Racing Heart (2026) Movie Script
1
- Welcome, everybody,
to Santa Clarita, California.
It's a warm day, already
85 degrees on the ground,
and it's only 8:00 AM.
Barbara, how do you
feel about today?
- I'm
so excited, Jamie.
I think we are going
to see a lot of action.
This is the last race
of the tournament,
and the winners move on
to the International Cup,
so our riders are gonna
feel the heat today.
- That's
exactly right, Barbara.
The first two riders qualifying
today are going to fly out
to Italy next week for
the International Cup.
What a dream. But first,
let's meet our top riders.
- Starting
off from the top
with the highest amount
of points this far
is Sienna McKenzie,
leading with 226 points,
20 points ahead of the
runner up, Laura Benetti.
Sienna McKenzie is
riding Kalymnos today,
a 12-year-old mare, very
energetic and daring,
wouldn't you say so, Jamie?
- Absolutely.
Now, moving to second position,
we have, as Barbara
mentioned, Laura Benetti.
Wow!
And Sienna McKenzie
finishes her round
in a total of 82
seconds and 83 cents.
We have a winner,
ladies and gentlemen.
Sienna is definitely qualifying
for the International Cup.
But we're gonna hear
shortly from Barbara,
who is going to meet
her in a few minutes.
- Sienna,
congratulations.
- Thank you.
- It looked
like a walk in the park,
but I'm sure it wasn't.
- Oh, no, it definitely wasn't.
But this championship
has just been amazing,
and Kaly was so great, and
we really had a lot of fun.
- Any
memorable moments
you wanna share with us?
- Well, the eighth
jump was tough.
It came up right
after a sharp turn,
and that really wasn't
easy, I can tell you that.
But I checked it out
carefully during the patrol,
and so I knew it was coming.
- Awesome.
So, Italy for you.
- Yes. Amazing.
- How do
you feel about it?
- Well, it's an
honor to be selected
for the International Cup, so.
- This is your
first international, right?
- Yes, first one.
I'm so excited.
I've heard so many
amazing things,
and the team is ready, so
yeah, it's gonna be great.
- Have you
been to Italy before?
- No. First time.
- A dream come true.
- Truly, a dream coming
true. I am so excited.
I mean, Italy is just beautiful,
and it's gonna be great.
- Well,
Sienna, thanks again,
and congratulations on
your amazing achievement.
- Thank you so much.
- Look who's already here.
All the pros are always ahead.
- You're implying
we're both pros.
- Well, we both got
into international, so.
- For very different reasons.
- I rest my case.
So, traveling alone?
- Unless your team
is in disguise,
I don't get your astonishment.
- They're flying in tomorrow.
I have some relatives
to visit, so.
- Oh, right. You're from
somewhere around here, aren't
you?
- I am.
I haven't seen my
parents since Christmas,
plus have some cousins in town,
so thought it was the
best occasion to visit.
- Well, don't eat too much
at the family reunion,
or your ass won't fit
into the saddle tomorrow.
- Oh, no. You don't have
to worry about that.
Besides, I'm not the one
packing junk in the trunk.
- Bite me.
Okay.
Can we just get this over with?
- Are you joking?
- No. It's been
almost five years.
- Have you ever won
anything without cheating?
- Excuse me?
- You didn't just snatch
Joel. Even the horses.
- You and your trainer
were at odds already, okay?
And we just met at a right
time at the right place.
- You dumped him after
a couple of tournaments.
- They weren't just couple
of tournaments, Sienna.
They were finals.
And plus, trainers come
and go. You know that.
- All I know is that if you get
any more traffic down there,
you're gonna have
to open a Starbucks.
- Hey!
- And what about the horses?
- What about them?
- You have them trained
by someone else,
then you make the most of them,
and then you move
on to the next one.
- Yeah.
Like you stuck to one
throughout your career.
- I care for them.
- Yeah, whatever.
Give me a break.
- Just stay away from
my team. And my horse.
- Oh, so, guess we're
not sharing a taxi.
- We made it to Italy, baby.
Hi, Mom.
- Hi baby. Somebody
wants to say hi to you.
- Hi,
Custer. Hi, Sisqo.
- So, how is it?
- It's just great.
- Did you get some
sleep on the plane?
- Kinda.
- Don't stay
up late tonight.
- No, I'm winding down already.
- Good. Did you
check out the tracks?
- I did. They're amazing.
Like heaven.
And I stopped by
the main building
where they have all the pictures
of the past winners on display.
- You're going to be hanging
on that wall soon, dear.
- Oh, stop it,
Mom. You'll spoil it.
- You just have to
stay focused, baby.
You've dreamed of this
day your whole life.
- Yeah.
- Your grandpa would
be so proud of you.
- I dreamt of him on the plane.
- Did you?
- Yeah.
He was walking next to
me holding a saddle,
and he was about to put me on
a horse, and then I woke up.
I miss him, Mom.
- We both do.
And now remember what
he always told you.
- You have
to trust yourself.
- And the horse will trust you.
Now, clear your mind
and get some sleep.
- Okay.
I met Laura at the airport.
- Oh, God.
- Yeah.
- Please don't tell me
you got into a fight.
- No, no, we just, we
just had a few words.
- See? This is
what I was telling you.
Don't get stuck
in those thoughts.
- I know.
- Joel is not coming back,
and you moved on anyway.
There's no point
dwelling on him.
- Oh, I
got another call.
- Get some sleep, okay?
- Will do.
- Talk to you
tomorrow. Bye, love you.
- Love you, Mom.
Hello? Brian?
- Sienna?
- What's going on? Is Kaly okay?
- Well, um...
- He should be on the plane
already. What's going on?
- We're at the clinic.
- What?
- It's Kaly. Um, she
kept rasping and laying down.
I made her walk, but
she didn't prove.
- How is she?
- Um, we
had to treat her.
- Brian?
- Yes?
- Is she, is she alive?
- Yes, no,
she-she's fine now.
- Thank God.
- But the
surgery wasn't easy.
- Well, what-what should I do?
- I'm-I'm so sorry, Sienna,
but Kaly needs to rest.
She won't make it to Italy.
- It wasn't meant to be.
- I know this
is your dream, but...
I'm sorry.
- Thank God she's alive.
- Yeah. It's been tough.
But we were right
there, so she was safe.
- Why did this have
to happen to me?
- You know,
these things are
unpredictables, you know?
- I know, I know. But why, um...
Like, why now? We
finally made it.
- I hear you, Sienna,
but I really don't
know what to say.
- Yeah, um, yeah,
it's not your fault.
I'll let you know
what I come up with.
Please take good care of her.
- Of course.
- And let me know
if anything happens.
- Yeah.
- Okay. Talk to you soon?
- Sure.
- Okay.
- Bye.
- You just have to
trust your instincts, honey.
The horse will follow.
Horses are fearful creatures.
You have to gain their trust.
But once you win their heart,
they'll do anything for you.
These creatures are
unique in their beauty,
but also in their fragility.
You need to take
care of them, Sienna,
as if they were
your little brother.
One day, you'll have to take
care of these horses, Sienna,
and this place, too.
This is our little nest.
And you will always be
able to come back here
to find some comfort.
I will always be here with you.
Even if you won't
be able to see me,
I'll be looking down on you.
But you need to
remember these words.
You can do anything, Sienna.
You just need to
trust your instincts,
and the horse will trust you.
If you allow the horse
to have faith in you,
you will make a duo, and nothing
will be impossible
for the two of you.
Trust, Sienna. That's
what it's all about.
- Buongiorno.
- Hi.
- Oh, hi.
How can I help you?
- I need to withdraw
from the competition.
My name is Sienna McKenzie.
- But you are in
International Cup.
- That's right.
- I-I'm sorry, but
why would you...
- My horse, she got
a colic last night.
- I'm so, so sorry.
What a shame.
It must be devastating.
- Yeah, it was a
dream come true,
but I guess it
wasn't meant to be.
- Are you here on your own?
- Yes. My team was supposed
to fly out today, but...
- You
know you are allowed
two horses in this category.
- I know, but we were
on a tight budget, so.
- I could still add a second
one if you want to reconsider.
- Yeah, but I wouldn't
know where to find one.
- Oh, it's a shame. Horses
don't fall out of the sky.
Do you know anybody around here?
- No, it's my first
time to Italy.
- Oh, you poor thing. And nobody
here would be of any help.
All of those riders struggled
throughout their careers,
and one of them went
on to become stars,
but some of them were forgotten.
Not everyone has the character
to become a public figure,
but it doesn't mean they
are not a good riders
or even good people.
I remember this guy.
He has just, uh, magic.
Unbelievable to watch.
But such a bad temper.
You have no idea.
He had a sweet
soul, but you had to
see through the thin
layer of macho nonsense.
I guess he was just very lonely.
Give him a call. He might
be just who you need.
Don't be surprised
he doesn't answer.
Keep calling. He
will eventually.
- Thank you. Thank
you very much.
- I still have an empty
spot in that wall, hmm?
- Thank you so much.
- Bye, Sienna, okay?
- Bye.
- Bye.
- Hi, my name is
Sienna McKenzie.
I got your number
from the secretary
at the equestrian center.
If you could please
call me back,
I have a proposition for you.
Hi, it's Sienna again.
The secretary from
the equestrian center
said you could help me out.
I just lost my horse, and
I'm in the International Cup.
Please, I need you
to call me back.
Hi, it's me again.
I don't know if you're
avoiding me or anything, but...
Well, I would understand.
Look, this tournament
was my dream,
but I guess it's
not gonna work out.
I was about to withdraw when
the secretary suggested
that I contact you.
I don't know if you
can help, or even how.
Anyway, I guess I'll go back
in tomorrow to withdraw.
I'm sorry if I
bothered you. Bye.
Hello?
- You're persistent.
- Nicola, is that you?
- What
happened to your horse?
- She got a colic right
before being flown out here.
- And you were
in the International Cup?
- At the end of the week, yes.
- We can't
make a duo in a week.
- I know.
- You're gonna be
on your own at some point.
- I understand.
So, can you help me?
- Eight
o'clock tomorrow.
- Where?
- At the entrance
of the equestrian center.
- Well, see you
tomorrow. Thank you.
You gotta be kidding me.
This must be a joke.
I guess it was too
good to be true anyway.
- Women.
- What?
- Five calls in less
than an hour, huh?
You must be in touch with my ex.
- We were supposed
to meet at 8:00.
- Name of the game? Patience.
You got nothing to lose anyway.
So, colic, huh?
Did you feed him some
crap to boost him up?
- No, I would never...
I would never feed any
kind of crap to my horse.
- Yeah, yeah. You all
say the same thing.
Then at the eve of a big day,
our hoof is sore and
the horse is too slow,
and suddenly, all that
matters is winning, isn't it?
- Now, you listen
very carefully.
I'm not here to be
lectured by a stranger
about how to treat my horse.
I have always cared for Kaly.
And you know very well that
colics are unpredictable.
I would never under any
circumstance push her to the
limit.
And I was gonna withdraw
from this competition,
but that lady said
I should call you.
I had no intention in
competing without my horse.
All I wanted to do was to fly
back and take care of her,
but that lady reminded me
that this is a once in
a lifetime opportunity
and she said that
I should call you.
But no, I'm not gonna stand
here and let you insult me.
If you can help me, fine.
If not, Kaly's waiting
for me back home,
and it would do me
no greater pleasure
than to turn around
and walk away.
- Hop in. We got
no time to lose.
- Oh.
- My name is Nicola, by the way.
- Sienna.
- How strong are you?
- I'd say pretty strong.
- Mm-hm.
- What?
- How tall is your horse?
- 160 at the withers.
- Not got anybody
at that height.
Ah, but you two could
make a good fit, actually.
I broke him in myself.
- Hi, cutie. What's his name?
What's his name?
- Thunder.
- Hi, Thunder.
- It's an Italian saddle.
Only six years old,
but very talented.
I made him jump 150
here at my place,
but never in a tournament.
- So do you trust him?
- Does he trust you?
That's the real question.
- Touche. Hey.
- All right, saddle up
and see what you can do.
All right, warm him up.
Yeah.
Okay, got a cross ready
for you over there.
- Did you notice?
- What?
- He's aggressive. He
takes off too early.
You got lucky now, but next
time, you're gonna hit it.
- Oh.
- That's his flaw.
You need to hold him tightly
before each jump,
or he'll blow them.
- I see.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hm.
- Come again.
- Okay.
- I said pull him!
- I pulled him.
- It's not enough.
Look at the mark!
It's too early.
What do you wanna do?
You wanna hurt him?
- Course not.
- Then hold him. Hold him.
Again.
Now you got it!
Okay, again.
- I told you.
He's testing you.
He's not gonna give
it all if he doesn't
think you know
what you're doing.
You got it?
You need to earn his trust
like anybody else, Sienna.
Then allow him to forget
the oxer for a moment.
Make a couple of circles,
then go to the green vertical,
then the blue
cross, and finally,
to the black oxer, okay?
- Yes, sir.
- You see, know this game.
Mm.
Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go, go, go!
You're fighting each other.
- I know. I don't know
what I'm doing wrong.
- You're too stressed,
Sienna. And he can feel it.
All right, take a break.
- You just need to
be gentle on him.
That's the little secret.
- I see.
- And it's not much
more than that.
You need to trust him, let
him be in charge a little.
You should ride him
with loose reins.
Look, look how
strong is his neck.
- Yeah.
- You see?
If you hold the
reins too tightly,
he won't be able to stretch it.
And you put him in
unbearable pain.
Yeah?
- Yeah, mm-hm.
- Okay.
- I see.
- He has a different balance
than your horse, I guess.
- Yeah, Kaly gets too
close to the obstacles
and I'm used to a tight grip.
- Yeah, he's the opposite.
- Mm-hm.
- Look, he's
unbalanced on his back.
And he uses more the
neck and jumps early.
Got it?
- Yeah, I got it.
- Great.
Let's try again a little bit.
- Okay.
- You need to hold him, okay?
Hold him.
All right.
- He is shy, that's all.
He doesn't understand
your feet as I do.
It's a bummer he doesn't
speak English, huh?
- Aw.
- Hey, baby!
- Hi, Mom.
- So? You look tired.
- It is so hard.
- Has it ever been easy?
- I guess you're right.
- So how is this new-
- Uh, Nicola? He's tough,
but he's also kinda cute.
- No, I meant the horse.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
- He's fine.
- Sienna?
- Yeah?
- Don't fall apart.
- I'm not.
- We need you to stay focused.
- Okay, all right.
Well, Thunder's great.
He's got a lot of attitude,
I can tell you that,
but he's also helping me a lot.
- That's good. You have
no time to tiptoe around it.
- Yeah.
Nicola says we can't make
a duo in a week, of course,
but still, I'm confident.
- How is he?
- Sorrel. He's an
Italian saddle.
- Hmm, I'm sure
he's a lady killer.
- Yeah, I'd say so.
- Are you pulling
the reins too much?
- I, um-
- Are you?
- Yeah.
- Some habits are
tough to get rid of.
- I know, but I need to,
or else this whole ordeal
will be a huge waste of time.
- Just try to relax, baby.
You're always so uptight.
Enjoy it for a moment.
You were supposed to be just
back here, and instead...
- I'm making it
happen. You're right.
How's Kaly?
- Recovering. She needs some
time to get back on her feet.
- I miss her.
- I'm sure she
misses you as well.
But you need to focus now.
- Yes, ma'am.
- So, go get some
good sleep and loosen up.
- Mm-hm. Love you, Mom.
- I love you
too, baby. Good night.
- Good night.
- Hey, you got a swimsuit?
- No. Why?
I really needed some
time off. Thank you.
- Oh, I could tell.
- Is it that obvious?
- You're too stressed, Sienna.
- I guess you're right.
My mom keeps saying that.
- Moms don't lie.
- Do you come here often?
- Not as much as I'd like to.
Oh, yeah.
Do you swim back home?
- No, the ocean's about an
eight hour drive from my place
and I don't like
swimming pools, so.
- And how did you get
involved with the horses?
- My grandpa put me on a little
pony when I was about four.
He lived on a ranch. We used
to live there, actually.
We moved there when he got sick,
and I just wanted to keep
his legacy alive, I guess.
- And was he a show jumper?
- He knew how to jump, yeah.
But he didn't compete, no.
He had such an intimate
relationship with all of our
horses.
He had a special connection
with all of them.
- Do you have many
memories of him?
- Oh, yeah, I've got plenty.
He taught me so much.
Sometimes I have these
dreams about him,
and when I wake up, I feel
like he's still alive.
I miss him.
I wouldn't be who I
am today without him.
He made me who I am.
He was always encouraging
me to listen to the horse.
He believed that I
could understand them.
And I don't know, but he did.
He was always one step ahead
of me. And he was right.
I can see it more and
more today. So damn right.
But no matter how hard I try,
I will never be as good as him.
And that hurts a little.
I just wish I could make him
proud. But it's too late now.
He will never see
how far I've come.
- Hey, I'm sure he knew
you would make it one day.
I can see it, and
he could see it too.
I'm sure about this.
You are very talented, Sienna.
And you're so caring.
I've never met someone like you.
Oh! Hello!
You getting cold?
- Yeah, a little.
Thanks.
- It's still early
in the season.
It gets warm only
around lunchtime.
You should come back
in the summer, hmm?
- Maybe I will.
Just tell me something.
Why did you quit?
They spoke really highly of
you at the equestrian center.
- Okay, we rush, we can still
make our little trip, okay?
He's all sweaty. Cover him.
It's getting windy.
- Could you?
Thanks.
It went well, didn't it?
- Don't get ahead of yourself.
- I'm not.
I'm just saying, he did
well at the blue oxer.
- He stretched.
- What?
- His back. He
stretched his back.
He saved your ass
on the blue oxer.
But raise it by two holes,
and he's gonna throw you off.
- We approached it correctly.
Look, he took off exactly
above your sand mark.
- Come on, did you push
him or did you pull him?
- I guess I pushed
him a little bit.
- All right. He
has a good heart.
He'll be fine. We can't
make a duo in a week.
We just have to be focused
on the tournament, okay?
- Sometimes I can't
feel his gait.
- Yeah, but there's
nothing to be ashamed of.
It's just your third
day with him. Sienna.
- But what about-
- On the one, the
oxer won't be tough.
I put a tough number one, sure,
followed by a rough turn.
But height won't be
an issue. Trust me.
- How do you know?
- I know the judge.
I know he likes to play
tricks with distances,
but doesn't care
about technique.
Trust me.
You were born for
this. You'll be fine.
Yeah?
- Okay, let's
rehearse it one more.
- Number one, the green oxer.
Number two,
Kobayashi's vertical.
I turn before the
cage on number three.
U-turn, number four.
Five, the broken on
the cage. Two strides.
Then I turn on the
triple, number six.
Seven strides to number seven.
Vertical over the
ditch. Broken on eight.
And final run on the
cage, nine and 10.
- Go get 'em.
- Hey!
That was phenomenal.
You were phenomenal.
- Really? Do you think so?
- Yeah, you were riding my
horse. I'm not surprised.
- Oh, shush.
- But we almost
lost you on a ditch.
- He was looking at it.
Oh, Thunder.
- And what should you
do when he looks at it?
- Pull the reins and
press the stirrups.
- And?
- Stand to be lighter on him.
- Lighter. Exactly.
Remember, his back
is not like Kaly's.
- You learned her name finally.
- Yeah. You keep mentioning her.
- I wonder how she's doing.
I should call my mom.
- I'm having a shower
in the meantime, okay?
- Thanks.
Hey, uh, do you think we could
work a little more
this afternoon?
- Work on what?
- You know, you
mentioned you guys
almost lost me on the ditch,
so maybe we could
train a little?
- You should never train
after a competition.
- I know, but these aren't
the usual circumstances.
- No.
- Hey-
- I said no, I'm sorry.
- I should have a say
in these decisions.
- Then get your own horse.
- What did you just say?
- I said get your own horse
if you wanna make
your own decisions.
- My words count
as much as yours.
My work counts as much as yours.
I gave him a chance.
- What did you just said?
- He gets to start from
the top thanks to me.
Do you know how much that horse
will be worth at
the end of this cup?
- Wanna know what I know?
I know that you are desperate
at the beginning of this week,
and if it wasn't for me,
you'd be back home,
kissing your dream goodbye.
That's what I know.
- Why don't you
compete yourself?
Come on, tell me.
I saw you working with them.
You could have done it.
Maybe even better than me.
So why didn't you
go through with it?
Why did you quit?
- Thunder needs to rest, okay?
- Did you get yourself
banned? Is that it?
Is that why you were
standing in the corner
the whole time, trying
to go unnoticed?
- I didn't.
- I'm going to train
with him this afternoon.
- Forget it.
If you do, you'll
be on your own.
But if something happens to
him, I'll come after you.
- I'll be waiting
for your apologies.
- Hey, baby.
- Hi, Mom.
- So?
- We made it.
- Oh my God,
congratulations!
I knew you could make it,
baby. You were born for this.
- Thanks.
- So, are you resting now?
- Not really.
I had a hard time on
a couple of obstacles,
so I thought I'd work
on them a little more
- Today?
- Yeah.
- Why would
you do such a thing?
You know it's bad for the horse
to work twice the same day.
- Unbelievable. Really?
Your first reaction is always
to give me a hard time.
- Oh, that's not true.
- Why don't you try
to understand me for once?
- Honey, I
do understand you.
I know you're stressed, but
this is bad for the horse.
You know that. You don't
need to hear it from me.
- Mom, I've known
this horse half a week.
I need to work with him.
- Yeah, but-
- Enough!
I don't need you to stress
me out like this right now.
- What did Nicola say?
- It's complicated.
- How so?
- I don't wanna
repeat my past mistakes.
- Then just treat
him as your trainer.
- It's not that simple.
- Why?
- Because he's different.
We understand each other.
- You have a
cup to win, Sienna.
Can you just leave this
nonsense aside for once?
Don't get mixed up.
- I wish
it was that simple.
- It is that simple.
- It's not.
Finally, I have the chance
to feel something again,
to feel connected to someone.
And it's come at
the wrong moment,
but you're asking me to choose
between two wonderful gifts,
and I've had so few recently.
- I know, honey.
But if you try to keep up
with both at the same time,
you may end up
losing one or both.
- I guess you're right.
- You know I am.
I just want what's best for you.
- I need
to go now, Mom.
- Sienna-
- I'll call you later.
- Sienna-
- Bye.
I'm so sorry,
Thunder. I'm so sorry.
- Okay, Thunder.
Are you ready?
Let's do this.
- Hi, there.
What a day, huh?
This cup is getting
tougher day by day.
But luckily, we're
on top of our game.
- Good for you.
- So, this is Thunder, huh?
Hey, buddy.
I'm sorry about
Kaly, by the way.
- How do you know?
- Words of mouth.
- Right.
- Colics
are always a bummer.
You don't know how they
come or when they come.
I hope she's okay.
- She's great.
She's home, resting.
- Yeah.
Speaking of, I was surprised
you didn't withdraw
from the competition,
but yet even thousands
of miles from home,
you managed to find your way.
I have to give it to you,
Sienna. You're a tough one.
- Thanks.
- And what about that
trainer? Oh my God.
Where did you find
that hot stud?
- Word of mouth.
- Right.
How come I didn't see him today?
- I guess you just
didn't notice him.
- Oh. No, I don't think so.
I saw him yesterday,
playing hide and seek
around the judges.
But today, he was
nowhere to be seen,
and I found it, I
would say, peculiar.
I thought I might look into it,
but there's no need
anymore, right?
- Don't call your
bets too early.
- Oh, I'm so sorry
to tell you, Sienna,
you're a little bit
too far from the top.
- Oh, hi.
- Where were we?
I think it was on
the East Coast.
You remember that time when
you were way ahead of me,
and then at the
barrage, you fell,
right at the first obstacle?
I'm trying to remember. We were
somewhere on the East Coast.
- It was a long time ago, honey.
And you were riding
a crappy horse
found two days before the cup.
Anything could happen
tomorrow. That's right.
But you're finished,
McKenzie. You're done.
Your horse made a stop right
before the first ditch,
and now you're 16
penalties behind me.
I mean, even if you and
your miraculous trainer
work your ass off, you're
never gonna catch up.
Mark my words, McKenzie, I'm
going home with this cup.
And you, you're going back
to county competition,
and no sponsor will
back you up anymore.
This crappy idea
of getting a horse
two days before the cup
is gonna sink your career.
You could have
downplayed it, girl.
Your horse is sick, after
all. It's not your fault.
You go back home and
you try next year.
But no, now you have no way out.
I snapped your trainer once,
and I'm going to
snap this cup too.
- Oh, chill, Benetti.
Don't get so worked up.
It's bad for your
blood pressure.
And you're getting to that age
where you gotta care
of yourself, huh?
- You know what?
I'll make sure to snap
your sponsor, too.
- Is that a threat?
- Oh, no. It's a promise, babe.
- It's not your fault,
Thunder. I pushed you too much.
I was too eager. And now
we both have to pay for it.
- You must
remember, Sienna,
always listen to the horse.
You don't have to push him.
If you do so, he's
going to reject you.
You need to carry him somehow.
You have to lead him,
get him to trust you,
make him love you and understand
you will always take of them.
If you do so, he will
give you everything.
But never, never
push him too hard.
You will just frighten him,
and he will do
what you ask of him
only out of fear until
he fails or gets hurt.
This is a dangerous
sport, Sienna.
Don't take it too lightly.
Remember, think of your horse
as your little brother and
take care of him, always.
The answer is always
in your heart, Sienna.
You have to trust it.
- Don't let anger
or frustration dominate you.
Follow your instinct
and trust your horse.
He will know what to do.
He will never put you in
danger if you trust him.
Always, always follow
your heart, honey.
- Let's take a walk, Thunder.
Hey, Thunder,
this is Kaly, my horse.
I think you two would make a
great couple, don't you think?
Maybe Nicola would
let me keep you.
We could do a lot together,
don't you think?
We could come back
here from time to time.
Or maybe I could do a season
here and one back home.
What do you think?
We could be the first
international team.
- Hi, it's me.
Just leave a message.
- Hi, Mom. I just
called to say hi.
Today wasn't great,
and you were right.
I pushed too much,
and then I screwed up.
It was all my fault.
But, um, but
tomorrow's another day.
and I wasn't disqualified, so,
so there's still a chance
that we'll reach the finals.
Um, yeah, I guess
we just have to
stay focused and be
patient, I guess.
Um, you know, Brian sent
me a picture of Kaly,
and she's, she's looking good.
I just, um, if you get a chance,
could you stop by the clinic?
I don't know, I-I think
I'm just feeling stressed,
but I'd appreciate
you checking on her.
Call me when you can.
I love you, Mom.
Come on. Come on, Thunder.
- Hi.
- Oh, gosh.
- I saw your horse
at the tournament today.
He's got great potential.
It's a shame he doesn't
have a good rider though.
- Anyway, um, maybe you'll
consider an offer on him?
- Mm.
- We can make a very,
very handsome offer.
- Mm. I don't see
you on my horse.
- Why?
- Well, because he has a brain.
- What?
- Why did you quit?
Did you get yourself banned?
Is that why you were standing
in the corner the whole time?
If you can help me, fine.
If not, Kaly's waiting
for me back home,
and it would do me
no greater pleasure
than to turn around
and walk away.
- Hello?
- I was disqualified.
You got that right.
- What happened?
- I made a finger to a judge
and never apologized.
- Do you
ever apologize?
You were right too.
I should have let
Thunder rest yesterday.
- Well, you have 16 penalties,
but you can still
make it to the podium.
- How?
- You have to be
impeccable tomorrow,
or someone else has to screw up.
- Can you help me?
- I think I can.
- Do you
want to help me?
- I think I do.
- Thank you.
- See you at the
equestrian center then.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
- All right. Okay?
You got it? Huh?
- Got it.
- Okay, show me.
All right.
Yeah, baby.
How do you feel?
- Great.
- Cool.
Cover him. Don't stress him out.
- Thanks.
- Okay, remember, don't
be too tough on him.
- Yes.
- You have to listen.
- Yeah, yes.
- Don't try to lead him.
You're in this together.
Okay?
- Easy. Mm-hm.
- You are the one that
tells where to go,
but he has to do it.
- Yeah. Yes, sir.
- Hey, baby.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hi, I tried
to call you, but-
- I was training with Nicola.
- Oh. Well, good.
He's helping you again?
- Yeah. We worked on my flaws.
- So you're a nice girl now.
- Not those flaws, Mom.
- Well, I'm glad
you guys sorted it out.
- Yeah.
He thinks we may still
have a chance tomorrow.
- No matter what happens,
baby, you did a wonderful job.
You worked against all the odds.
- True.
- You're my
winner either way.
- Thank you, Mom.
- And your grandpa
would be so proud of you.
- Do you really think so?
- You went through the
worst nightmare, Sienna.
You lost your horse
right before the cup,
and instead of giving up,
you managed to find another
one and make it work.
- True.
- That takes a lot of
listening, darling,
and that was what your
grandpa was all about.
- Yeah. Nicola kept repeating
the same thing today.
I have to listen, not just lead.
- And that's not
easy when you're used to
taking care of everything.
- Yeah, it's true.
I guess even if I screw it up,
I'll have learned
a valuable lesson.
- What's that?
- You have to
follow your instinct,
and you'll find a way.
- Maybe you mean your heart?
- Nope. Instinct.
- Well, at least you
learned to follow.
That's already something.
- I gotta go, Mom.
- Goodbye,
baby. I love you.
And good luck tomorrow.
- Thanks, Mom. Love you too.
- Okay, you're the third.
Let's bring Thunder
with us by the arena.
We do the patrol, and
then you mount him, okay?
- Sounds good.
- Don't pull him too
hard. There's no need.
- Okay.
What's this for?
- It's to help you
not pull so much.
- I don't need it.
- Yes, you do.
- I don't need it.
- It's gonna help you. Trust me.
- We trained without
it yesterday.
If we change the reins
now, it'll throw me off.
I know how to deal with it.
- Sienna, it's your last chance.
- I know.
- It will help.
- I'm not sure.
- Okay, then. Your call.
- Take it off.
- Ready? Let's go.
- Oh, hello, champ.
So, last lap today, huh? Yay!
Oh, and there's the
whole team here, wow.
Something big is
about to happen.
- Yeah, you're blowing this.
- I noticed you start
third. Losers first, right?
- Yo, big shot. Move
along, will you?
- Nicola Mauri.
That's who you are.
Took me a while to find
out, but I finally did.
An unruly trainer
for an unruly rider.
Did you tell him about
your incident last year?
You did not?
So your pupil doesn't always
handle pressure so well,
so she managed to find her
way to deal with it, you know?
So she wasn't quite herself
when she got onto the horse.
Isn't that right?
- Sienna, don't listen
to her, okay? Look at me.
- Did you knock back a couple
of extra shots last night?
Yeah. Maybe that's why
she's so quiet.
Anyway, this was fun.
Guys, good luck and
take care, okay? Bye!
- Hey, look at me.
Hey, don't listen to her, okay?
It's all good.
- Look at the oxer!
Hold him!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
What happened?
- I don't know.
- You were doing so well.
- I-I don't know.
- Hey, Sienna.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
You did great.
- No, I didn't.
No, I didn't.
- You did great.
- No!
- You did great anyway.
Listen to me, hey.
You did great.
- Sienna!
Sienna, you need to get
back on Thunder now.
- What? Why?
- They disqualified a rider,
so you are back up
for the barrage.
Come on.
- What?
- Yeah!
- No.
- Come.
- I hope this isn't a joke.
- Oh, be quiet.
And remember, eight,
two, nine, six, and 10.
- Eight, two, nine, six, and 10.
- Sienna, don't under any
circumstances pull those reins.
- Got it.
- Say it again.
- Don't pull those reins.
- All right. Then I
chop your hands off.
- Yes, sir.
- So you maybe understand it.
Repeat them one more time.
- Eight, two, nine, six, and 10.
- Yes. Sienna, this
is the barrage.
Forget what you've done before.
Only you and those five
obstacles are here.
Forget what you've done before.
There's only those eight, two,
nine, six, and 10, okay?
- I got it.
- Do you?
- Yes, I got it.
- It's your day. Make us proud.
It's what your grandpa
wanted, huh? Make him proud.
- I wouldn't have made
it this far without you.
- I made it.
- You did it!
- Oh my God, we made it!
- You did it!
You did it!
- I love you, Thunder.
- Oh, gosh.
What was going
through your mind?
You weren't just focused,
but you were, like,
in a happy place.
Heaven-like. Yeah?
- Yeah.
Yeah, like heaven. I
was in my happy place.
And when I looked at you,
I remembered what you told me.
Listen.
Like you always told
me, just listen.
Oh my God.
- You did it.
- We made it!
We made it!
- Yeah!
- Thunder.
- All right, big boy.
Come, time to go home.
- Third classified,
Ginevra Loopy riding Tango,
winning the bronze medal.
Up to the second classified,
Laura Benetti riding Pegasus,
winning the silver medal.
And first classified, Sienna
McKenzie riding Thunder,
winning the gold medal
and one year sponsorship,
provided by Eden.
- Trying to believe you cheat.
- Smile, Benetti. This
is a lifetime chance.
- Congratulations.
- So, what's next?
- I don't know, really.
I honestly didn't think
I'd make it this far.
- Well, there's the
European Cup coming up.
- Hmm?
- You've got nothing
to lose anyway.
- Are you inviting me to stay?
- And why not?
- You can be very persuasive.
Okay. Deal.
- Welcome, everybody,
to Santa Clarita, California.
It's a warm day, already
85 degrees on the ground,
and it's only 8:00 AM.
Barbara, how do you
feel about today?
- I'm
so excited, Jamie.
I think we are going
to see a lot of action.
This is the last race
of the tournament,
and the winners move on
to the International Cup,
so our riders are gonna
feel the heat today.
- That's
exactly right, Barbara.
The first two riders qualifying
today are going to fly out
to Italy next week for
the International Cup.
What a dream. But first,
let's meet our top riders.
- Starting
off from the top
with the highest amount
of points this far
is Sienna McKenzie,
leading with 226 points,
20 points ahead of the
runner up, Laura Benetti.
Sienna McKenzie is
riding Kalymnos today,
a 12-year-old mare, very
energetic and daring,
wouldn't you say so, Jamie?
- Absolutely.
Now, moving to second position,
we have, as Barbara
mentioned, Laura Benetti.
Wow!
And Sienna McKenzie
finishes her round
in a total of 82
seconds and 83 cents.
We have a winner,
ladies and gentlemen.
Sienna is definitely qualifying
for the International Cup.
But we're gonna hear
shortly from Barbara,
who is going to meet
her in a few minutes.
- Sienna,
congratulations.
- Thank you.
- It looked
like a walk in the park,
but I'm sure it wasn't.
- Oh, no, it definitely wasn't.
But this championship
has just been amazing,
and Kaly was so great, and
we really had a lot of fun.
- Any
memorable moments
you wanna share with us?
- Well, the eighth
jump was tough.
It came up right
after a sharp turn,
and that really wasn't
easy, I can tell you that.
But I checked it out
carefully during the patrol,
and so I knew it was coming.
- Awesome.
So, Italy for you.
- Yes. Amazing.
- How do
you feel about it?
- Well, it's an
honor to be selected
for the International Cup, so.
- This is your
first international, right?
- Yes, first one.
I'm so excited.
I've heard so many
amazing things,
and the team is ready, so
yeah, it's gonna be great.
- Have you
been to Italy before?
- No. First time.
- A dream come true.
- Truly, a dream coming
true. I am so excited.
I mean, Italy is just beautiful,
and it's gonna be great.
- Well,
Sienna, thanks again,
and congratulations on
your amazing achievement.
- Thank you so much.
- Look who's already here.
All the pros are always ahead.
- You're implying
we're both pros.
- Well, we both got
into international, so.
- For very different reasons.
- I rest my case.
So, traveling alone?
- Unless your team
is in disguise,
I don't get your astonishment.
- They're flying in tomorrow.
I have some relatives
to visit, so.
- Oh, right. You're from
somewhere around here, aren't
you?
- I am.
I haven't seen my
parents since Christmas,
plus have some cousins in town,
so thought it was the
best occasion to visit.
- Well, don't eat too much
at the family reunion,
or your ass won't fit
into the saddle tomorrow.
- Oh, no. You don't have
to worry about that.
Besides, I'm not the one
packing junk in the trunk.
- Bite me.
Okay.
Can we just get this over with?
- Are you joking?
- No. It's been
almost five years.
- Have you ever won
anything without cheating?
- Excuse me?
- You didn't just snatch
Joel. Even the horses.
- You and your trainer
were at odds already, okay?
And we just met at a right
time at the right place.
- You dumped him after
a couple of tournaments.
- They weren't just couple
of tournaments, Sienna.
They were finals.
And plus, trainers come
and go. You know that.
- All I know is that if you get
any more traffic down there,
you're gonna have
to open a Starbucks.
- Hey!
- And what about the horses?
- What about them?
- You have them trained
by someone else,
then you make the most of them,
and then you move
on to the next one.
- Yeah.
Like you stuck to one
throughout your career.
- I care for them.
- Yeah, whatever.
Give me a break.
- Just stay away from
my team. And my horse.
- Oh, so, guess we're
not sharing a taxi.
- We made it to Italy, baby.
Hi, Mom.
- Hi baby. Somebody
wants to say hi to you.
- Hi,
Custer. Hi, Sisqo.
- So, how is it?
- It's just great.
- Did you get some
sleep on the plane?
- Kinda.
- Don't stay
up late tonight.
- No, I'm winding down already.
- Good. Did you
check out the tracks?
- I did. They're amazing.
Like heaven.
And I stopped by
the main building
where they have all the pictures
of the past winners on display.
- You're going to be hanging
on that wall soon, dear.
- Oh, stop it,
Mom. You'll spoil it.
- You just have to
stay focused, baby.
You've dreamed of this
day your whole life.
- Yeah.
- Your grandpa would
be so proud of you.
- I dreamt of him on the plane.
- Did you?
- Yeah.
He was walking next to
me holding a saddle,
and he was about to put me on
a horse, and then I woke up.
I miss him, Mom.
- We both do.
And now remember what
he always told you.
- You have
to trust yourself.
- And the horse will trust you.
Now, clear your mind
and get some sleep.
- Okay.
I met Laura at the airport.
- Oh, God.
- Yeah.
- Please don't tell me
you got into a fight.
- No, no, we just, we
just had a few words.
- See? This is
what I was telling you.
Don't get stuck
in those thoughts.
- I know.
- Joel is not coming back,
and you moved on anyway.
There's no point
dwelling on him.
- Oh, I
got another call.
- Get some sleep, okay?
- Will do.
- Talk to you
tomorrow. Bye, love you.
- Love you, Mom.
Hello? Brian?
- Sienna?
- What's going on? Is Kaly okay?
- Well, um...
- He should be on the plane
already. What's going on?
- We're at the clinic.
- What?
- It's Kaly. Um, she
kept rasping and laying down.
I made her walk, but
she didn't prove.
- How is she?
- Um, we
had to treat her.
- Brian?
- Yes?
- Is she, is she alive?
- Yes, no,
she-she's fine now.
- Thank God.
- But the
surgery wasn't easy.
- Well, what-what should I do?
- I'm-I'm so sorry, Sienna,
but Kaly needs to rest.
She won't make it to Italy.
- It wasn't meant to be.
- I know this
is your dream, but...
I'm sorry.
- Thank God she's alive.
- Yeah. It's been tough.
But we were right
there, so she was safe.
- Why did this have
to happen to me?
- You know,
these things are
unpredictables, you know?
- I know, I know. But why, um...
Like, why now? We
finally made it.
- I hear you, Sienna,
but I really don't
know what to say.
- Yeah, um, yeah,
it's not your fault.
I'll let you know
what I come up with.
Please take good care of her.
- Of course.
- And let me know
if anything happens.
- Yeah.
- Okay. Talk to you soon?
- Sure.
- Okay.
- Bye.
- You just have to
trust your instincts, honey.
The horse will follow.
Horses are fearful creatures.
You have to gain their trust.
But once you win their heart,
they'll do anything for you.
These creatures are
unique in their beauty,
but also in their fragility.
You need to take
care of them, Sienna,
as if they were
your little brother.
One day, you'll have to take
care of these horses, Sienna,
and this place, too.
This is our little nest.
And you will always be
able to come back here
to find some comfort.
I will always be here with you.
Even if you won't
be able to see me,
I'll be looking down on you.
But you need to
remember these words.
You can do anything, Sienna.
You just need to
trust your instincts,
and the horse will trust you.
If you allow the horse
to have faith in you,
you will make a duo, and nothing
will be impossible
for the two of you.
Trust, Sienna. That's
what it's all about.
- Buongiorno.
- Hi.
- Oh, hi.
How can I help you?
- I need to withdraw
from the competition.
My name is Sienna McKenzie.
- But you are in
International Cup.
- That's right.
- I-I'm sorry, but
why would you...
- My horse, she got
a colic last night.
- I'm so, so sorry.
What a shame.
It must be devastating.
- Yeah, it was a
dream come true,
but I guess it
wasn't meant to be.
- Are you here on your own?
- Yes. My team was supposed
to fly out today, but...
- You
know you are allowed
two horses in this category.
- I know, but we were
on a tight budget, so.
- I could still add a second
one if you want to reconsider.
- Yeah, but I wouldn't
know where to find one.
- Oh, it's a shame. Horses
don't fall out of the sky.
Do you know anybody around here?
- No, it's my first
time to Italy.
- Oh, you poor thing. And nobody
here would be of any help.
All of those riders struggled
throughout their careers,
and one of them went
on to become stars,
but some of them were forgotten.
Not everyone has the character
to become a public figure,
but it doesn't mean they
are not a good riders
or even good people.
I remember this guy.
He has just, uh, magic.
Unbelievable to watch.
But such a bad temper.
You have no idea.
He had a sweet
soul, but you had to
see through the thin
layer of macho nonsense.
I guess he was just very lonely.
Give him a call. He might
be just who you need.
Don't be surprised
he doesn't answer.
Keep calling. He
will eventually.
- Thank you. Thank
you very much.
- I still have an empty
spot in that wall, hmm?
- Thank you so much.
- Bye, Sienna, okay?
- Bye.
- Bye.
- Hi, my name is
Sienna McKenzie.
I got your number
from the secretary
at the equestrian center.
If you could please
call me back,
I have a proposition for you.
Hi, it's Sienna again.
The secretary from
the equestrian center
said you could help me out.
I just lost my horse, and
I'm in the International Cup.
Please, I need you
to call me back.
Hi, it's me again.
I don't know if you're
avoiding me or anything, but...
Well, I would understand.
Look, this tournament
was my dream,
but I guess it's
not gonna work out.
I was about to withdraw when
the secretary suggested
that I contact you.
I don't know if you
can help, or even how.
Anyway, I guess I'll go back
in tomorrow to withdraw.
I'm sorry if I
bothered you. Bye.
Hello?
- You're persistent.
- Nicola, is that you?
- What
happened to your horse?
- She got a colic right
before being flown out here.
- And you were
in the International Cup?
- At the end of the week, yes.
- We can't
make a duo in a week.
- I know.
- You're gonna be
on your own at some point.
- I understand.
So, can you help me?
- Eight
o'clock tomorrow.
- Where?
- At the entrance
of the equestrian center.
- Well, see you
tomorrow. Thank you.
You gotta be kidding me.
This must be a joke.
I guess it was too
good to be true anyway.
- Women.
- What?
- Five calls in less
than an hour, huh?
You must be in touch with my ex.
- We were supposed
to meet at 8:00.
- Name of the game? Patience.
You got nothing to lose anyway.
So, colic, huh?
Did you feed him some
crap to boost him up?
- No, I would never...
I would never feed any
kind of crap to my horse.
- Yeah, yeah. You all
say the same thing.
Then at the eve of a big day,
our hoof is sore and
the horse is too slow,
and suddenly, all that
matters is winning, isn't it?
- Now, you listen
very carefully.
I'm not here to be
lectured by a stranger
about how to treat my horse.
I have always cared for Kaly.
And you know very well that
colics are unpredictable.
I would never under any
circumstance push her to the
limit.
And I was gonna withdraw
from this competition,
but that lady said
I should call you.
I had no intention in
competing without my horse.
All I wanted to do was to fly
back and take care of her,
but that lady reminded me
that this is a once in
a lifetime opportunity
and she said that
I should call you.
But no, I'm not gonna stand
here and let you insult me.
If you can help me, fine.
If not, Kaly's waiting
for me back home,
and it would do me
no greater pleasure
than to turn around
and walk away.
- Hop in. We got
no time to lose.
- Oh.
- My name is Nicola, by the way.
- Sienna.
- How strong are you?
- I'd say pretty strong.
- Mm-hm.
- What?
- How tall is your horse?
- 160 at the withers.
- Not got anybody
at that height.
Ah, but you two could
make a good fit, actually.
I broke him in myself.
- Hi, cutie. What's his name?
What's his name?
- Thunder.
- Hi, Thunder.
- It's an Italian saddle.
Only six years old,
but very talented.
I made him jump 150
here at my place,
but never in a tournament.
- So do you trust him?
- Does he trust you?
That's the real question.
- Touche. Hey.
- All right, saddle up
and see what you can do.
All right, warm him up.
Yeah.
Okay, got a cross ready
for you over there.
- Did you notice?
- What?
- He's aggressive. He
takes off too early.
You got lucky now, but next
time, you're gonna hit it.
- Oh.
- That's his flaw.
You need to hold him tightly
before each jump,
or he'll blow them.
- I see.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hm.
- Come again.
- Okay.
- I said pull him!
- I pulled him.
- It's not enough.
Look at the mark!
It's too early.
What do you wanna do?
You wanna hurt him?
- Course not.
- Then hold him. Hold him.
Again.
Now you got it!
Okay, again.
- I told you.
He's testing you.
He's not gonna give
it all if he doesn't
think you know
what you're doing.
You got it?
You need to earn his trust
like anybody else, Sienna.
Then allow him to forget
the oxer for a moment.
Make a couple of circles,
then go to the green vertical,
then the blue
cross, and finally,
to the black oxer, okay?
- Yes, sir.
- You see, know this game.
Mm.
Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go, go, go!
You're fighting each other.
- I know. I don't know
what I'm doing wrong.
- You're too stressed,
Sienna. And he can feel it.
All right, take a break.
- You just need to
be gentle on him.
That's the little secret.
- I see.
- And it's not much
more than that.
You need to trust him, let
him be in charge a little.
You should ride him
with loose reins.
Look, look how
strong is his neck.
- Yeah.
- You see?
If you hold the
reins too tightly,
he won't be able to stretch it.
And you put him in
unbearable pain.
Yeah?
- Yeah, mm-hm.
- Okay.
- I see.
- He has a different balance
than your horse, I guess.
- Yeah, Kaly gets too
close to the obstacles
and I'm used to a tight grip.
- Yeah, he's the opposite.
- Mm-hm.
- Look, he's
unbalanced on his back.
And he uses more the
neck and jumps early.
Got it?
- Yeah, I got it.
- Great.
Let's try again a little bit.
- Okay.
- You need to hold him, okay?
Hold him.
All right.
- He is shy, that's all.
He doesn't understand
your feet as I do.
It's a bummer he doesn't
speak English, huh?
- Aw.
- Hey, baby!
- Hi, Mom.
- So? You look tired.
- It is so hard.
- Has it ever been easy?
- I guess you're right.
- So how is this new-
- Uh, Nicola? He's tough,
but he's also kinda cute.
- No, I meant the horse.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
- He's fine.
- Sienna?
- Yeah?
- Don't fall apart.
- I'm not.
- We need you to stay focused.
- Okay, all right.
Well, Thunder's great.
He's got a lot of attitude,
I can tell you that,
but he's also helping me a lot.
- That's good. You have
no time to tiptoe around it.
- Yeah.
Nicola says we can't make
a duo in a week, of course,
but still, I'm confident.
- How is he?
- Sorrel. He's an
Italian saddle.
- Hmm, I'm sure
he's a lady killer.
- Yeah, I'd say so.
- Are you pulling
the reins too much?
- I, um-
- Are you?
- Yeah.
- Some habits are
tough to get rid of.
- I know, but I need to,
or else this whole ordeal
will be a huge waste of time.
- Just try to relax, baby.
You're always so uptight.
Enjoy it for a moment.
You were supposed to be just
back here, and instead...
- I'm making it
happen. You're right.
How's Kaly?
- Recovering. She needs some
time to get back on her feet.
- I miss her.
- I'm sure she
misses you as well.
But you need to focus now.
- Yes, ma'am.
- So, go get some
good sleep and loosen up.
- Mm-hm. Love you, Mom.
- I love you
too, baby. Good night.
- Good night.
- Hey, you got a swimsuit?
- No. Why?
I really needed some
time off. Thank you.
- Oh, I could tell.
- Is it that obvious?
- You're too stressed, Sienna.
- I guess you're right.
My mom keeps saying that.
- Moms don't lie.
- Do you come here often?
- Not as much as I'd like to.
Oh, yeah.
Do you swim back home?
- No, the ocean's about an
eight hour drive from my place
and I don't like
swimming pools, so.
- And how did you get
involved with the horses?
- My grandpa put me on a little
pony when I was about four.
He lived on a ranch. We used
to live there, actually.
We moved there when he got sick,
and I just wanted to keep
his legacy alive, I guess.
- And was he a show jumper?
- He knew how to jump, yeah.
But he didn't compete, no.
He had such an intimate
relationship with all of our
horses.
He had a special connection
with all of them.
- Do you have many
memories of him?
- Oh, yeah, I've got plenty.
He taught me so much.
Sometimes I have these
dreams about him,
and when I wake up, I feel
like he's still alive.
I miss him.
I wouldn't be who I
am today without him.
He made me who I am.
He was always encouraging
me to listen to the horse.
He believed that I
could understand them.
And I don't know, but he did.
He was always one step ahead
of me. And he was right.
I can see it more and
more today. So damn right.
But no matter how hard I try,
I will never be as good as him.
And that hurts a little.
I just wish I could make him
proud. But it's too late now.
He will never see
how far I've come.
- Hey, I'm sure he knew
you would make it one day.
I can see it, and
he could see it too.
I'm sure about this.
You are very talented, Sienna.
And you're so caring.
I've never met someone like you.
Oh! Hello!
You getting cold?
- Yeah, a little.
Thanks.
- It's still early
in the season.
It gets warm only
around lunchtime.
You should come back
in the summer, hmm?
- Maybe I will.
Just tell me something.
Why did you quit?
They spoke really highly of
you at the equestrian center.
- Okay, we rush, we can still
make our little trip, okay?
He's all sweaty. Cover him.
It's getting windy.
- Could you?
Thanks.
It went well, didn't it?
- Don't get ahead of yourself.
- I'm not.
I'm just saying, he did
well at the blue oxer.
- He stretched.
- What?
- His back. He
stretched his back.
He saved your ass
on the blue oxer.
But raise it by two holes,
and he's gonna throw you off.
- We approached it correctly.
Look, he took off exactly
above your sand mark.
- Come on, did you push
him or did you pull him?
- I guess I pushed
him a little bit.
- All right. He
has a good heart.
He'll be fine. We can't
make a duo in a week.
We just have to be focused
on the tournament, okay?
- Sometimes I can't
feel his gait.
- Yeah, but there's
nothing to be ashamed of.
It's just your third
day with him. Sienna.
- But what about-
- On the one, the
oxer won't be tough.
I put a tough number one, sure,
followed by a rough turn.
But height won't be
an issue. Trust me.
- How do you know?
- I know the judge.
I know he likes to play
tricks with distances,
but doesn't care
about technique.
Trust me.
You were born for
this. You'll be fine.
Yeah?
- Okay, let's
rehearse it one more.
- Number one, the green oxer.
Number two,
Kobayashi's vertical.
I turn before the
cage on number three.
U-turn, number four.
Five, the broken on
the cage. Two strides.
Then I turn on the
triple, number six.
Seven strides to number seven.
Vertical over the
ditch. Broken on eight.
And final run on the
cage, nine and 10.
- Go get 'em.
- Hey!
That was phenomenal.
You were phenomenal.
- Really? Do you think so?
- Yeah, you were riding my
horse. I'm not surprised.
- Oh, shush.
- But we almost
lost you on a ditch.
- He was looking at it.
Oh, Thunder.
- And what should you
do when he looks at it?
- Pull the reins and
press the stirrups.
- And?
- Stand to be lighter on him.
- Lighter. Exactly.
Remember, his back
is not like Kaly's.
- You learned her name finally.
- Yeah. You keep mentioning her.
- I wonder how she's doing.
I should call my mom.
- I'm having a shower
in the meantime, okay?
- Thanks.
Hey, uh, do you think we could
work a little more
this afternoon?
- Work on what?
- You know, you
mentioned you guys
almost lost me on the ditch,
so maybe we could
train a little?
- You should never train
after a competition.
- I know, but these aren't
the usual circumstances.
- No.
- Hey-
- I said no, I'm sorry.
- I should have a say
in these decisions.
- Then get your own horse.
- What did you just say?
- I said get your own horse
if you wanna make
your own decisions.
- My words count
as much as yours.
My work counts as much as yours.
I gave him a chance.
- What did you just said?
- He gets to start from
the top thanks to me.
Do you know how much that horse
will be worth at
the end of this cup?
- Wanna know what I know?
I know that you are desperate
at the beginning of this week,
and if it wasn't for me,
you'd be back home,
kissing your dream goodbye.
That's what I know.
- Why don't you
compete yourself?
Come on, tell me.
I saw you working with them.
You could have done it.
Maybe even better than me.
So why didn't you
go through with it?
Why did you quit?
- Thunder needs to rest, okay?
- Did you get yourself
banned? Is that it?
Is that why you were
standing in the corner
the whole time, trying
to go unnoticed?
- I didn't.
- I'm going to train
with him this afternoon.
- Forget it.
If you do, you'll
be on your own.
But if something happens to
him, I'll come after you.
- I'll be waiting
for your apologies.
- Hey, baby.
- Hi, Mom.
- So?
- We made it.
- Oh my God,
congratulations!
I knew you could make it,
baby. You were born for this.
- Thanks.
- So, are you resting now?
- Not really.
I had a hard time on
a couple of obstacles,
so I thought I'd work
on them a little more
- Today?
- Yeah.
- Why would
you do such a thing?
You know it's bad for the horse
to work twice the same day.
- Unbelievable. Really?
Your first reaction is always
to give me a hard time.
- Oh, that's not true.
- Why don't you try
to understand me for once?
- Honey, I
do understand you.
I know you're stressed, but
this is bad for the horse.
You know that. You don't
need to hear it from me.
- Mom, I've known
this horse half a week.
I need to work with him.
- Yeah, but-
- Enough!
I don't need you to stress
me out like this right now.
- What did Nicola say?
- It's complicated.
- How so?
- I don't wanna
repeat my past mistakes.
- Then just treat
him as your trainer.
- It's not that simple.
- Why?
- Because he's different.
We understand each other.
- You have a
cup to win, Sienna.
Can you just leave this
nonsense aside for once?
Don't get mixed up.
- I wish
it was that simple.
- It is that simple.
- It's not.
Finally, I have the chance
to feel something again,
to feel connected to someone.
And it's come at
the wrong moment,
but you're asking me to choose
between two wonderful gifts,
and I've had so few recently.
- I know, honey.
But if you try to keep up
with both at the same time,
you may end up
losing one or both.
- I guess you're right.
- You know I am.
I just want what's best for you.
- I need
to go now, Mom.
- Sienna-
- I'll call you later.
- Sienna-
- Bye.
I'm so sorry,
Thunder. I'm so sorry.
- Okay, Thunder.
Are you ready?
Let's do this.
- Hi, there.
What a day, huh?
This cup is getting
tougher day by day.
But luckily, we're
on top of our game.
- Good for you.
- So, this is Thunder, huh?
Hey, buddy.
I'm sorry about
Kaly, by the way.
- How do you know?
- Words of mouth.
- Right.
- Colics
are always a bummer.
You don't know how they
come or when they come.
I hope she's okay.
- She's great.
She's home, resting.
- Yeah.
Speaking of, I was surprised
you didn't withdraw
from the competition,
but yet even thousands
of miles from home,
you managed to find your way.
I have to give it to you,
Sienna. You're a tough one.
- Thanks.
- And what about that
trainer? Oh my God.
Where did you find
that hot stud?
- Word of mouth.
- Right.
How come I didn't see him today?
- I guess you just
didn't notice him.
- Oh. No, I don't think so.
I saw him yesterday,
playing hide and seek
around the judges.
But today, he was
nowhere to be seen,
and I found it, I
would say, peculiar.
I thought I might look into it,
but there's no need
anymore, right?
- Don't call your
bets too early.
- Oh, I'm so sorry
to tell you, Sienna,
you're a little bit
too far from the top.
- Oh, hi.
- Where were we?
I think it was on
the East Coast.
You remember that time when
you were way ahead of me,
and then at the
barrage, you fell,
right at the first obstacle?
I'm trying to remember. We were
somewhere on the East Coast.
- It was a long time ago, honey.
And you were riding
a crappy horse
found two days before the cup.
Anything could happen
tomorrow. That's right.
But you're finished,
McKenzie. You're done.
Your horse made a stop right
before the first ditch,
and now you're 16
penalties behind me.
I mean, even if you and
your miraculous trainer
work your ass off, you're
never gonna catch up.
Mark my words, McKenzie, I'm
going home with this cup.
And you, you're going back
to county competition,
and no sponsor will
back you up anymore.
This crappy idea
of getting a horse
two days before the cup
is gonna sink your career.
You could have
downplayed it, girl.
Your horse is sick, after
all. It's not your fault.
You go back home and
you try next year.
But no, now you have no way out.
I snapped your trainer once,
and I'm going to
snap this cup too.
- Oh, chill, Benetti.
Don't get so worked up.
It's bad for your
blood pressure.
And you're getting to that age
where you gotta care
of yourself, huh?
- You know what?
I'll make sure to snap
your sponsor, too.
- Is that a threat?
- Oh, no. It's a promise, babe.
- It's not your fault,
Thunder. I pushed you too much.
I was too eager. And now
we both have to pay for it.
- You must
remember, Sienna,
always listen to the horse.
You don't have to push him.
If you do so, he's
going to reject you.
You need to carry him somehow.
You have to lead him,
get him to trust you,
make him love you and understand
you will always take of them.
If you do so, he will
give you everything.
But never, never
push him too hard.
You will just frighten him,
and he will do
what you ask of him
only out of fear until
he fails or gets hurt.
This is a dangerous
sport, Sienna.
Don't take it too lightly.
Remember, think of your horse
as your little brother and
take care of him, always.
The answer is always
in your heart, Sienna.
You have to trust it.
- Don't let anger
or frustration dominate you.
Follow your instinct
and trust your horse.
He will know what to do.
He will never put you in
danger if you trust him.
Always, always follow
your heart, honey.
- Let's take a walk, Thunder.
Hey, Thunder,
this is Kaly, my horse.
I think you two would make a
great couple, don't you think?
Maybe Nicola would
let me keep you.
We could do a lot together,
don't you think?
We could come back
here from time to time.
Or maybe I could do a season
here and one back home.
What do you think?
We could be the first
international team.
- Hi, it's me.
Just leave a message.
- Hi, Mom. I just
called to say hi.
Today wasn't great,
and you were right.
I pushed too much,
and then I screwed up.
It was all my fault.
But, um, but
tomorrow's another day.
and I wasn't disqualified, so,
so there's still a chance
that we'll reach the finals.
Um, yeah, I guess
we just have to
stay focused and be
patient, I guess.
Um, you know, Brian sent
me a picture of Kaly,
and she's, she's looking good.
I just, um, if you get a chance,
could you stop by the clinic?
I don't know, I-I think
I'm just feeling stressed,
but I'd appreciate
you checking on her.
Call me when you can.
I love you, Mom.
Come on. Come on, Thunder.
- Hi.
- Oh, gosh.
- I saw your horse
at the tournament today.
He's got great potential.
It's a shame he doesn't
have a good rider though.
- Anyway, um, maybe you'll
consider an offer on him?
- Mm.
- We can make a very,
very handsome offer.
- Mm. I don't see
you on my horse.
- Why?
- Well, because he has a brain.
- What?
- Why did you quit?
Did you get yourself banned?
Is that why you were standing
in the corner the whole time?
If you can help me, fine.
If not, Kaly's waiting
for me back home,
and it would do me
no greater pleasure
than to turn around
and walk away.
- Hello?
- I was disqualified.
You got that right.
- What happened?
- I made a finger to a judge
and never apologized.
- Do you
ever apologize?
You were right too.
I should have let
Thunder rest yesterday.
- Well, you have 16 penalties,
but you can still
make it to the podium.
- How?
- You have to be
impeccable tomorrow,
or someone else has to screw up.
- Can you help me?
- I think I can.
- Do you
want to help me?
- I think I do.
- Thank you.
- See you at the
equestrian center then.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
- All right. Okay?
You got it? Huh?
- Got it.
- Okay, show me.
All right.
Yeah, baby.
How do you feel?
- Great.
- Cool.
Cover him. Don't stress him out.
- Thanks.
- Okay, remember, don't
be too tough on him.
- Yes.
- You have to listen.
- Yeah, yes.
- Don't try to lead him.
You're in this together.
Okay?
- Easy. Mm-hm.
- You are the one that
tells where to go,
but he has to do it.
- Yeah. Yes, sir.
- Hey, baby.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hi, I tried
to call you, but-
- I was training with Nicola.
- Oh. Well, good.
He's helping you again?
- Yeah. We worked on my flaws.
- So you're a nice girl now.
- Not those flaws, Mom.
- Well, I'm glad
you guys sorted it out.
- Yeah.
He thinks we may still
have a chance tomorrow.
- No matter what happens,
baby, you did a wonderful job.
You worked against all the odds.
- True.
- You're my
winner either way.
- Thank you, Mom.
- And your grandpa
would be so proud of you.
- Do you really think so?
- You went through the
worst nightmare, Sienna.
You lost your horse
right before the cup,
and instead of giving up,
you managed to find another
one and make it work.
- True.
- That takes a lot of
listening, darling,
and that was what your
grandpa was all about.
- Yeah. Nicola kept repeating
the same thing today.
I have to listen, not just lead.
- And that's not
easy when you're used to
taking care of everything.
- Yeah, it's true.
I guess even if I screw it up,
I'll have learned
a valuable lesson.
- What's that?
- You have to
follow your instinct,
and you'll find a way.
- Maybe you mean your heart?
- Nope. Instinct.
- Well, at least you
learned to follow.
That's already something.
- I gotta go, Mom.
- Goodbye,
baby. I love you.
And good luck tomorrow.
- Thanks, Mom. Love you too.
- Okay, you're the third.
Let's bring Thunder
with us by the arena.
We do the patrol, and
then you mount him, okay?
- Sounds good.
- Don't pull him too
hard. There's no need.
- Okay.
What's this for?
- It's to help you
not pull so much.
- I don't need it.
- Yes, you do.
- I don't need it.
- It's gonna help you. Trust me.
- We trained without
it yesterday.
If we change the reins
now, it'll throw me off.
I know how to deal with it.
- Sienna, it's your last chance.
- I know.
- It will help.
- I'm not sure.
- Okay, then. Your call.
- Take it off.
- Ready? Let's go.
- Oh, hello, champ.
So, last lap today, huh? Yay!
Oh, and there's the
whole team here, wow.
Something big is
about to happen.
- Yeah, you're blowing this.
- I noticed you start
third. Losers first, right?
- Yo, big shot. Move
along, will you?
- Nicola Mauri.
That's who you are.
Took me a while to find
out, but I finally did.
An unruly trainer
for an unruly rider.
Did you tell him about
your incident last year?
You did not?
So your pupil doesn't always
handle pressure so well,
so she managed to find her
way to deal with it, you know?
So she wasn't quite herself
when she got onto the horse.
Isn't that right?
- Sienna, don't listen
to her, okay? Look at me.
- Did you knock back a couple
of extra shots last night?
Yeah. Maybe that's why
she's so quiet.
Anyway, this was fun.
Guys, good luck and
take care, okay? Bye!
- Hey, look at me.
Hey, don't listen to her, okay?
It's all good.
- Look at the oxer!
Hold him!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
What happened?
- I don't know.
- You were doing so well.
- I-I don't know.
- Hey, Sienna.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
You did great.
- No, I didn't.
No, I didn't.
- You did great.
- No!
- You did great anyway.
Listen to me, hey.
You did great.
- Sienna!
Sienna, you need to get
back on Thunder now.
- What? Why?
- They disqualified a rider,
so you are back up
for the barrage.
Come on.
- What?
- Yeah!
- No.
- Come.
- I hope this isn't a joke.
- Oh, be quiet.
And remember, eight,
two, nine, six, and 10.
- Eight, two, nine, six, and 10.
- Sienna, don't under any
circumstances pull those reins.
- Got it.
- Say it again.
- Don't pull those reins.
- All right. Then I
chop your hands off.
- Yes, sir.
- So you maybe understand it.
Repeat them one more time.
- Eight, two, nine, six, and 10.
- Yes. Sienna, this
is the barrage.
Forget what you've done before.
Only you and those five
obstacles are here.
Forget what you've done before.
There's only those eight, two,
nine, six, and 10, okay?
- I got it.
- Do you?
- Yes, I got it.
- It's your day. Make us proud.
It's what your grandpa
wanted, huh? Make him proud.
- I wouldn't have made
it this far without you.
- I made it.
- You did it!
- Oh my God, we made it!
- You did it!
You did it!
- I love you, Thunder.
- Oh, gosh.
What was going
through your mind?
You weren't just focused,
but you were, like,
in a happy place.
Heaven-like. Yeah?
- Yeah.
Yeah, like heaven. I
was in my happy place.
And when I looked at you,
I remembered what you told me.
Listen.
Like you always told
me, just listen.
Oh my God.
- You did it.
- We made it!
We made it!
- Yeah!
- Thunder.
- All right, big boy.
Come, time to go home.
- Third classified,
Ginevra Loopy riding Tango,
winning the bronze medal.
Up to the second classified,
Laura Benetti riding Pegasus,
winning the silver medal.
And first classified, Sienna
McKenzie riding Thunder,
winning the gold medal
and one year sponsorship,
provided by Eden.
- Trying to believe you cheat.
- Smile, Benetti. This
is a lifetime chance.
- Congratulations.
- So, what's next?
- I don't know, really.
I honestly didn't think
I'd make it this far.
- Well, there's the
European Cup coming up.
- Hmm?
- You've got nothing
to lose anyway.
- Are you inviting me to stay?
- And why not?
- You can be very persuasive.
Okay. Deal.