Book Title: Lucifer
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Manuel saluted the judges and started off at a trot and into a rough gallop to pass the electric eyes. Lucifer saw the first jump, threw his head up in the air and flew in at a flat-out gallop, scarcely clearing the highest bar with a long, flat jump, landing with several bucks and again jumping the next jump too fast. He cleared it by inches and landed hard, madly running toward the third, jumping too fast and completely out of stride. Juanita began to cry and covered her eyes, fearful of what was going to happen next.
–Está dando la vuelta demasiado rápido para entrar a la triple combinación –gritó Rafael, mientras que Lucifer salía de la vuelta en un paso de carrera y se dirigió al primer elemento de la combinación con una velocidad de rompehuesos. Manuel estaba sentando para atrás, trabajando las riendas para tratar de controlarlo. Volvió a saltar en un arco plano y se apuntó al segundo elemento sin ni siquiera tratar de recogerse.
–¡Más despacio, van a chocar! –gritó Rafael mientras Lucifer, desbocado, se lanzó al salto de un tranco completo antes de que debiera despegar. Un suspiro colectivo salió del público mientras despegó en un salto imposible. Pegó sus manos al pecho y sus patas al estómago y libró las dos barras del oxer por centímetros.
De repente, como si ese gran esfuerzo hubiera reventado su miedo, Lucifer se volvió el campeón olímpico que tanto había esperado la familia. Cayendo corto después de lanzarse tan detrás, estiró su tranco y entró al tercer elemento de la combinación con un arco precioso, cayendo fluido y sin esfuerzo con un tranco de galope recogido y rápido, volviendo a sacar un suspiro colectivo del público. Entró en la curva al siguiente salto sin salir de su tranco y lo saltó con la misma precisión que había mostrado en el anterior. Manuel sintió el cambio en su corcel y lo pudo recoger, mostrándole cuidadosamente cada salto.
–Mira, Juanita –dijo Rafael, quitándole las manos de la cara– ¡es hermoso!
“He’s making the turn too fast toward the triple combination!” shouted Rafael, while Lucifer came out of the sharp turn at a flat racing gallop and headed toward the first element of the combination with bone-breaking speed. Manuel was sitting back, working both reins to try to control the runaway horse. Again he jumped long and flat and started toward the second element without even trying to gather himself.
“Slow up, you’re going to crash!” screamed Rafael while Lucifer, out of control, threw himself at the jump an entire stride before he should have taken off. A collective gasp came from the stands as he took off in an impossible jump. He pasted his forelegs to his chest and his hind legs to his stomach and skimmed over the double bars of the oxer by inches.
Suddenly, as though that great effort had broken through the bubble of his fear, Lucifer became again the Olympic champion that the family had hoped for. Landing short after taking off so far behind the jump, he lengthened his stride and entered the third element of the combination with a beautiful arch, landing with a fluid and effortless movement in a gathered and rapid gallop, again bringing a collective sigh from the spectators. He entered the curve into the next jump without breaking his stride and jumped it with the same precision that he had showed in the former jump. Manuel felt the change in his mount and was able to collect him and carefully show him the next jumps.
“Look, Juanita!” said Rafael, pulling her hands from her face, “He’s wonderful!”
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