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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 1st Feb 2010 at 7:57 AM Last edited by blackstallion681 : 2nd Feb 2010 at 3:08 PM.
Default Meadowlark Riding Academy
Chapter One


I inhaled deeply as I turned my black Dodge truck onto the gravel driveway of Meadowlark Academy. I glanced into my rearview mirror for the millionth time, seeing nothing but my horse trailer. A sign that read ‘Trailers’ with an arrow pointing right came into view, and I followed the path into a large, paved parking lot, full of trucks, trailers, and people leading horses.

I found an empty spot; it’s lines longer than normal parking spaces. They have a special parking lot for trailers, wow! I thought. I put my truck in park, turned the key off, and slid to the ground from the driver's seat. I walked back to my trailer, and peeked inside. I was greeted with a snort and a nose in my face, as my Quarter Horse gelding, Harley, sniffed my hand. “I’ll get you outta here soon,” I said as I walked away from the trailer.


I put my keys in my pocket, and stopped to glance around. I noticed a red-haired girl standing next to a chestnut horse. “Nice horse,” I said as I walked up to her. “Do you know where to check in?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Do you know how to read?” she snarled as she pointed to a sign with an arrow.

“Oh, sorry to bother you,” I replied as I walked away. Great. I thought as my boots crunched on the gravel. I have to spend four months with that girl. I walked up to a large door, and stepped inside a room with light green walls, hardwood floors, and high ceilings. A red-haired man who I recognized from an earlier tour I took sat at a table against the far wall in the room. A few people were ahead of me in line, so I stood and waited.


“What do you mean I’m not sharing my dorm with Jenna?” a whiney voice proclaimed. “I specifically stated in my application that I wanted to share the dorm with Jenna.”

The man behind the table whose name I still couldn’t remember folded his hands and looked up at the blonde-haired girl. “Well Miss Afrin, if you have such a problem with the housing arrangements, you are more than welcome to see if anyone would like to switch with you.”

“I shouldn’t have to switch,” she spat. “Your two-bit riding academy is turning out to be way less than what was advertised. I may just have to call my father and have this place shut down,” she threatened as her eyes narrowed.

The man behind the table studied her face for a few seconds, looked back to the clipboard on the table, and began writing. “I’ll see what I can do,” he replied in an angry tone without looking up. The girl smirked, turned on her heel, and stomped out of the building.

“Wow, you’d think this was high school,” I said a little too loudly.

“Excuse me?” said someone behind me. I turned around and saw the redhead from earlier.

Great. Just great.

“Just because Jessica stuck up for herself doesn’t make her immature. You’re the one who couldn’t even read the damn sign earlier, anyway,” she sneered.

I was about to reply to her when I heard the man behind the table clear his throat. I turned back around, and saw that it was my turn in line. As I stepped up to the table, I could feel the redhead’s eyes burning into the back of my skull. The man asked, “What is your name?”

“Jolene Marshall,” I replied confidently.

The red-haired man extended his hand. “Douglas Patterson. Welcome to Meadowlark Academy.” I shook his hand, and he handed me a large folder with my name on it. “Thank you Mr. Patterson,” I added as I walked out of the building and into the May sunshine. I opened the folder as I walked back to my truck and trailer, and saw that Harley was assigned stall four. I looked at the map that was enclosed, and found where the barn was in relation to the trailer parking lot. I looked up from the map, and saw a large, beautiful barn up the path.

When I got back to my trailer, I heard Harley pawing the floor of the trailer. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’,” I said as I unlatched the side door of the trailer. I unclipped Harley’s green halter, walked back out of the trailer, and went to the back to open the back door and lower the ramp. Clucking my tongue, Harley began to back out of the trailer. “Good boy,” I praised as I flipped the lead rope over Harley’s neck, and told him to stay as I closed the back of my trailer.


I gathered the matching green lead rope, and I lead my horse into the barn. When my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit barn, I noticed that it was actually very bright. The stalls were made of light-colored wood and stone, and the aisle was paved with bricks. The windows and doors let in an ample amount of light, but the barn was still dim and cool. The huge, roomy stalls were nearly big enough for two horses, and they were covered in a comfortable layer of wood shavings. When I found stall four, I also noticed an engraved nameplate with Harley’s name on it. I was definitely impressed with this place, even more so than I had been when I sent in my application last fall.

I slid the stall door back, lead Harley in, and stood with him for a little while as he sniffed around his stall. I watched him make his was around then stall, then stop next to me, his nose investigating my hands to see if I had an extra carrot, or five, for him. I laughed, and held up my hands. “Sorry buddy, I don’t have anything for you right now!” He snorted, and turned to the water bucket in one corner of his stall. As I walked out of his stall and shut the door, I wondered if I really belonged here.



Feel free to comment! How do you like the story so far? (I know not much has happened yet....)
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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#2 Old 7th Feb 2010 at 8:30 PM
I have the next chapter written, I just need to take the pictures, but school work takes priority right now....
Lab Assistant
#3 Old 8th Feb 2010 at 4:36 AM
Liked your story!Can't wait for the next one.

Don't be someone's...Down-time,spare-time,part-time,or sometime.
If they can't be there for you all the time,then they're not even worth your time!!!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 9th Feb 2010 at 4:16 AM
Default Chapter Two
Chapter Two

Once I had made a few trips back and fourth to the tack room, I had finally unloaded both of my saddles, and all of my other things. Each student was assigned a few saddle racks and shelves, as well as a space for a tack box in the enormous tack room. As I set my large, wooden tack box on the floor under my two saddles, I opened it, and began rearranging my grooming kit, making sure the extra lead rope and halter were not all tangled up. I heard the sound of footsteps enter the room, and I looked up as I saw someone I recognized.

“Kim!” I said as the girl set her English saddle on a rack near my saddles.
“Jo!!” the girl replied with a huge grin. “Can you believe this place? It makes me feel like I am actually important.”
“Well, if you made it here, you must be a decent rider,” I responded with a chuckle. “But I feel the same way.”
Kim opened a familiar navy blue folder. “Do you know where dorm three is?”
“I’m so glad we’re dorming together!” I exclaimed.
“You are so much better than the other riders I’ve met so far.”
“Tell me about it!” I agreed as I stood up and closed my tack box lid. “Where’s Scooby?”
“I just put him in his stall, number two.” She said as she pointed out of the tack room.

Kim smiled and nodded. “Hey, I heard that there are lots of trails around here, maybe we could ride together later,” she said. “I am going to go take my stuff to the dorm. See you later.” She added as she started walking from the tack room.

Now that getting Harley settled in was done, the easy part, I had to go to the dorm room and get my stuff all unpacked. I would much rather spend all of my time in the barn with the horses, but unfortunately, Meadowlark Academy is also a highly structured university for riders only. I brushed a piece of hay off of my shoulder, and exited the tack room. I stopped by Harley’s stall for a second. He stuck his head over the stall door, and I stroked his cheek. “You’re a good boy,” I whispered. I gently patted his neck, and continued on my way back to my truck.

I heaved the heavy duffel back out of the back seat, and set it down next to my roller suitcase. It was too hard to roll the monster suitcase on the grass and gravel, so I would have to carry it. I silently yelled at myself for not packing lighter, locked up my truck, and gathered my bags. Fortunately, my years of farm work and riding had toned my muscles, so carrying the heavy bags was not too hard. I made my way past the large “Common Building”, a courtyard surrounded by perfectly clipped hedges, and into the row of student housing.

The weird thing about Meadowlark is that only eight students can be enrolled at a time, causing a huge waiting list of possible candidates. I had been on the waiting list, and luckily got in because someone else had resigned his or her position. All the dorms had brass numbers on them, and number three was the last one on the right. I looked beyond the building for a second, and saw a tremendously beautiful view of the mountains in the distance. Lucky me, that’s such beautiful view, I thought as I set one bag down and opened the door to my building.

As soon as I entered, I smelled wood, and caught a faint whiff of paint. I set my roller suitcase down, and rolled it down the small hallway. The bedroom must be here, I said in my head as I knocked, waited for a few seconds, and entered a dark green carpeted room. There were two beds, one on either side of the room. I noticed a suitcase and pillow on one bed, so I put my stuff on the other. I looked around the room for a minute, when Kim entered the room.

“Oh, hey,” she said, surprised.
“Hello again,” I replied. “I didn’t mean to startle you,” I grinned.
“No problem. I hope its okay that I took the bed on the right,” Kim admitted.
“Oh, no worries. I like being by the window, anyway,” I replied, looking out the window at the mountains again.
“Yeah, nice view. I think our dorm is the best,” she added and giggled.
I pointed to the dresser against the far wall. There were two large drawers. “Do you want the top, or the bottom drawer?”
“Well, since I got first choice of beds, you can have your pick of drawers. I don’t care either way,” Kim said.
I walked over to the dresser. “I’ll take the top then. We have a closet, too?”
“No, but there is space underneath the beds for suitcases. That’ll have to be a make-shift dresser.” She explained.

“I brought my show clothes, so I guess I’ll just leave them hanging in my trailer or something then.” I pulled two blue-plaid garment bags with my name on them out of my suitcase and set them on my bed. Then, I realized that show hat and riding helmet, as well as my every day hat were still in my truck. All the confusion and excitement of the day had distracted me. At least I remembered to pack them though, I thought as I took my keys from my pocket. “I’ll be right back,” I said as I grabbed my garment bags and walked out of the room.

Back outside, I heard birds chirping. I carefully slung the bags over my back, to make sure they would not get wrinkled. I was not sure that anyone had an iron or ironing board. I saw Mr. Patterson walking out of the Common Building, clipboard and briefcase in his hands.

“Hi, Mr. Patterson,” I waved.
“Hello, uh, Jolene, right?” He questioned.
I nodded. “Hey, are we going to be able to keep our trailers here, or are we supposed to get someone to come and pick them up?”
“It would probably be best if you got someone to come and get it, though you can keep your vehicle here. Transportation to shows is provided by the academy. You can also find more information in the student handbook in your navy Welcome folder.”
“Thank you Mr. Patterson, and see you at the meeting,” I added. Then, I glanced at my watch. 1:30. I had an hour before I had to be at the meeting. Taking what Mr. Patterson said into consideration, I made a mental note to call my parents and ask them to come and get my trailer later in the week.


(Sorry about there being no pictures, I just got the Sims 3, so I haven't played TS2 recently. I have pictures for the next chapter though )
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