Fantasia: Equestria

by SterlingC

Applejack and the Canterlot Rodeo: Take 2

Let's start this off with a bang shall we? And I literally mean a bang. Applejack and her family travels once again to the Canterlot Rodeo a year after she failed to win any medals. Can she get her first gold medal this year? Hopefully her accompaniment by the ever famous William Tell Overture will be enough to guide her to victory!

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“Well y’all. We’re back in Canterlot again. To do what I haven’t been able to do the last time round.” Applejack declared to the rest of the family as they walked out of the Friendship Express and through the gates welcoming the Apple Family to Canterlot once again. Applejack remembered all too well what happened when she failed to win any medals last year. While her friends were loving and supportive of her even after getting second place as a best finish, Applejack wanted gold. She knew in her heart that she was the best rodeo cowpony in Equestria.

“Darn tootin’ Applejack! You’ll be sure to win gold on several of the events this year! You’ve been workin’ extra hard at the farm to get all shaped up for the show!” Applebloom hooted and hollered as she continued trotting with the rest of the family towards the Canterlot Rodeo Grounds that lay outside the main city. “You even broke your personal record at haythrowing, at 90.43 m, and at the rodeo 400 m obstacle course at 73.23 seconds! That’s sure to win you at least 2 golds this year! Not to mention all the other events yer gonna be involved with!” Applebloom grew more and more excited at Applejack’s performance in her very last event a few days after the start of the rodeo: the 400 m hurdles. Applejack chuckled at her sister’s ever-growing excitement.

“Mah practice times are good and all, but Ah gotta win at the actual rodeo! The hurdles are gonna be tough, especially with the crisscrossing of the hay stacks near the end of the race!” Applejack was all too aware of disappointment, and didn’t want to be disappointed again. Like last year, she had an extra incentive for herself. This time however, it was for her family. With the prize money for gold this year, the family would have enough money to repair their increasingly dilapidated farm and maintain current apple production levels.

“I’m also thinking for our family sis. We need to get our farm repaired and the prize enough will be enough to perform the repairs and then some!” Applejack nodded at Applebloom before Granny Smith interjected.

“Well Applejack! Just do yer best and don’t let us get in yer way! You’ll be darned amazing if you focus on the race above anythin’ else!” Granny Smith, despite her age, was as energetic as always as she pumped her right hoof up in the air. The family finally arrived at the Canterlot Rodeo Grounds. To the family’s ride was a large field that had a large dirt oval path, which was the site of the 400 m obstacle course for the rodeo. This was the one event every pony looked forward to. A cowpony’s greatest asset was their speed and versatility for bucking trees and herding cows and other types of critters big and small.

“Woah… that’s the field…?” Applebloom stared the field, awed by its large size.

“It sure is sis.” Applejack affirmed as she patted Applebloom on her back. “Anyway, we gotta be packin’ our stuff to the place where we’re staying! It’s just to our left!”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed as the family laughed and trotted away towards their accommodations and prepared for the start of the Canterlot Rodeo the next day…

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It was the very last event of the Canterlot Rodeo. Applejack placed herself on the start line with 8 other ponies. She did well to make it to the final round of the 400 m obstacle course. She put great effort into the rodeo, but while she received more silver and bronze medals than last year, she still had yet to get a single gold medal. The 400 m obstacle course was going to be her last chance at a gold medal for another year. She couldn’t let her family down again.

Applejack was placed at the far right of the track and was given the #1 label on her flank. Applejack was raring to go, and knowing that she was on the far outer end of the track meant that she had to get an even bigger head start on the other ponies to get her first place finish.

“C’mon Applejack! Yer doing great! You can win gold here now! Ah know you can!” Applebloom hollered at Applejack from the attendant stands to Applejack’s right.

“GO APPLEJACK!” Granny Smith hollered along with Applejack.

“EEYUP!!! EEYUP!!!” Big Mac hollered with Granny Smith. Applejack began blushing at all the support her direct family was giving her. There were hundreds of ponies at attendance for the race, excited to see how the last event of the rodeo would turn out.

The 400 m obstacle was going to be one lap of jumping over haystacks, pole sticks, and lassoing her rope to a target at one part of the course. The entire course was set. Ponies from all over Equestria, from Fillydelphia to Appeloosa were raring to go for the last event. The trumpet blared out to call for the competitors and to review the instructions. Once the instructions were said and done, Applejack and the other 8 ponies heard the announcer prepare the racers.

“On yer marks…” The attendant called out from the stands with a megaphone.

“Get set…” Applejack braced herself in position, ready to jump and get the race started. She wanted this gold, and no pony was going to stop her.

“GO!!!” The gun shot was fired. It was time to go, go go!!!!

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Applejack jumped as soon as the gun was fired. She was off to a quick head start of the other ponies. The adrenaline began to rush onto Applejack. She jumped over haystack after haystack like she always did around her farm in Ponyville. She heard the audience cheer for all the ponies, but none of their cheers rang as loud as her family’s.

“GO APPLEJACK!!! GO GET THAT GOLD FER THE FAMILY!!!” Applebloom shouted as loud as she could.

“KEEP THAT CHEER UP APPLEBLOOM!! YOU COULD GET YER CUTIE MARK IN CHEERLEADIN’ WITH THAT HOLLER!!!” Granny Smith laughed as the two mares cheered as loud as they could for Applejack.

Meanwhile, Applejack had just tripped over one of the haystacks. While Applejack quickly recovered from the trip, pony #6 of Fillydelphia had already caught up to Applejack. Seeing that one of the other ponies had already caught up, Applejack sprinted even faster than she had before and jumped across the pole sticks with ease.

Applejack was now past the first bend and heading the other way. She could still hear her family cheering loudly for her, seeing that Applejack maintained the lead even after tripping over the haystack when she neared the first bend. Applejack was now nearing the lasso throw. At that stage, Applejack had to use the lasso and place it into the stationary pole that lay just ahead of her. Applejack threw her lasso but missed her first attempt while the ever agile Pony #6 threw hers into the pole on her first attempt and sprinted ahead. On her second try, Applejack lassoed her rope into the pole and sprinted ahead as well.

None of the other ponies were close to Applejack and Pony #6 who were quickly outsprinting the competition. However, Applejack was still behind and needed to make all her jumps and sprints as precisely as possible to as to not get tired and fall further behind. Applejack received a lucky break however. Pony #6 of Fillydelphia tripped over one of the pole sticks, giving Applejack the chance to retake the lead!

Applejack, seeing this golden opportunity, sprinted even faster and zoomed ahead of Pony #6, ready to take the gold as she sprinted towards the final stretch. The ponies cheered louder and louder as Applejack reached the final bend, but Pony #6 refused to give up. She trotted as fast as she could and was now just at Applejack’s tail. The race was nearing its end as a photo finish was going to be expected among the audience.

The audience began to gasp in suspense as Applejack and Pony #6 raced to the finish line, with no obstacles ahead of them. It was now or never for Applejack as she gave her all.

“Pony #6 and Pony #1 are neck and neck folks! This is going to be a grand, photo-finish for the two ponies in this last event! Who will take gold for the 400 m hurdles?! The suspense, the suspense!” The announcer called out as the ponies sitting on the audience stand got up on her back hooves and cheered as loudly as they could. But none could cheer louder than Applejack’s family.

“C’MON APPLEJACK!!! YER ALMOST THERE!!! I KNOW YOU’VE GOT THE GOLD NOW!! GOGOGO!!!!” Applebloom shouted her loudest as Applejack and Pony #6 edged closer and close to the finish line.

“C’mon Applejack! Just one more push! You’ve got this one on your hooves!” Granny Smith cried out with Applejack.

“EEYUP!” Big Macintosh waved his flag excitedly. As the audience continued to cheer with excitement, Applejack managed to get her nose ahead of Pony #6, just enough to break the ribbon on the finish line and take gold in the 400 m obstacle course! The audience roared in applause and cheer, especially the family of Applejack, who were simply ecstatic at the victory.

“APPLEJACK WON!! APPLEJACK WON!!! SHE’S GOT THE GOLD!!!!” Applebloom cheered to the top of her lungs with the rest of the ponies.

“YEEHAW!!! APPLEJACK’S GOT US HER FIRST EVER GOLD AT THE CANTERLOT RODEO!!!!” Granny Smith shouted in cheer and delight.

“EEYUP!!!” Big Macintosh shouted in affirmation and joy as Applejack slowed her trot and took as many deep breaths as she could. Applejack slowly trotted back to the audience, hearing her family’s cheer for her victory grow louder and louder.

“YEEHAW!!! MY FIRST EVER GOLD!!!” Applejack pumped her front right hoof as a gesture of acclamation and victory.

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She finally got the gold. Applejack finally got the gold and the prize money at the winner’s circle. Pony #6 turned to Applejack and smiled, giving her a congratulatory hug after she had received her silver medal for her efforts. Applebloom and Big Macintosh jumped on Applejack in a victory cuddle on the winner’s stand, leaving the audience to gaze upon the cuteness that was the Apple Family. Applejack had won. She finally got her first gold medal at the Canterlot Rodeo after so many failures and practice sessions. Her time of 74.23 may not have beaten her personal record, let alone the rodeo record, but it was enough to bag her the gold medal and to repair the Apple Family Farm…

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Author's Note:

For this story, begin at the point where Applejack begins her race.

Comments

[pokemon24]

go applejack you win