always second

FOOLISH LAD and KRYSTAL YHATE

It had been like this all season. Two elusive wins gained, with an even more elusive win to go until grade three. But that younger filly, now a mare, was stealing their spotlight. Wildly Natural may have been talented, but to take without giving? She was no doubt a tough mare to beat, but it all came back to that one sire. The Natural truly was proving himself. He was the sire of both Triple Tiara champion Born To Soar and Wildly Natural. Krystal was truly learning to dislike having those horses as competition, but consistently, every start his year, Tura had been there to challenge them. Almost every work, Laddy was forced to gallop with that flirtatious, annoying black four year old. And things were only just getting started.

Krystal's annoyance must have been seeping into her mount, for the five year old was considerably less calm than usual. He skittered sideways at a sudden, loud bird call, which considerably startled his rider. Laddy was basically bombproof; he never did that. Surprised and concerned, Krystal focused entirely on her mount, and eventually he began to calm down. Ah. So it was my mood she thought, interested in this new discovery. Laddy was sensitive to moods; Krystal wondered how she had missed this before, having ridden the colt for so long, but knew it was because she hadn't been so annoyed when riding him before. The grade two stallion was amazingly dear to Krystal - he had been her first yearling mount, the first thoroughbred she had trained from birth to race. And now he was being overshadowed by that amazingly talented mare Amber rode.

Krystal cued Laddy to canter, hoping for a distraction from her sudden dark thoughts. And when that didn't work, she had him gallop. The whistling wind made it difficult to hear, but not impossible to think. Krystal's annoyance was still present. A sudden snarl of fury escaped her, and Krystal had Laddy go for an even more ferocious gallop. She was lost in her anger, lost in her desire for Laddy to get his rightful win. She barely realized the time that was passing, but was suddenly aware of Laddy's laboring breaths, and the way his stride was becoming choppier by the second. Horrified at her sudden outburst, Krystal slowed her stallion down. He gratefully listened to her, panting now, lathered in sweat.

Krystal stopped the bay stallion, and stared in awe at her hands. She was struck by how her sudden mood had taken the workout from a relaxing one to a hard gallop. I'm so sorry Laddy... she whispered, and blinked. This workout wouldn't ruin any future starts for Laddy, as he was currently entered in no races, but she still felt guilt. Since when had she gotten so ambitious about Laddy? It was right then and there that Krystal knew what she had to do. She had to accept what came. If Laddy retired as a grade two beaten a gazillion times by that younger female horse, Krystal would be okay with it. She had to be, for her sanity and Laddy's health.

With that new resolve, Krystal declared the workout complete, and looked forward to a new day.