Word Count: 24,004
Summary of Events:
Chapter 7:
Heleighna went to a horse sale with M. Amyotte where M. Amyotte amazingly got the opportunity to buy an excellent prospective dressage horse of excellent blood lineage who seemed to have come available under slightly suspicious circumstances.
Chapter 8:
Heleighna began school and met Granville Longval, a young man in the grade above her; they talked extensively throughout lunch. Étienne competed and then gave an interview before talking with one of his fellow competitors for awhile before going back to the hotel for the night.
Excerpt of the Day:
"Applause still rang out as Étienne rode out of the ring. He saw a familiar figure wave and he nodded. Reining Sauvage in, he walked over to Félix and dismounted. Félix smiled at Étienne and then spoke into his microphone to let the network know Étienne was with him.
"Good ride," Félix said.
"Merci," Étienne replied.
Félix put his hand to his left ear and listened. He nodded. "After the next rider's done," he said.
Étienne nodded. He turned toward the ring and watched as one of the Americans who'd been riding Grand Prix since before Étienne had been born rode his rookie horse in a pretty difficult pattern — for the horse's current calibre.
Once he was done the crowd applauded and Étienne turned back to Félix, who turned to face his cameraman. After a few moments he spoke.
"Yes, we're down here with Étienne St. Zépherin-LaFramboise," Félix said before turning to Étienne. "Congratulations on the good ride."
"Merci," Étienne replied, avoiding looking in the camera lens.
"Everyone's still talking about your phenomenal ride from back in Florida," Félix said. "Are you still on a high from that performance?"
"No," Étienne replied. "I've got more important things that need to be done than thinking about what's already happened."
"Will you be performing that routine here, or do you have a different one in your pocket?" Félix asked.
"If the need arises I will do it," Étienne replied. "And no, I do not have any other routines."
"Competition is tight and you're right in the thick of it," Félix said. "That's got to be somewhat stressful, what do you do?"
"Think of other things," Étienne replied.
"Looking forward to the Olympics next year," Félix said. "Do you feel that you need to get to another level for that competition?"
"No," Étienne replied. "No one else competing in dressage elsewhere is going to be any more difficult to compete against than those I already compete against. There's just going to be a lot more better ones, and if I have the calibre and capability to defeat veterans who've been riding longer than I've lived then I have the potential to defeat others from elsewhere. If I don't defeat them at the Olympics, then I'll just have to try again in four years."
"Are you feeling any added excitement going into the Olympics next year?" Félix asked.
"Not now," Étienne replied. "There's too much that has to be done between then and now. Maybe closer to next August. It's too far now to really feel any excitement."
"Thanks for your time Étienne, good luck in the next round," Félix said.
"Merci," Étienne replied, nodding.
"Étienne St. Zépherin-LaFramboise, and the incredible and imposing Sauvage Vent d'Espange, currently sitting in a three-way-tie for first place here . . ." Félix said, trailing off as Étienne got further away."
Granville Longval: grahnveel longvahl
Félix: feelicks
Vent d'Espagne: vohn d'espanye
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