What's life without a little thrill?

[Stefano Rice]

Seth stood back from the jumping ring and nodded as he looked at the simple, yet challenging course he'd just finished putting together; simple that the jumps weren't overly high, but the pacing would be tight in places, as were the turns, and he was sure that Bear would be somewhat impressed... and yes, the horse's opinion on the course mattered, not!

He headed back to the barn and got to work getting the Lusitano gelding ready to be ridden. Just he didn't bother with a saddle. Seth was bored of playing things by their rules, his life was getting totally vanilla, and he was ready to kick things up a bit... or at least get his adrenaline running without putting himself in too much danger, and he'd be in an arena so he was sure that he couldn't get in too much trouble, and the gelding was wearing his bridle at least, and he had his helmet on.

Once back in the arena, he used the fence to get on the horse's back and they began their warm up, giving the dunskin to take a really good look at the jumps he had set up. "Let's do this." He said as he turned the gelding toward the lowest fence which was on a line by itself and squeezed the horse into a canter before they popped over the jump with ease.

[Ezra Clarington]

Ezra hummed softly as he and Manhattan made their way from the trail, both relaxed and at ease. They hadn't gone for a long ride, and it hadn't been strenuous in the slightest, but both had enjoyed. Ezra allowed Manhattan to have his head as they walked, the gelding having already completed his usual post ride shake. He took the route past the arena's on the way back, a little bit longer than the usual way but it gave Manhattan a little bit longer of a ride. "You're a lot nicer to me than your friend." He informed Manhattan as they walked, the boy referring to Trick. The mare was still giving him heck, he was covered in the bruises to prove it. They were getting there, slowly, though. Very, very slowly. He'd definitely needed the break with Manhattan.


Ezra slowed Manhattan to a stop as they neared the show jumping ring. Manhattan's head rose curiously, and he called out eagerly to the other horse he spotted. Ezra chuckled softly, urging his gelding closer. He watched the boy take the small jump, then scanned the course. He then looked down at Manhattan, who appeared to be doing the same. The gelding had become excited, he loved to jump just a little less than he loved mud. "Room for a big one?" He called out to the boy, not wanting to impose. He'd move Manhattan along if the boy, whom he did not recognize but definitely appreciated the look of, wasn't comfortable with Manhattan and himself intruding. It wouldn't hurt Ezra's feelings.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth rubbed Bear's shoulder as the gelding landed awkwardly, which told him the horse probably didn't often get jumped bareback, so he'd take it slow. Circling the arena, they took the jump again, and by the third time over, the gelding was talking it in his stride as though it was something they did everyday; and Seth was seriously considering adding something like this into their sessions as it was good for the horse, or so he had read, to be worked without the weight of a saddle.

He turned at the sound of the voice and arched an eyebrow. "Sure there's room, for your ego." He returned sweetly, after all the black horse wasn't that much taller than Bear. He cantered the gelding around the arena before bringing him back to a trot while the pair entered the arena.

[Ezra Clarington]

"Okay then..." Ezra responded, amused. It seemed this boy had an attitude. He looked down at Manhattan and shrugged. "I guess you're not as big as I think." He laughed quietly, dismounting to open the gate when the boy slowed. Manhattan followed dutifully, eyeing the jumps eagerly, and stood patiently while Ezra remounted. He called out quietly to the other horse, always pleased to make a new friend, but was not obnoxious about it. Ezra knew this was why the gelding appeared to get along with most other horses. Trick, and Ezra himself, could learn a lot from Manhattan.

Although they had already loosened up on the trail, Ezra didn't slack on his warm up. It didn't slip passed him that the other boy was riding bareback, something he tried to do regularly with both his horses but had definitely been slacking recently. Ezra and Manhattan quickly popped the smallest jump, something Manhattan did with ease. "I haven't seen you around before." He called to the other boy. He'd have remembered him. He was very much Ezra's type - though it appeared Ezra wasn't his. But Ezra enjoyed a challenge. I'm going to have some fun today. He thought with a smirk, continuing Manhattan's warm up.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth eyed up horse and rider as they entered the arena, keeping Bear as a flowing trot, and asked for a canter again as the boy was mounted. "I've seen you." He returned, after all, the horse he was riding wasn't one that you just walked past without noticing, and sharing a barn meant that Seth had seen the other boy around enough. "I set the jumps to Bear's stride, so watch the bounces."

Circling, he aimed Bear for the first jump of the course and after landing badly after the fist jump, he circled the horse away from the second. "Try that again, shall we?" He asked. He was sure that if he was in a saddle, the gelding would easily fly over the course without batting an eyelid. "Go!" He whispered as they moved forward again. He kept as still as possible as they took the course, laughing when the gelding over jumped a couple of the fences. He nodded as they finished the course, laughing hard at the jump that the gelding had demolished, maybe that bounce was a little too tight. "Good boy!" He praised as they slowed to a trot and then a walk as they headed back to the ruined fence and sliding off the horse's back, he quickly set it up again, moving it slightly so that there was a little more space.

"The stage is yours, good sir." He said with a flourishing bow toward the other rider as he led Bear away from the jumps and used the fence to once more mount up, deciding that he needed to work on his vaulting skill, which was easy enough to do, on a pony.

[Ezra Clarington]

Ezra rose a brow but didn't respond. He had always had a knack for drawing attention, he supposed. He nodded at the other boy's warning, keeping Manhattan away as he started to prepare for the course. Both watched the other boy and his horse closely as they continued to warm up.

Ezra couldn't help but chuckle at the joy the other boy was exuding as he rode. He and the horse appeared to be having a lot of fun. Ezra glanced down at Manhattan. They didn't really do fun when they rode. They both enjoyed what they did, and Ezra was always amused at his gelding's antics when excited, but he wouldn't class it as 'fun'. The pressure from his father made sure of that.

Ezra, again, was amused by the blonde's antics. "Why thank you." He responded, circling Manhattan to ready him for the course. Manhattan snorted excitedly, tossing his tail as Ezra asked him to canter. Ezra made sure the other horse was out the way before approaching the first jump. The cleared it with ease, Manhattan over jumping as the height was not what he was used to. The landed well, with Ezra giving the gelding the reins as they approached the next. As they continued through the course, it was definitely obvious how tight it was. Manhattan's frog jumps made Ezra grin, it was something the gelding so rarely had to do when they were training. He continued to over jump all but two, and as they finished the course Manhattan threw out his hind legs in a buck and stretched out as they cantered to the bottom of the arena. While the round was clear, and as technically sound as they could have made it, it was far from their best. But both rider and horse enjoyed - dare Ezra say it, he was having fun. Ezra asked his gelding to slow to a trot and an eventual walk.

"Let's make the playing field a little more even." He called to the other boy, slipping out of the saddle. He then undid the girth, leaving Manhattan ground tied, and carried the saddle over to the fence and placed it on top. "But I need to make a little more room between the jumps." He informed the boy, starting to approach the jumps to widen the strides between. "Are you up for a little healthy competition?" He grinned. "I'm Ezra, by the way."

[Stefano Rice]

Seth grinned and walked Bear around as they watched the other pair take on the course, he winced a little in places, yes, the bigger horse's stride was indeed bigger than Bear's, but he had forewarned the rider; though the stride couldn't be too much bigger, and he had made them tight even for his gelding. He applauded when they had finished, at least it seemed that Manhattan hadn't got over confident like Bear had.

His eyebrow rose and nodded as the black's saddle was stripped off. "Just not too much." He said quickly. "I still want Bear to be able to bounces, and if you make them too big, then we will have a tough stride between them." And in those cases, at least he could push his feet into the stirrups for a little added balance. "I'm listening." He was always happy for a little competition. "I know, and I'm Seth." He smirked as he waited to hear about this healthy competition the other boy had in mind.

[Ezra Clarington]

Ezra nodded at the warning. He just needed a little more room so that his gelding didn't get thrown off - especially without the saddle now for extra balance. "You seem to know a lot." Ezra chuckled as he returned to Manhattan. "Let me think." He offered as he led Manhattan closer to the fence so he could get back on. He did so gracefully, then leaned forward to grip his gelding's neck when he felt the inevitable happen. Manhattan shook violently, and Ezra grunted as he struggled to hold on. "Great, thanks buddy." The boy grumbled as he straightened back up, not truly annoyed. "You couldn't have done that on the ground?"

Ezra's mind returned to the competition, regarding the boy once more. He knew nothing of Seth, so he needed to be careful of how he worded his wager. He wondered, since the other boy knew more of Ezra than Ezra knew of Seth, if he knew of Ezra's preference to the male gender. He decided to try his luck. "I win, I get to pick where we go on a date." Ezra winked at the boy, smile turning into a smirk. "You win, you pick. Or, whatever you want to do with your win." Ezra shrugged, asking Manhattan to walk forward to get used to being without the saddle. His eyes never left the boy, curious of his reaction. If he was adverse to the suggestion, Ezra could brush it off as a joke. No skin off his back.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth laughed as the other horse tried to shake his rider and he shook his head at the way that Ezra handled it. "Well, that's one way to get shaken off." He replied. "When he does that, since you obviously knew it was coming, take a good handful or two of mane, and sit deep, pushing your heels down as though you're still in the saddle." He'd barebacked enough unbacked Standardbreds while working at the racing yard, as it was the quickest way to get them to their pastures at times, and that was often their first reaction to having a person on their back. And once you had one used to being ridden bareback, you could pony two or three other horses.

His brows shot up at the wager, and he couldn't help but take it as a compliment. "Trust me, you'd be taking me out to dinner if I win. 'Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall." He said with and easy smile. "Your pockets look a lot deeper than mine." The House the other boy lived in was the first clue to that, and the ego was the next. "You have yourself a wager, my good man."

[Ezra Clarington]

Ezra listened to the advice, nodding slowly as he processed it. "Thanks. He doesn't often do it bareback but it has been a while." Ezra grinned. Ezra was so used to the quirk by now he didn't always register it. He'd definitely keep Seth's advice in mind for the future. His current one certainly was not graceful.

On the outside, Ezra just smirked. Internally, he was fist pumping and giggling in delight. His hunch had been correct. His gaydar rarely failed him. He laughed. Yes, Ezra probably was a lot wealthier than Seth - he was a lot wealthier than most. He doubted the other boy knew to what extent. "If you pick that greasy dump in town, the date is already off." He warned. There was no way he was stepping foot in that place again. He ended up throwing out the clothing he'd worn there last time. Ezra shuddered slightly. "You go first." Ezra smirked, asking Manhattan to pick up into a trot. Ezra truly didn't care if he won or lost this bet. He'd already gotten what he wanted. But he'd put in an effort, at least. "Don't strain to hard thinking where you want to go. You'll be disappointed when I kick your fine ass." Ezra taunted with another smirk.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth laughed, the greasy place in town could hardly be discribed as a dump, but he nodded nonetheless, and anyway, he could afford that place by himself, so he'd hardly pick to go there if he won. Winning however, probably wasn't going to happen; he'd been riding - not including bareback Standardbreds who weren't riding horses - for a couple of years and knowing his lucky, Ezra had probably been born in the saddle with perfect posture.

He blanched when told he could go first and nodded as he rubbed Bear's neck; knowing that this was all going to rest of Bear's shoulders. "Trust me, I won't be disappointed at all. In fact I'm expecting it to happen." Seth knew how to ride bareback though, so maybe he had that on his side. Sitting up tall, he gathered the reins and clucked the gelding forward, and then into a trot. Riding a circle, he came out at a canter and they headed toward the first fence.

As they went around the course, all he really had to think about was holding on, and not getting left behind, as the gelding had stopped listening after his rider had set him off course for the second time, and Seth could feel that the gelding as having a blast as his gait was smooth, albeit a little faster than Seth would have liked, and he easily popped over fence after fence. Clearing the last one, Seth turned the gelding a little too sharply and laughed as he ended up on the ground. "I think that would make it your turn." He said as he stood up and dusted himself off before leading the horse around on foot so that he could cool down.

[Ezra Clarington]

Ezra shook his head at Seth's words, but remained silent to watch the boy's round. He stopped Manhattan out of the way, giving the gelding his reins as they watched. Ezra rose a brow as the round progressed. They were doing well. He was impressed. Seth should definitely have more confidence in himself and his mount. Then, the boy fell. Ezra laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "That's one way to dismount, I suppose." Ezra teased, gathering Manhattan's reins once more.

He circled Manhattan in a controlled trot, shifting his seat to center his balance then asked the gelding to go up into a canter as they approached the first jump. Ezra grunted slightly as they landed after it, readjusting again as they approached the next. This time, they landed more comfortably. Ezra smiled, pleased, as they continued the course. Manhattan now took the jumps with more finesse, no longer over jumping with the extra space between them. Ezra was pleased, they were doing well. The boy did cringe, however, when he heard Manhattan's hooves clip the second to last jump. He glanced back, relieved that the poles remained in place. He was too slow in refocusing, however, and jolted on Manhattan's back as they took the last jump. Ezra fell forward with a laugh, able to remain on his horse but it certainly was not graceful. "You were definitely better than I, Manhattan." He laughed as he slowed his gelding.

"Even though you fell at the end, I think you won this one, Seth." He called to the boy. Ezra and Manhattan were definitely rusty - Ezra made a mental note to continue working on it - but it went well. He was pleased. Ezra was also gracious in his defeat. He didn't feel the familiar burn of disappointment in his chest. I'm mellowing. Ezra thought, slightly amused. He started his cool down with Manhattan. "Do you need to think about your prize?" He asked Seth, flashing the boy a grin.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth watched the other boy's round, slightly worried that his saved money was going to vanish rather quickly, as he had no doubt that whoever picked the place, the other would be footing the bill.

He looked affronted. "That wasn't falling, it was dismounting...with style." He said with a grin. "And it was well after the end. So... I guess there's something to say about learning to ride on unbacked Standies." He continued walking Bear around, though he could still feel energy fizzing around the gelding so he wondered if a trail ride was in their cards, which would mean going back to the barn to tack up, so he'd probably just groom the horse and turn him out into the pastures. "Surprise me." He said as he flashed the other boy a grin, after all it wasn't like they had a lot of choice here in Blue Ridge; it was either the diner, the coffee shop or Blue Waters "What are your plans, now that I've trashed your ego?"

[Ezra Clarington]

"Okay, we'll refer to it as that to save your ego." Ezra retorted with a grin. Ezra noted the tidbit of Seth's riding experience, nodding slightly. Ezra was always thrown on ready backed, show level horses. Well, except maybe Trick. She was a challenge of a different kind. But she certainly made him work.

Ezra immediately rose to the challenge of surprising the other boy. That he would definitely do. "Prepare to be astounded, then." Ezra smirked. He wasn't scared to go elaborate. And Ezra certainly was not staying within Blue Ridge. Seth was in for a treat. As Ezra continued Manhattan's cool down, he gave the gelding his reins and pondered Seth's next question. "My plans, since you walked straight into my trap," Ezra corrected, grin returning. "Are to turn out Manhattan here into the pasture with the least amount of dirt with my other horse, the big grey devil, and watch her try to harass Manhattan while he obliviously ignores her for a bit. Then I may go for a run, and I'll act like I'm going to do some homework then neglect that." Ezra rubbed Manhattan's neck as he spoke, smiling lightly as the big brute let out a content grumble. "What about yourself?"

[Stefano Rice]

Seth shrugged, the boy could refer to it how he liked, and Seth was just lucky that Bear hadn't stomped on him to teach him a lesson.

"Shouldn't be too hard." He muttered and then flashed a grin. He looked around the arena with an arched eyebrow and shrugged. "Turn him out, since I'd have to saddle him to go on the trails." The one rule he wouldn't break, because he liked riding. "Then come and tidy the arena." He heaved a sigh at the thought of that. "Other than that, I have no idea." He might even see if there was a way to get onto the roof of the barn..."Neglecting homework is always fun."