Attention and Praise...

Sophie then came up to me “Did you actually jump that, wow that’s amazing, I sure couldn’t, way to go Jilla!”  

  “Thank you” was all I could manage to say. That was probably the nicest thing Sophie had ever said to anyone.  Sophie was wonderful, but not the encouraging type.

“I never knew you were good at jumping” said Yarra

“She’s just like her Dam, a born show jumper” said one of the Mares.

  “Wow, could you show me how to do that?” Inquired Pippin.

  “You’re amazing!” cried Fiona

I had never experienced so much attention in my life before. I wasn’t sure if I liked it. Then I realised that Mother was watching.

I slowly made my way over to the fence where Mother stood. Since I was looking at the ground, I couldn’t tell whether Mother was angry or not.

“Jilla, you shouldn’t have escaped over here, without my permission.” She said sternly.

"But I’m afraid I can’t really be angry after watching that jump of yours, I have never been more proud of you.”

I looked up and I saw that Mother’s eyes were twinkling and her face beamed happiness and pride.

         As I walked out of the paddock, past the electric fence, past the laneway and into our old rusty gate, for the first time in my life, I somehow felt that I had an extraordinary destiny. The feeling never left me that day.