poles. 

Approaching the combination fence alongside the tent where Jon and Dorothea stood watching from, everybody seemed to hold their breath as they cleared the upright fence, one stride to a skinny parallel and then two strides to a maximum height oxer. A small ripple of applause came from the bleachers that was abruptly hushed by the rest of the avid audience. A tense silence resumed as horse and rider cleared the water spread with only bare millimetres to spare invoking a collective gasp from the spectators. Everybody looked to the fence judge to wave his flag indicating a fault but to everyone’s relief the flag remained motionless by his side.

Only two fences remained as the rider firmly checked her onward going horse. A neat jump over a vertical left only the last, a related distance to another maximum height parallel. One stride, two strides, three strides…….all watching counted the horse’s individual canter strides as he met the fence perfectly on the fourth one. Touching down on the far side, his heels flicked effortlessly over the back bar and the crowd erupted into a thundering and rapturous applause. Cheers and screams of delight echoed around the stands as the rider pumped the air with her fist in a victorious salute, a broad grin on her face.

“YES!” Jon jumped up in the air with a fist pump to match his daughter’s, “Way to go Stephie!”

A delighted grin creased the corners of his blue eyes making them sparkle as he turned to hug and kiss Dorothea who was laughing and crying all at the same time. Arm in arm they watched proudly as Steph galloped past the bleachers saluting the crowds who cheered her on. Going the whole way around the arena, euphoric applause followed them and as she galloped down the long side past the VIP area, she blew a kiss towards her parents, beaming triumphantly.

Fellow owners and competitors crossed the tent to clap Jon on the back and congratulate Dorothea on their daughter’s first Grand Prix win at the tender age of seventeen, an achievement in itself. Thanking them all, Jon turned back to the arena just in time to see a slim, athletic looking brunette with a bouncing pony tail tied under her now customary ‘Team Jovi’ baseball cap bound over to meet the horse and rider. He felt his heart swell with happiness as he watched Steph lean down from the horse to fling her arms around her ecstatic trainer, ear splitting grins on both of their faces.

Amidst his joy he briefly contemplated how if things had gone differently not eight months ago he most likely wouldn’t be witnessing this happy scene. Raising his face to look up at the cloudless azure sky he silently offered up a quick prayer to whoever or whatever it was that had made her choose to stay. He would always be eternally grateful.

Dorothea joined him at his side, her eyes following his gaze. “Go.” She spoke softly as Jon turned to look down at her in surprise. Her soft brown eyes smiled back up at him, “I think there’s somebody other than our daughter you need to congratulate.”

He stared at her in wonder for a moment thinking again what a difference these past few months had made before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. While the divorce had by no means been easy it had in a way brought them closer.

“I’ll be back!” Grinning he promised to return, as much to the delight and whoops of the spectators he vaulted the barrier in front of their table and jogged across the arena to celebrate with his daughter and newly announced fiancé.

“We did it baby, we did it!” Jenn proclaimed happily as she flung herself into his arms. Her eyes beamed with happiness as Jon lifted her off the ground to swing her off her feet, the discreet diamond ring on her fourth finger twinkling as it reflected in the bright sunshine.

Holding her tight in his arms, he looked triumphantly over her shoulder to where Steph sat happily watching them from aboard her victorious horse.

“We sure did baby...........we sure did!”