The gates open and we take off with a powerful lunge

I feel my breath slip away as her hooves pound the freshly churned earth

The feeling of flying amplifies as the wind whips through my hair

A small shift in my seat and she reacts, half-halting to make the first turn

With my unrelenting pressure I guide her swiftly in the right direction

As the second barrel approaches I feel her anticipation grow

This is her territory and I am but a companion here to keep her in line

She needs little guidance this time as she is eager to get to the home stretch

On the third and final turn I have to focus to keep her excitement in check

Too fast and we could knock the barrel with just a nudge from her shoulder

As we come out of the turn her motivation doubles with the finish line in sight

The reins slip through my fingers and I can't help but smile as the 3 beat turns to 4

At a gallop now, I hear the crowd cheer as we charge towards the end

I hear the announcement of our time and register that it is our best score yet

I lean back and slow to a walk to exit the arena, knowing that we did it

I scratch her neck and mumble praise to her as she winnies softly in response

No longer separate entities, we are one