Where luxury and practical, traditional training go hand in hand.
Story Recap
Official storyline recap for my instagram account, SSOCatherine.
Chapter One: This Side Of Paradise
In chapter one, we meet our main character. A young woman named Catherine Candlehaven. She is a young equestrian who immigrated from Ireland to Jorvik in a student exchange program during her junior year of highschool without having ever sat on a horse. Her host family, the Moorlands, introduced her to the sport of riding and Catherine never looked back. She made a
life with her host family’s son, Justin Moorland. They moved into a bunkhouse on the property and beegan a competition and lesson program of their own.
Catherine acquired her own group of competition horses. Her warmblood mare, Thorn, was a gift from Justin. Then there was her mares Luna and Angel, as well as an endurance horse named Snow who she later sold after backing off her endurance pursuits. In addition there was a Lusitano named Smoke, leased to improve Catherine’s dressage. And lastly, a Trakehner named Whiskey. Whiskey was Catherine's first expensive horse, and her hopeful future eventing mount. Angel had been bred to a friend's stud in hopes to make another future eventer.
Whiskey had never been an easy horse to ride, but as time and training went on, things got worse with the bay mare. After a bad fall, Catherine decided to have her vetted more than once to gather opinions on what was the root of the issue, only to find out the most devastating news. Whiskey was diagnosed with Kissing Spine, bad enough to force retirement. Catherine was devastated, but obviously did what was best for the horse and put Whiskey out to pasture at the new farm she and her boyfriend Justin had moved into. A farm now named Haven Equestrian.
Catherine was still competing heavily, including participation in a Mustang Makeover competition which brought her to her all around pony mare Star. The herd grew larger with the birth of Catherine’s first homebred, a beautiful little mare named Lacey.
Chapter Two: Awake My Soul
Chapter Two, Awake My Soul, starts abruptly as we discover that Catherine's best next hope for an eventing mount has been injured in a minor pasture incident. Luna, the thoroughbred Connemara cross, played a bit too hard and bowed a tendon. Though this wasn’t a permanent career ending injury, it was enough to finally convince Catherine to begin the hunt for a new horse to train up to the higher levels of competition she so desperately desired.
Catherine tried many horses across Jorvik. A sweet grey gelding that was a bit too tired, a fiery Arabian cross who was a bit too insane, and even a friend's project horse that just
didn’t click. Then, one ordinary afternoon, as she scrolled down her facebook feed, a stud at a kill pen caught her eye. He was starved, scarred, and missing an eye but she knew she had to have him. With Justin, Catherine reserved her horse and went to the kill pen to
The kill pen was a hideous place of death and Catherine was horrified by it and wanted to do nothing more than leave. Once they got to the sold section, she spotted her horse (who had been dubbed #07) and went to retrieve him, only to notice something familiar there. The grey gelding she had tried weeks earlier stood beside #07, with a Meat sticker glued to his hind end. This was no place for such a nice horse, so Justin bought him as a horse for himself and they took both horses home that night.
Shortly after arrival #07 showed his true colors. His violence and attitude. Luckily, the grey, named Doc Holiday, stayed sane. It was also discovered that he was quite elderly compared to what Catherine had been told when she tried him out. #07 was renamed Virgil, and began his journey to recovery from the abuse
he had so clearly suffered. Virgil was given freedom into the pasture for a few months, and formed a bond with Smoke. He had also gained an affinity for jumping the pasture fence, resulting in countless gallops down the fenceline trying to rope him off of Thorns back. With countless competitions, endless days of training, most of the farm work fell to Justin.
Lacey was growing up well, winning her first foal competition, which Justin was forced to miss due to needing to hotwire the fencing to keep Virgil contained.
Chapter Three: Break My Pride
In chapter three, we learn a few months have passed. These months have been busy for Catherine, as she was added to the last minute roster for a traveling rodeo to spread awareness for the versatility of the mustang breed. Star was chosen to show off her talent for barrel racing, and they were dubbed the Jorvik Buckle Champions of the rodeo season. Upon arriving home, Catherine was more than
return to Justin who had taken care of the ranch by himself for the duration of her trip. She insisted Justin take care of Star himself while she squeezed in a late night session with Virgil, despite having only just arrived home at a little after midnight. Justin pleaded with her not to, explaining that Virgil would still be there come morning. Catherine refused, choosing not to listen to Justin.
Catherine, tired from driving, missed vital signals from the already dangerous horse and found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Virgil kicked her, breaking her arm and nose in one blow. Catherine managed to get to the house, and Justin immediately drove her to the hospital where her nose and arm were reset. At home, he asked her to retire Virgil to the pasture for her own safety. Of course, Catherine adamantly refused. The consequence of this
was the immediate end of her nearly eight year relationship with her most beloved companion, Justin Moorland. He left the next morning, leaving behind Catherine and the farm.
Cat had never lived alone before, and had certainly never run the entire farm on her own before. It was an enormous wake up call, and one Catherine was reluctant to accept. Her training suffered as she took on more and more of the physical labor it took to maintain the farm. All of the things Justin did that she hadn’t noticed before. Angel and Thorn had to be leased out so as to have less mouths to feed. To ease the stress, Catherine’s student, coincidentally also called Catherine, offered to lease Smoke which Cat was happy to accept.
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As time passed, Catherine picked her smoking habit she had left behind in Ireland and continued to acclimate to life alone. Things gradually became a bit easier, as she learned to balance training her own horses, training other peoples, training people, and of course all of the grunt work that came with owning the equestrian center.
Around this time, Catherine attended a polo match where her team won and she was awarded the MVP award. Shortly after dismounting, she ran into none other than Justin who was looking to reconnect. Catherine shut him down.
Back home, life continued. Virgil, who was now residing in the small riding arena, called to Catherine as she passed by. For the first time since her accident, she entered his space and they forgave each other for their mutual mistakes. It was the beginning of a new age for Catherine and her mystery horse. Doc was thriving, and despite being dumped at a kill pen, Catherine came to learn of his true
past when an old woman showed up out of the blue and explained she was his breeder and that she had lost contact with Doc years earlier.
Things were looking bright for Catherine as she arranged camping trips with her best friend, a possible registration with the Appaloosa Sport Horse Association for Virgil, and Lacey’s training just now starting. Virgil was examined by a representative of the ASHA named Jaclyn Hernandez who approved him for registry but only if a DNA test proved at least 25% appaloosa DNA.Virgil's test came in a few weeks later with surprising results. 25% Warmblood, 25% Appaloosa stock horse, and a whopping 50% Knabstrupper; all credited to a registered stud by the name of Emerald King. Catherine had heard the name once or twice, but she immediately
began an internet search of who this Emerald King was. She could have never guessed what she would uncover. Emerald King was an incredibly famous stallion, but for all of the wrong reasons. His successful career was ended in a tragic accident when he suffered a heart attack mid competition, dying in the arena. For then, her research temporarily ceased.
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Training with Virgil was going well, and she trailered him to a nearby stable to take advantage of their arena for Virgil's first saddling. Everything was going well, until he found his leg wrapped up in his rope. Catherine managed to stop him and unsaddled him, when something told her to just get on. Catherine climbed up onto Virgil's back and was amazed to find that he had clearly been trained under saddle.
Chapter Four: Sigh No More
In Sigh No More, the story picks up a few months later and Catherine has Virgil more or less settled under saddle, at least on the flat. Her morning ride is interrupted by a commotion, that being of Justin Moorland returning to Haven Equestrian to retrieve a horse he had leased to Catherine’s student; despite the lease not being up for another week.
Justin is hostile and Catherine is agitated, angry words are exchanged and the horse is taken despite Catherines resistance.
Catherine is rattled from the fight and finds herself reeling from the breakup all over again despite the passage of time. Luckily, she finds solace in her friends who back her up. She visits friends such as Eve, who takes her on a trail ride to help clear her mind. This peace doesn’t last long. Catherine receives a text from her student, a link to a newspaper article. These articles reveal the true nature of Emerald King’s death that Catherine hadn’t known of earlier.
The stallion was given an autopsy that revealed he had been doped with cocaine, and the resulting investigation forced the closure of Silver Hawk Stables; the breeding farm Catherine realizes Virgil may have been born at.
Chapter Five: After The Storm
After The Storm reveals Catherine has done more research into Silver Hawk Stables. She has managed to get a hold of the name and number of the lead detective, who she gets in contact with. His name is Blythe W. Harmon. After about a week of trying to get in a
word, he calls her back and they arrange a coffee date to discuss the case.
The discussion explains much of Virgil's issues. His fear of dogs is a result of the manager of Silver Hawk Stables letting vicious dogs go after him, and his dislike of jumping under saddle is because of having his legs knocked with poles to force him to jump cleaner. However, this doesn’t really resolve the issue.
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Then, in a moment of complete calm during her trail ride with Virgil that following week, the stallion spots a log in their path and perks up. Catherine decides to give him his head, and he immediately jumps it. This jumpstarts Virgil's showing career. Now that he can trust Catherine to ride him without the abuse he suffered in his beginning years, he is
unstoppable.
They start their career together off small at a schooling show, where Detective Harmon surprises Catherine with his presence. He claims he just wanted to see what Virgil could do, but they both know he may have had ulterior motives. It isn’t long before Virgil and Catherine are invited to compete in their largest show yet, an FEI Tryout at the most prestigious stables in Jorvik. Virgil surprises Catherine with his flawless performance, moving them on to the second phase of tryouts.
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Catherine begins to settle back into her life, and feels comfortable enough to bring home Angel after hearing of the death of Lacey’s sire. While her frien-
ship with her student Catherine blossoms as they travel to Paris together for the second phase of the tryouts. Much to both of their surprise, Detective Harmon provided their travel in the form of a private jet. He claims it is in support of seeing Virgil have a successful career to promote the rescue of abused horses. He even pays for Virgil to be stabled separately, at a beautiful estate just outside of the city.
Catherine’s round goes flawlessly, save for her bridle breaking mid jump, and she manages to snag fourth place and a spot on the FEI Team representing Jorvik alongside twenty other riders. As she leaves the arena, she spots none other than Justin Moorland who she takes aside into the stable and, in a moment of weakness, she kisses him. He was her best friend, and her first love. That doesn’t fade easily.
That night as she sits in her hotel room, pondering her own loneliness, she calls upon Justin and they share an unforgettable night together in Paris, in a hotel room paid for by Detective Blythe W. Harmon.
Chapter Six: Safe And Sound
Chapter Six, Safe And Sound, returns us to Jorvik where Catherine is cooking up an idea. Whiskey is returned to the spotlight when Catherine decides to breed her to Virgil after receiving veterinary approval. Justin and her hardly speak, feeling a bit awkward about
their now undefined relationship. One night, during a huge rainstorm, Catherine falls asleep on the couch before bringing the horses in and wakes up to find that her heavily pregnant mare is missing.
She follows the tracks she can find on foot, following them through a broken fence, through the woods and down a slippery hill where she finds Whiskey on a riverbank, hardly alive and suffering from a broken neck. Catherine frantically calls Justin, only to be sent to voicemail three times before she calls the only other person she knows she can. Blythe W. Harmon.
He arrives in no time, arriving veterinary transport for the critical mare and he carries Catherine home, where he spends the night at Catherine’s side. The following morning, the vet calls and informs Catherine that while her mare is dead, the foal managed to survive the ordeal. Catherine can hardly look at the foal due to the guilt she feels, and decides against naming it at first. Angel becomes a nurse mare for the filly. Of course, life goes on and Catherine returns to competition.
Justin comes to Haven just a few weeks later, feeling awkward and apologetic that he wasn't there for her when she needed him. Catherine forgives him, but reveals that she is now seeing the detective and would prefer to remain friends despite what happened between them in Paris. Catherine decides to gift the filly to her best friend and student, Catherine, who names the filly Shasta.