The Prize by Stacy Gregg Page B

picked up the reins and asked Virtuoso to move forwards. As soon as she put her legs on he stepped violently sideways underneath her.
    â€œToo much with the right leg,” Allegra corrected her. “He thinks you want him to do a pirouette. You must be careful, Alice, he’s so finely tuned that if you move your legs or your hands in any direction, or so much as lighten your seat bones to one side then Virtuoso will take that as a cue. Now, put your legs on lightly together and ask him to move forward at a walk and then go into trot.”
    Alice tried again. She wrapped her lower legs around the enormous girth of the black horse and with the gentlest squeeze she asked him to walk and then asked again to trot.
    The power of the horse beneath her felt like a rocket igniting its thrusters. Virtuoso’s strides almost took her breath away as he sprang forward into a trot that was so elevated and graceful the horse seemed to almost float in the air between strides. Alice had to gather her wits about her to stay with him as he flew along the long side of the arena.
    â€œThat’s good,” Allegra said. “Don’t try to slow him down. I know his movement feels huge but you must keep your legs strong. Ride him from the hocks! Balance him back with your seat! Now bring him across the arena and ask him to extend that trot.”
    Alice turned across from the corner of the arena and clucked with her tongue. “Come on, boy!”
    Baffled by her aids, Virtuoso suddenly tried to launch into a canter, and then, when Alice panicked and pulled back on the reins, he threw his head up in the air.
    Alice kept a firm grip and tried to regain control with the reins, but now Virtuoso really took offence. As his rider flailed wildly to control him, Virtuoso mistook her confused cues as a request for a pirouette and in a swift, single manoeuvre the massive black horse began to pivot on his hindquarters and fling his front legs around so that he was spinning in a circle. Alice lost both her stirrups and suddenly fell forward on to his neck.
    Virtuoso gave a startled snort and then launched himself straight up into the air with a massive buck. Alice had nothing to hold her in the saddle and went flying through the air. Her last thought before she hit the sand was that it was a very long way to fall off this big black horse.
    One thing eventers know how to do though is fall off. Alice landed with a tumble roll and was on her feet again before Allegra Hickman had reached her side.
    â€œI’m OK,” Alice said, dusting herself off, feeling slightly shaken. “I just wasn’t really expecting that.”
    â€œNeither was he!” Allegra Hickman replied. “If you bounce around on his back like that then you’re going to be eating sand every day for the rest of term.”
    Alice looked hurt. “He’s a difficult horse.”
    â€œHe’s not,” Allegra Hickman disagreed. “But if you make a mistake he’ll call you on it straight away just like he did today. Don’t be afraid of that – you can use it to your advantage. If you ride him well, he’ll reward you for it.”
    â€œHe looked so easy when you were on him,” Alice realised how lame this sounded as soon as the words left her mouth.
    â€œThat’s the whole point of dressage,” Allegra Hickman replied. “You do it well and make it look easy, when in fact it’s the hardest thing in the world.”
    Allegra put a firm hand on Alice’s shoulder. “Ready to get back up there?”
    Alice looked nervous. Allegra smiled. “I’m gonna uncover your inner dressage geek, Alice Dupree – just you wait and see.”

    Dominic Blackwell currently had four Grand Prix mounts: Maximillion, Polaris, Cameo and Cardinal, and five other extremely valuable up-and-coming Warmbloods in his stable.
    â€œNothing but the best, that’s Blackwell’s motto!” Blackwell told