Lafayette ran into the house, past his roommates, John, Hercules, and Alex(who were sitting in the living room). He got to his room and shed his breeches and boots that were much easier to take off than his old boots that he had to pull on.
    He ran to the shower and washed himself of the scent of horses. Lafayette loved how they smelled, but he didn't want his friends to know about his sport.
    Lafayette had severe PTSD from a school shooting that happened when he was in his senior year in high school. He found English horseback riding was tedious, but relaxing. It gave him a sense of control. But he didn't want his friends to know because he was embarrassed that it was his only form of comfort.
   Once out of the shower he dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants since he wasn't going out that day. Alex perked up and looked at him.
     "Where have you been? You were out this morning at 7:00 AM!" He questioned.
Lafayette kept his cool.
"Alex, mon ami, why were you up at 7:00?" Lafayette smirked.
"I was up studying because I procrastinated...." The man mumbled.
     Lafayette chuckled and walked out of the room. He got tea and started to brew it. Little did he know Alex was whispering about him.
     "I'm telling you guys he's hiding something!" Alex whispered to his friends.
"If you're so curious, why don't you go check his room out?" John asked.
      Alex nodded and rushed to Lafayette's room. He started to rummage around, being the nosy person he was, he went around his trunk. He discarded the helmet, thinking it was a biker's helmet(it wasn't). It wasn't until he got to the boots that he quirked an eyebrow.
"I knew Lafayette liked fashion, but dang, these are weird...." He muttered to himself.
     Searching through some more, he found a white ribbon and read what was in it. That's when it hit him what Lafayette was hiding.
     He ran into the kitchen with a smirk on his face. Lafayette immediately noticed.
    "What are you smiling about, mon ami?"
"Oh, nothing. Tell me. Do you prefer stallions, since your such one yourself?"
Lafayette froze.
"Excusez-moi?"
       Alex walked over to him.
"Why on God's green earth are you hiding the fact that you ride?" He pressed.
"Mon ami, it's a sport that I enjo—"
"—Okay, man, I love you. But riding ponies isn't a sport." Alex said and Lafayette turned to him.
"THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU! BECAUSE THE THING THAT CALMS  ME DOWN ISN'T ACCEPTED BY PEOPLE!" He had tears stinging his eyes and he ran to his room.
     Alex was shocked. John and Hercules stumbled in and Alex caught them up on what was going on. Hercules frowned and then went to comfort Laff, even though Alex was also in tears over hurting him.
       Hercules walked in on a stressed Frenchman, hanging his head and holding it.
"Hey, Laff?" He said gently as he sat next to him. "I think it's pretty cool. But are you, okay?" Lafayette sighed.
"Oui... I guess I just feel embarrassed that it's the only thing I found that works...." Hercules wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"No, you shouldn't be. I would love to come watch you sometime!" He grinned at the Marquis and he perked up.
      "Really!? I ride at Hidden Trail Farms." He said and Hercules nodded.
"It's settled then!"

        Lafayette pulled the horse he was riding that day out of the stall. She was a grey dapple mare named Ghost. He hooked her up on the cross-ties and grabbed the curry comb, hard brush, and soft brush.
     Brushing Ghost's back and barrel area in a circular motion with the curry comb, he loosened the dirt in her fur. He grabbed the hard brush and swept the dirt off, then finished the soft brush. That's when his friends walked in.
      "Yooooo, this place is nice!" John said. Lafayette was expecting Hercules.
"Bonjour! But I was only expecting Hercules?"
"They all wanted to come." Hercules explained.
Alex looked at the horse.
"Sorry about what I said to you about this...." He muttered.
It was hard for Alex to apologize ever. So Lafayette knew this was genuine.
      "It's alright. I need to get her tacked now." Lafayette said and John's face had horror on it.
"Do you? Do you stab them?" He squeaked and Lafayette couldn't help but chuckle.
"No! That's what you call the gear you put on a horse! Like the saddle and bridle!"
"Isn't she already wearing a bridle?" Alex questioned.
Lafayette's brain stopped working for a second this time.
"Alex... mon ami, I love you. But that's called a halter...." He said quietly as he walked away from his friends and their uneducated minds.
       Once Lafayette had the mare tacked, he walked out to the pin and all his friends sat in the benches provided. Lafayette grabbed a crop(considering she was an accessional stubborn horse) and Hercules stared at him.
     "Doesn't that hurt her?" He questioned and Lafayette scratched the back of his head.
"Um... it would be like a flick to us. It's kinda just a way for them to be told to listen to me." He paused. "But I know not to abuse the tool. It could hurt if I used it too hard." Hercules nodded, satisfied.
Climbing on the animals back and clicking his tongue, Lafayette started to move around. A young woman walked out and she greeted Lafayette.
"Morning, Laff!" She said in a french accent.
"Good morning, Adrienne~" Lafayette answered in return.
"Ready to ride, today?" She smiled and Lafayette blushed, even though no one could see it.
"Yes,"
"Alright, let's go into a trot then."
Lafayette did as he was told, posting and keeping track of his diagonals. After a while Adrienne could notice he was getting tired.
"Okay, lets slow to a walk." He seated and slowed to a halt.
She watched him catch his breath and relax a bit, but fixing his positions and leg form.
"Laff, I still can't get over how nice your posture is." Adrienne complimented and Lafayette smiled.
"Thank you,"
Adrienne went over to the side and grabbed all the obstacles. She set them up into a four-foot cross rail jump.
"Okay, Laff, I know you have issues with finding your lead, but Ghost is pretty good at getting it herself." She said and Lafayette nodded as she set up the rest of the course "You're going to the blue, red, green, and yellow." He nodded and went into a canter.
"Are you on the right or wrong lead?" Adrienne asked.
"Right,"
"Good,"
He started to go over the jump when Ghost spooked and halted, throwing Lafayette over. Gilbert immediately took his feet out of the stirrups and let himself fall off. He almost landed in his feet, but gravity said no and he toppled over.
John was mortified, Alex was on the edge of his seat, and Hercules was already standing up to go check for injuries. But Adrienne just had her hands in her pockets and called out to Lafayette.
"Anything bleeding or broken?" She asked and Lafayette shook his head.
"No,"
"Okay, get back on."
John looked at her with a hint of anger in his eyes.
"Are you crazy? He just got thrown of a horse!"
Adrienne chuckled.
"I assume your the friends he was talking about? I appreciate your care, but when you get thrown, if you don't get back on it teaches the horse they can do whatever they want." She paused. "But if something's injured then you shouldn't get back on."
Lafayette walked up fear apparent on his face and Hercules thought of his PTSD.
"Hey, man, nothing, ahem, mental broken or bleeding?" He quoted what Adrienne said.
Lafayette nodded and Adrienne cursed under her breath.
"That's right, yeah, you okay in that sense?"
Lafayette took a deep breath and nodded. The guys were confused.
"You know?" Alex questioned.
"Yes, he's not only part of the college's showing team, he's part of the mental illness recovery program here."
"Horses are really good for that kinda stuff?" John asked.
"Oui! They give a sense of control." She answered and frowned when she saw. Lafayette drawing circles in the dirt with his boot. "Laff, you okay?" She said as she placed a hand on the small of his back.
"Oui," He answered confidently.
Adrienne smiled and he turned and got back in the horse.
      This time Lafayette did the course smoothly. Alex was impressed and he was quietly eating crow about his friend's choice sport. So the lesson came to and end and Lafayette finished by brushing Ghost off and retiring her to her stall.
      "I believe you'll be ready for the show this weekend!" Adrienne complimented.
"Je vous remercie Adrienne," Lafayette gave her a smile.
"Wait you have a show?" Alex asked eagerly. "Can we come?"
      Lafayette chuckled.
"I see you were impressed, non?"
"Yes, I was. Look, if you don't want us to com—"
"—Non! I would love for you to come!"

       Lafayette straightened his coat and zipped his boots up. His level was about to be called out and he had to be dressed. The past of his day was holding horses and giving the riders a crop if needed. He somehow managed to get his fluffy hair into his helmet.
     When he walked out of the indoor area's bathrooms and saw his friends sitting in the benches.
"Hey, man!" John greeted.
"Oh my gosh... you look like a Ken Barbie doll...." Alex chuckled. "In a good way."
     Marquis smiled in return.
"What? I thought I looked fashionable!" He said as he struck a very fashionable pose.
John and Hercules laughed and then John caught the green ribbon pin on his coat collar.
   "What that?" John asked.
"Oh, you know how I said I was part of the mental illness recovery program, right? This is a sign of mental health." He replied.

"Ohhh, okay." John said and Adrienne walked up.
"You're up!" She said with a smile.
Adrienne was wearing the same thing except her feminine curves showed in the blazer she wore. Lafayette nodded and walked down to the mounting area.
     John, again, noticed a green ribbon on Adrienne's coat.
"Why do you have one?" He asked.
Adrienne froze.
"J-Just to support Laff!" She half told the truth.
John seemed questionable about her nervousness, but he saw Lafayette shaking his head behind her. So John dropped it.
     Adrienne used to have bulimia nervosa and was part of the program Lafayette was in. But she only told the people she taught to help them. She wasn't too open about it to other people.
The horse he was riding was named Diamond. A gelding that didn't need a crop, so he was relieved a bit. There was a girl holding the horse.
There was only one other guy in this whole show. He small talked with her for a bit and then the person that was currently in the arena, came in. He hopped on the horse and Adrienne walked up and wiped the dirt off his boots.
"Okay, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but, he has trouble changing his leads so be aware of that." Adrienne looked up at him. "Go get 'em tiger." The small knot in his stomach went away.
Lafayette rode out onto the arena and picked up his canter. He was thorough to make sure he got the right lead and he did.
Lafayette made it to the first jump. One, two, and he smoothly went over it. The second one was approaching and it was the same thing. One, two, and he went over. He went into a trot and changed leads as he approached the third jump.
      Before he knew it, his turn was over and the next person was going in. Once he hopped off, he felt arms around his waist.
"You did so well! You didn't miss a beat!" Adrienne said cheerfully.
     Lafayette couldn't help but blush. He had a crush on her for a very long time and he questioned if he was in love.
"Thank you," He chuckled.
          Lafayette's group was through and they started discussing places. Sixth place, fifth place, fourth place, third place, second place, Lafayette didn't hear his name for any of them.
     He shrugged off and planned to work harder and then the speaker came back over the intercom.
"Number one-thirty-seven, Marquis de Lafayette, is in first place."
       Lafayette froze and a big grin spread across his face. Adrienne returned the smile and Lafayette started acting like a little kid.
         "You did it Laff!" Adrienne cried.
Without thinking, she kissed Lafayette in joy on the lips and he was taken aback, but didn't question it. She pulled away and muttered. "Sorry...."
     "Non, Adrienne I've always had a crush on you!" He smiled as he cupped her cheek.
"YOOO! He got first place and a girl in the same day! He really is a winner!" John called out and Lafayette chuckled.
    This time, he gave Adrienne another sweet kiss before receiving the First Place Ribbon.

2126

.....
No
I definitely didn't write 2126 words about a dead guy riding horse in the modern world
Pshhh

Okay but for real. I ride horses myself and this was based off true events! (I have been thrown and it's not that scary) and I tried to find a horseback rider that wears a green ribbon aND I COULDNT FIND A PICTURE
If you're a guy out there and you want to ride, please do. 1) there are TONS of girls ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 2) WE NEED MORE GUYS IN THE EQUESTRIAN WORLD

But yeah.
What'd ya think?