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Description
Story:
Regret rumbled in Dylan’s mind more severe than a raging thunderstorm as he looked upon his daughter, lying in the hospital bed. He clutched his phone, his knuckles white, as he was waiting to hear the news on Charlie’s condition.
He could only sit and remind himself what went wrong that morning, what caused this all to happen as all of their fates hung in the balance.

-------------------------------------------------

Selene was so eager after attending and competing in the Royal Pirate Stables Show-Jumping Competition, in Hungary. Charlie had been so agreeable and willing, she found herself itching for another opportunity to show off his talents.

With barely three days of rest, she packed up the trailer and hauled herself and the horse to another show. She brushed off her father’s pleas to give the animal more time off. She claimed that he was on his “A” game, and could handle one more weekend.
Besides, she planned to give Charlie a month to rest in a paddock immediately following the horseshow.

One more weekend, she thought.

-------------------------------------------------

It was true Charlie could handle the physical strain of these horseshows. He was a sturdy animal with plenty of stamina, but what he wasn’t prepared for was the experience required of a horse in his future position.

-------------------------------------------------

Dylan drove up the following day. He needed to cool himself down, and figured if Selene was so eager to do this horseshow, she could unload the trailer herself.
By the time he reached the warm-up ring, his mind was at ease, and he looked on to his daughter and horse with a hopeful heart.

That was, until he saw the height of the jumps being adjusted in the practice ring. His eyes flashed back and forth between Selene, aboard Charlie, and the fences that appeared much too high for either of them.

He scoffed and hastily shuffled to the show ring, barking at the starter to inform him what class was about to start.

“The Grand Prix, Sir,” The starter replied.

Dylan’s face went from shocked to angry, and pale to red. He marched right back down to the warm-up ring where he hollered at Selene to meet him beside the fence.

Selene obliged, halting Charlie by the fence post where her father stood. She had already cooked up an excuse, claiming that Charlie was more than ready for an event like this.

“He can do the jumps, Dad,” She claimed, defending her choice.

“I know he can, but he’s not ready, Selene. Jump height is only one element of a Grand Prix! There are more things you must consider that he is not ready for, and neither are you!” He growled, ready to rip her off the big animal and ground her, as he would have done in the old days.

The argument went nowhere, as both Scott’s stood fast, defending their positions. Finally, Dylan waved his hands up in the air in defeat.

“You make your own damn choice, then. Just don’t come crying to me when you break him,” He said, in reference to Charlie. Dylan Scott had no power over his adult daughter; she made her own decisions.

-------------------------------------------------

Dylan made his way up to the arena bleachers, sitting as close to the gate as he could. He kept his arms folded across his chest, and a sour look painted his face for the entirety of the rounds prior to Selene’s. As soon as she entered the ring, he could feel his gut drop.

“Calm down, Dylan,” He said to himself, trying his best to instill faith in his daughter.

Maybe she was right; maybe they would surprise him. Charlie was, after all, a very mature animal, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

-------------------------------------------------

Selene nudged Charlie into a powerful canter. He ate up the ground with his stride and sailed over the first two fences with ease. She was smiling ear to ear as they went around. Nothing to it, she thought.

It was then that Dylan realized the origin of the biting feeling in his stomach.

The element presented was a bank jump. In this element, the horse and rider pair had to gallop up a tall hill, walk down the other side, and have only one stride before a tall, vertical jump came up. It was something Charlie and Selene had never done.

Dylan found himself on his feet, looking on with horror as Selene and Charlie galloped up the large hill. As they reached the top, Charlie became nervous, apprehensive to descend to the jump below.
Selene kept on him, giving him extra encouragement with the crop behind her leg, and the big horse moved forward.
It took two more steps for Charlie’s unbalanced walk to trip him up, and the pair was sent sliding down the hill. Selene lost her balance and clutched onto the side of Charlie’s neck, only partially in the saddle.
The jump was nearing, and Charlie was an honest horse. He knew it was his job to jump the jump and tried his best despite the fact that his rider was falling off, and that he had no footing to jump from.

He crashed through the vertical, catching his legs in the rails and flipped clean over. Both of them came tumbling down into the turf.

Dylan was already running into the arena before either of them had settled on the ground. The medic and staff were called in to aid the fallen horse and rider. Many rose to their feet in the bleachers. Some gasped, some yelped, others whispered, wondering if they were all right.

-------------------------------------------------

And here they were, some two hours later, in the local hospital that Selene had been rushed two after she was pronounced unresponsive and taken away on a stretcher to the ambulance.
She had suffered a concussion and had broken her left arm in two places.
Charlie may have torn the suspensory ligament in his front leg.

Both verdicts were grim, Dylan thought, as he sat there, still clutching his phone. He looked over to his daughter sleeping in the hospital bed, and gently rested his hand on hers.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” He whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

-------------------------------------------------end.

Sorry, it's a bit of a long one, guys. I had a lot to say with one image to say it.
The plot thickens...

Image/Characters/Story © *OneFamiliarSong /~WayfaererRidge
In association with #HorseArt-RPG
Reference image from google.

Description
Story:
Regret rumbled in Dylan’s mind more severe than a raging thunderstorm as he looked upon his daughter, lying in the hospital bed. He clutched his phone, his knuckles white, as he was waiting to hear the news on Charlie’s condition.
He could only sit and remind himself what went wrong that morning, what caused this all to happen as all of their fates hung in the balance.

-------------------------------------------------

Selene was so eager after attending and competing in the Royal Pirate Stables Show-Jumping Competition, in Hungary. Charlie had been so agreeable and willing, she found herself itching for another opportunity to show off his talents.

With barely three days of rest, she packed up the trailer and hauled herself and the horse to another show. She brushed off her father’s pleas to give the animal more time off. She claimed that he was on his “A” game, and could handle one more weekend.
Besides, she planned to give Charlie a month to rest in a paddock immediately following the horseshow.

One more weekend, she thought.

-------------------------------------------------

It was true Charlie could handle the physical strain of these horseshows. He was a sturdy animal with plenty of stamina, but what he wasn’t prepared for was the experience required of a horse in his future position.

-------------------------------------------------

Dylan drove up the following day. He needed to cool himself down, and figured if Selene was so eager to do this horseshow, she could unload the trailer herself.
By the time he reached the warm-up ring, his mind was at ease, and he looked on to his daughter and horse with a hopeful heart.

That was, until he saw the height of the jumps being adjusted in the practice ring. His eyes flashed back and forth between Selene, aboard Charlie, and the fences that appeared much too high for either of them.

He scoffed and hastily shuffled to the show ring, barking at the starter to inform him what class was about to start.

“The Grand Prix, Sir,” The starter replied.

Dylan’s face went from shocked to angry, and pale to red. He marched right back down to the warm-up ring where he hollered at Selene to meet him beside the fence.

Selene obliged, halting Charlie by the fence post where her father stood. She had already cooked up an excuse, claiming that Charlie was more than ready for an event like this.

“He can do the jumps, Dad,” She claimed, defending her choice.

“I know he can, but he’s not ready, Selene. Jump height is only one element of a Grand Prix! There are more things you must consider that he is not ready for, and neither are you!” He growled, ready to rip her off the big animal and ground her, as he would have done in the old days.

The argument went nowhere, as both Scott’s stood fast, defending their positions. Finally, Dylan waved his hands up in the air in defeat.

“You make your own damn choice, then. Just don’t come crying to me when you break him,” He said, in reference to Charlie. Dylan Scott had no power over his adult daughter; she made her own decisions.

-------------------------------------------------

Dylan made his way up to the arena bleachers, sitting as close to the gate as he could. He kept his arms folded across his chest, and a sour look painted his face for the entirety of the rounds prior to Selene’s. As soon as she entered the ring, he could feel his gut drop.

“Calm down, Dylan,” He said to himself, trying his best to instill faith in his daughter.

Maybe she was right; maybe they would surprise him. Charlie was, after all, a very mature animal, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

-------------------------------------------------

Selene nudged Charlie into a powerful canter. He ate up the ground with his stride and sailed over the first two fences with ease. She was smiling ear to ear as they went around. Nothing to it, she thought.

It was then that Dylan realized the origin of the biting feeling in his stomach.

The element presented was a bank jump. In this element, the horse and rider pair had to gallop up a tall hill, walk down the other side, and have only one stride before a tall, vertical jump came up. It was something Charlie and Selene had never done.

Dylan found himself on his feet, looking on with horror as Selene and Charlie galloped up the large hill. As they reached the top, Charlie became nervous, apprehensive to descend to the jump below.
Selene kept on him, giving him extra encouragement with the crop behind her leg, and the big horse moved forward.
It took two more steps for Charlie’s unbalanced walk to trip him up, and the pair was sent sliding down the hill. Selene lost her balance and clutched onto the side of Charlie’s neck, only partially in the saddle.
The jump was nearing, and Charlie was an honest horse. He knew it was his job to jump the jump and tried his best despite the fact that his rider was falling off, and that he had no footing to jump from.

He crashed through the vertical, catching his legs in the rails and flipped clean over. Both of them came tumbling down into the turf.

Dylan was already running into the arena before either of them had settled on the ground. The medic and staff were called in to aid the fallen horse and rider. Many rose to their feet in the bleachers. Some gasped, some yelped, others whispered, wondering if they were all right.

-------------------------------------------------

And here they were, some two hours later, in the local hospital that Selene had been rushed two after she was pronounced unresponsive and taken away on a stretcher to the ambulance.
She had suffered a concussion and had broken her left arm in two places.
Charlie may have torn the suspensory ligament in his front leg.

Both verdicts were grim, Dylan thought, as he sat there, still clutching his phone. He looked over to his daughter sleeping in the hospital bed, and gently rested his hand on hers.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” He whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

-------------------------------------------------end.

Sorry, it's a bit of a long one, guys. I had a lot to say with one image to say it.
The plot thickens...

Image/Characters/Story © *OneFamiliarSong /~WayfaererRidge
In association with #HorseArt-RPG
Reference image from google.