Hubertusjagten - Improweiser

Eheheee, the stream of extra images for that notorious Hubertusjagt just keeps flowing. I'm sorry if you hate seeing these, I'll be done in like 10 days or so ~
ANYWAY. Here's a lil continuation/reply from KimenLie's beautiful hunt entry:



Fun fact about Connor: you can throw swear words, curses, mostly any slur at him and he'll... well, he'll probably hate you, but he certainly won't rise to it. He's more likely to just a) shrug it off or b) declaw it by taking it on himself in a comical manner. He has a lot of self-irony.
...if you compliment his riding, however... oooh boy. Kid might get a bit emotional. He's a sensitive creature, what can I say?  

’Hind master’ – the English translation of the title ‘Bagmaster’ had sent Azaria through a laughter gradient that had started as a stifled chuckle and concluded in something that more resembled the barks of a demented hyena. It was a thing she was prone to do whenever she was faced with a term that could take on a vulgar undertone… not that Connor was really one to take the high ground as far as maturity went here: he had laughed too. It was a thing he was prone to do whenever he heard Azaria make that laugh.
Hilarity aside, the title of Bagmaster bore a certain responsibility. As bagmaster it was up to Connor to not only make sure nobody got left behind in the hunt, but also to help a team safely across or around a jump if the need should arise. It made him a kind of supervisor, really – or ‘Superweiser’, as Andy had coined it.

So far the hunt had progressed with little drama, however. Roughly twenty minutes had passed since the group had left the starting point at Peter Liep’s House, and the field of riders was a strong one, even despite the snaps they had been served before the start of the hunt.  Connor himself kept a leisurely pace as the last rider in the group, thoroughly enjoying the horse he had borrowed for the event. VF Vimbara, a tall black warmblood, was a sweet, gentle creature and a pleasure to ride.
And then, a little ways up ahead, trouble seemed to be stirring anyway: a horse refused a jump and was steered aside for the others to pass. Connor recognized the rider as Kimberly of Cronenburg Stables - quite a veteran of considereable renown, she was not a rider he would have assumed should have difficulties on this course. Perhaps it was courtesy of an inexperienced horse. CBS Hurricane Sasa was not a horse he recognized from earlier, at least. He slowed Vimbara to a trot and pulled up next to the Dutch team.
,,Trouble?” he asked.
Nothing could have prepared him for what Kimberly said next:
,,Nothing wrong,” she smiled reassuringly. ,,Just wanted to say; I am a big fan of you and Sagadir. Truly, you guys rock.”
,,Oh-“ he said breaking into a nervous smile. Had he heard that right? Kimberly’s grin seemed genuine enough and he composed himself and donned a more jovial attitude: ,,Thank you! I have no talent, though; it’s all on the horse really.”
And then, a brief smile and in a flash she had moved on, pressing the fleabitten tobiano back into speed and clearing the 'troublesome' fence with no trouble.

Connor stayed in place for a while; too dumbstruck to do much else. It was hard not to laugh at the unexpectedness of her compliment, so he did: half-way a chuckle and half-way a sigh. It was probably a good thing of her to have sped off so suddenly or she would have witnessed him going through all the stages of awestruck awkwardness that follows a great compliment... and that would really ruin his rumour as a dry-wit pessimist, wouldn't it? 
He reckoned he could have stayed in this state of appreciative contemplation for a good while longer, but Vimbara commented politely on what he thought about being left behind the group so Connor urged the black stallion into a canter to catch up with the group. 
Kimberly's words made him think back on the years he had spent on the back of Sagadir, that dappled diva. The memory of the first meeting with the grey stallion was still vivid: Sagadir had been dark, young, easy on the eyes, but a complete mess under rider. It was not to say Andy had done a bad job breaking him in by any means… But Andy was not a designated dressage rider and Sagadir, consequently, had lacked many basics.
He had been on the vertical but not on the bit; adopting a head and neck posture he was much too weak in his topline to really pull off, with the consequence that his hind end had been entirely disconnected from the front. His attention had been everywhere at once – except, perhaps, on the rider on his back. When asked to walk, the request might as well have been given in volapük, for Sagadir did certainly not understand this concept. Instead the stallion would resolve to a strange and entirely undesirable kind of equine race walking the likes of which Connor had never seen or experienced… and not in a good way, mind you.

Connor had always had a much easier time picking out flaws and faults than seeing the potential in something – Sagadir was no exception. He would not have guessed this lanky, hot-headed hooligan of a stallion was his next top horse. Even so, he had seen something that day. Andy had seen it too. Sagadir was a horse who loved his job; a horse who loved to show off and who in fact did have plenty to show off. Eventually it became clearer and clearer, even if it took years of struggles to get Sagadir to Prix St. George level where he was now. Sure, there was still lots of room for improvement and plenty of work to be done yet but they were getting there. The future was bright. It just goes to show, Connor reckoned, that you cannot always predict what will happen a little ways down the road.
He was right in that observation – little did he know that five months from now his situation would be remarkably different.

But for now, the only obstacle down the road was a straight-forward reck which Vimbara cleared with ease.
Kimberly and Sasa were almost out of sight by now and Connor urged Vimbara forward again to catch up. Damn, was she moving fast! Her short mustang was certainly a contender to be a real challenge once they got to the final race towards the finish line. A serious contender indeed… It gave him an idea.


Now featuring a Follow-up:

Connor Goldenweiser resides with meee
VF Vimbara belongs to StudioSweetpea
Kimberly and CBS Hurricane Sasa belong to KimenLie
Foliage brushes: Carl's Foliage Brushes | Environment-Brushes