The Fox, Maverick, & Pharaoh
Last summer we'd often ask Jeff (Dad) to watch us ride in the arena. He would reluctantly watch as we told him how impressive we were and how entertained he should be.
"Here, watch this flying lead change," we'd yell over to Jeff, standing by the edge of the arena, arms crossed, waiting for the "show" to end. We'd think we' were putting on a pretty good show, eager to display our impressive riding skills.
I guess watching us ride isn't as exciting as we imagine it to be.
Well, if Jeff wasn't interested, there was a little fellow who was.
Time and time again when we rode in the arena one little fox sat, just outside the arena boundary, watching attentively.
He would sit with his tail curling around his front feet and his ears pricking at every sound. He'd sometimes move slightly or tuck his head down in order to get a better view of what was going on. Occasionally he'd yawn so wide that he'd almost swallow his head. We couldn't help but laugh at him.
How, you may wonder, did the horses respond to our audience of one? Well, they knew he was there, and at first tried to avoid that end of the arena, but after time they got used to him.
We got used to him too. It felt good to have an audience, and we rode to impress him.
I'm not sure what kept him coming back, most likely he had nothing better to do, or was planning on making us his next meal. Maybe, just maybe, he actually appreciated a well-executed flying lead change.
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