IOIIT Chapter 3: Horses & Sports
Regina owned two horses, which was exciting to Juliet and me, having never been around horses. Many visits with Dad and Regina included horseback riding and equestrian-related activities.
Horses were a big part of Regina's and her children's lives. Crystal rode her white pony, appropriately named "Snow White," in rodeo competitions throughout the Florida Panhandle. Barrel racing and pole racing were the two events Crystal competed in. The rodeo arena would be set with three barrels equidistant from each other in the shape of a triangle if you drew a line that connected them. The idea was that the rider rode to the first barrel, circled it, then rode the next, circled it, and the same for the third. The rider was supposed to go as fast as they could manage. The pole racing event consisted of four or five "poles," which I think were each just a utility bucket filled with cement with a pole stuck in it. They were arranged in a straight line equidistant from each other. The rider had to weave swiftly through the poles without knocking any over. Participants were judged on speed, care, and technique. I don't recall how many participants competed in these events, but Crystal usually placed in the top three. Her room was filled with ribbons from rodeo competitions.
Much of our time with Dad during these years was spent feeding the horses, washing the horses, brushing the horses, and attending rodeos. We went to so many rodeos for Crystal's competitive riding that we hardly paid attention anymore, as young children are apt to do.
One Friday night, after a rodeo in a neighboring town, I was lying in bed in the room I shared with Crystal and Juliet, waiting for sleep to take me under. I was restless because Crystal kept getting up and going to the bathroom. She never spoke when she would leave the room, leading me to believe she was tired and didn't want to be bothered, sick, or constipated. As I lay there at the precipice of sleep, I was awoken by Regina. Bleary-eyed and confused, I regarded her in a way that conveyed my confusion. Reproachful, she told me, "Crystal has been crying all night because no one bid her 'Congratulations' or 'great job' in her riding tonight. You should be ashamed of yourself." With that, she was out the door before I could respond. I was befuddled by what had just occurred. I thought, "What just happened?" as I recounted what exactly Regina had said. I dutifully got out of bed, found Crystal, and attempted to cheerfully tell her she rode great in her competition. The predicament I found myself in was odd, to say the least, but I satisfied both parties, and in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem like a big deal.
There were also various protracted trail rides on horseback with scores of other people from Bristol. I recall one trail ride that involved at least 20 horses and about 30 people. The ride was led by a neighbor, Regina was friends with, down the street who owned several horses. He wore a Stetson and kept one hand on his hip while riding his horse, as if he were posing for a photo. Crystal rode Snow White by herself, and Regina rode her horse, "Beauty," while holding Jack on the front of the saddle. Juliet and I rode behind other seasoned riders on their horses with our arms wrapped around the rider. It was highly uncomfortable and lasted at least four hours.
It appeared that everyone in town was horse crazy. While I initially loved being around the horses, I was not interested in long rides or going fast. The novelty of the horses wore off as the years went by because horseback riding was not a pastime I desired to master or compete in as Crystal had.
Team sports was also a large part of the lives of my stepmother and her children. All three kids played baseball, the two boys played peewee football, and Crystal was a cheerleader. When she entered high school, Crystal even played saxophone in the marching band. During our visits with them, if we weren't spending time with the horses, we were attending a sporting event of some kind. We were also expected to play outdoor sports in the backyard for recreation.
I was more interested in hiking and biking. Both Juliet and I were involved in ballet and gymnastics and had little interest in traditional team sports. Our collective lack of interest in equine activities and deficient team sports skills became points of contention with Regina.