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Warm Weather Hop — Description

Jay looked around, admiring the care put into the structures at the Talamasca Cattery. From the sides of the buildings to the carefully landscaped grass, everything looked well maintained. He wished he could say the same, but being a small cattery meant that some of the smaller details tended to fall on the wayside. To say that he let the weeds grow was an understatement, because he wasn’t sure he could stop them if he wanted to. Maybe someday when he had more staff…For now he just took in the surroundings. There was a fresh breeze on the air, following the spring weather, and the sun was comfortably sitting above the horizon though it had yet to conquer the chill of the night before.
He walked into the stables, greeting Historia as he walked through. Of course she had the first stable spot with a luxurious enclosure. After all, she was the face of the cattery. He had followed her accomplishments online for a few years now, and took inspiration from the way she was trained. The massive cat - a build not known for their elegance - had managed to climb her way to the top of multiple fields including dressage. The discipline was his personal weakness, so he had poured over hours of videos and performances from the duo. It was hard to believe he was here in person. He turned around and at a respectful distance, took a picture of the kom as she dozed before walking over to where Symphony was being boarded. He clicked his tongue and watched as her head popped up over the bars and she chirruped happily. After taking a few moments to rub her favorite spot under her chin, he slipped the halter over her head and clipped the lead rope on. Walking over to the cross-ties, he hooked her up and started to brush her. They were competing in the first show jumping class, and while he was a little tired from the jetlag and the time, the excitement was helping to keep him awake. Symphony on the other hand happily slept through the grooming session, letting Jay run the brushes through her mane and over her coat while she snagged a few extra minutes of sleep. The minute he brought out the tack however, she perked up and started to shift. The cat had a high competitive spirit, and loved to perform for the crowds (unlike her rider who never wanted to be in the spotlight).
“Stop wiggling,” he chastized as he smacked her playfully after strugging to grab the girth for the third time as she shifted in the ties. “I have to get the saddle on or we can’t go.”
Not too long after, the two emerged from the stables, dressed to the nines. Jay’s coattails caught the light breeze and fluttered behind him, as did the bunny ears taped to the top of his helmet. He hoped they would stay. A crisp pair of dress pants, as well as a button-up shirt where his outfit, while Symphony sported a flower-covered bridle and a saddle pad Jay had found with a rabbit on it. It seemed to fit the “bunny-hop” theme well, and it was a cute addition. They made it to the arena with time to spare, and watched as the other cats and riders trickled in and started to compete. He had memorized the sequence, but he ran over it a few more times just in case. After all, you couldn’t be too prepared. Finally, Jay and Symphony were called up to the starting line. The rider took a deep breath, and steeled his nerves.
“Ready Symphony?”