Vanessa's POV:

I sighed and looked away.  "I'm sorry Tessa.  I should have seen that from the beginning."  

I began walking towards the edge of the bank that jumped off into the water complex.  "At the end of the visit, I won't ask you what your decision is."  

Tessa followed me, and we jumped off the side of the bank together, right next to the water.  "Thank you for understanding, Vanessa," she said.  "I'm sorry if this is a waste of your time."  

I smirked at her.  "No, it won't be.  I still want to prove to you that I can ride him."  

She smiled painfully.  "We'll see."  Her brow furrowed.  "What time is it?"  

I pulled out my phone and checked the lock screen.  "12:43.  We'd better start heading back, I want to show you some of the paddocks on the way."

As we began the walk back to the barn, Tessa said, "You said you know what it feels like to loose a horse.  I don't mean to pry but..."  

I shrugged, trying to hide my grief with nonchalance.  "It's fine."  

I looked up at the sky.  "When I was twelve, I had this mustang named Tab.  His show name was A Moment in Time.  He was 15hh, quite tall for a mustang, and a beautiful blue roan color.  He was my main competition horse at the time." 

"I loved him to death.  He and I, we were so close."  I cleared my throat.  "My parents and my trainer at the time didn't think that he could take me high enough in the levels.  Specifically, they wanted me to compete at The Metallic Championships in the fall."

"They... they sold Tab without me knowing.  Well, my trainer at the time did.  My parents reluctantly agreed to the sale, because my trainer assured them that I would get over it and achieve my dreams of success."   

"Of course, I was distraught.  My parents immediately fired that trainer and tried to...  To buy Tab back, but it was too late."  

My voice was hoarse as I fought back my tears.  I would not cry in front of a stranger. 

"I guess I'm envious of you in a way Tessa.  You will be able to keep Challenger, because you want to.  I didn't have a choice.  I still don't."

"You don't?"  She asked.

"If I want my competitive dreams I can't.  Horses come, horses go in the competition world.  I must be able to recognize when a horse simply doesn't have what it takes, and I've got to be willing to sell that horse."  

I smiled weakly at her.  "I do try to make sure they go to good homes though, when I do have to sell them."  

She looked intensely thoughtful.  "Would you have sold Challenger if he hadn't met your expectations?"  

"Probably.  But I'm quite sure he would have.  He's got so much muscle and is so bold.  By the way, what breed is he?"  

She chuckled.  "I'm glad you think he's got a lot of muscle, it shows that my exercise regime and training is achieving the results I want.  He's an Appendix."  

I raised my eyebrows.  "Really?  He's not, like, any type of warmblood?"  

"No, as far as I know.  He's just thoroughbred and quarter horse."  

"Oh.  Well.  How interesting."  

She laughed.  "You're not the first one to think he has warmblood in him, you know."  

"Phew, good to know.  That helps my pride a little."  I pointed ahead of us, to the white fences we were coming up on.  "These are the paddocks at Vantage Point, where the stabled horses are turned out."

We walked up to one paddock gate as I pointed out how each pasture had automatic waters, with a system of bleaching the water to prevent algae.  Plus, there was a hook next to each gate to hang each horse's halter on.  

Surprising me, Tessa climbed up on the fence.  "Hmm, good and sturdy," she approved.  

I chuckled.  "I hope so.  I wouldn't want one of these prized warmbloods escaping."  

She nodded.  "I like that one."  She pointed to a flashy chestnut gelding in the next pen over.

I shrugged.  "He's alright.  I prefer that bay."  I pointed to the horse occupying the pen we were at, who was looking at us curiously.  

Tessa scanned the paddocks, taking in the gleaming coats.  Then a gasp left her lips.  "Oh, but that one way out there's my favorite."  

I followed her line of sight and felt my stomach twist a little. 

She was looking at Medallion.  

"Yeah, she's flashy."  

"Do you know her name?"  Tessa didn't take her gaze off her.  

I looked down at the ground.  "That's... Medallion."  

"Oh.  The event horse no one can ride?"  

"That's her."  

Tessa bit her lip thoughtfully.  "What does she do? I mean, why can't anyone ride her?"  

"She frustrates everything you ask her to do.  If you want her to go forward, she plods forward in a irritating slow walk.  If you want her to walk faster, she jigs, she sometimes even bolts forward.  You try to slow her down, only she then goes slow again."  

I shook my head.  "I just...  I just don't know what to do with her.  She won't respect me at all in the saddle, on the ground she can be a little pushy but no where near like what she is when she's ridden."  

Tessa tapped her upper lip thoughtfully.  "When you bought her, was she like this?  I mean, surely you were able to test ride her."  

I sighed.  "That was my big mistake.  I was so entranced by her color and breeding that I assumed I could ride her.  She was several states away and I was so sure of her that I didn't bother to test ride her, I just had her shipped here."  

"Oh.  Are you going to sell her?"  

I leaned against the white fence.  "I guess so.  I've tried everything I know, and my trainer has too."  

"No one else?"  

"We've had some other riders try her, but she hated them just as much."  I scrunched up my nose.  "She's not viciously mean, really.  She just won't cooperate."  

Tessa's eyes were squinted, and her thoughts, for once, were written over her face plain as day.  "She's a fine horse.  How much do you plan to sell her for?"  

"She's worth at least 8,000, even with all her trouble.  Her breeding is superb, if she can't be ridden she could be used as broodmare.  That is, if someone was willing to take the risk of acquiring her temperament in a foal along with her flashy coloring."  

Tessa smiled ruthfully.  "Well, that's way over our budget."  

I smirked.  "You were thinking about buying her?"  

She shrugged.  "No more than I would if I saw a horse I fancied on the internet."  

I eyed her, a idea springing in my head.  "What if you could buy her?"  

She gave me a puzzled look.  "What?"  

"If you really wanted her, I think I'd sell to you.  I know you'd have a good home for her.  I mean, no where near as nice as Vantage Point, but good enough," I said with a wink.   

I pushed off the fence.  "Come meet her."  

AN:  This chapter and the next one (which is coming next week)  might seem a little strange because I had to fix a MAJOR plot hole.  So, it's a little awkward.  

But hey, you guys finally find out who Tab is :)   

And now, for that little surprise I was telling you about.  So, as you guys know, I have a self published short story Beneath the Willow Tree.  So, to have some fun, I made some quotes from Beneath the Willow Tree and I think they turned out pretty good, so check those out  ➡

Plus, guess what?  I'm excited for the publishing of Horsemen Trials here on Wattpad, but hardly anyone has entered the apply fic for it :(  So, I'm extending the publishing date to August 8th.  

And one last thing:  I'm gearing up to self publish another book.  I'm not saying which one just yet but yeah, it's coming :)  So excited!

So, sorry this update was out so late guys, life happened again.  Thank you for reading!