Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2012 4:00:08 GMT -5
One week. That was all they had left until race day. A single week in order to prepare for a race which could be the fork in their path. If they won, they would be one step closer to their dreams of being champions. If they lost, it would be a huge blow after their success in the first round. Whatever happened, Alana would stick by Stormi, but she knew they had what it took. Their main source of competition would be Silverianna, but they knew her style well by now. How could they not, with the number of times they had gone head on head with the Star Thoroughbreds filly? It seemed almost every race they entered Silverianna was there, and she was not playing games. A serious contender, much like Stormi herself, the pair tended to battle for supremacy. In the Acorn, Stormi had beaten the filly out. In the Mother Goose Alana hoped to do so again.
Walking through the yard, the stress seemed to radiate from the short, dark-haired jockey. Her brown eyes glowed with a desire for competition and her attitude was very much come and give it a shot. She was pumped, so pumped that she was having to take pills to get to sleep at night. But there was reason behind that - this was her first major race series that lasted for more than one week. This was the first time she was riding a horse that she really believed could pull the challenge before them off. She didn't want to fail. She didn't want to let Stormi down, or the team at the stables. So things were in high gear with no intentions of stopping until the Tiara was theirs.
Alana understood the need for the filly to rest. She had worked her only once since the Acorn and she intended to do so again. But after this there would be no more. With a race occurring every two weeks she refused to allow the filly to become too tired. Even on top form she had limits - every horse did. Everyone knew that and she wanted the hopeful prospect to be at the very top of her game. Which was why she had left the filly be since their last workout. If Stormi saw her she seemed to get excited which was certainly something she didn't need to be doing during her rest period.
Alana didn't even knock on the office door before walking in, her eyes setting meaningfully upon the blonde-haired trainer - Matthias. He raised an eyebrow as she walked across the office and leant with both hands palm down on the desk. "Well, time to get her ready don't you think?" she said to Matthias, who instantly clicked. He knew Alana had broken her personal rules with Afterglow - becoming attached and even caring for the bay and her future. She was driven, she fought for what she needed to be done, and when it came to Stormi their were no limits to how far she would go. "Yes, Alana. It is time. One moment." he walked to the door, shouted a groom over and explained that they needed Stormi to be made ready for a workout.
"She's still in good form, you really don't need to push her too hard as she is pushing herself and we don't want her to injure herself before the race. This couldn't have been timed better and come race day I want you both at your best so you can knock the socks off of the Star Thoroughbreds team, OK?" Alana nodded, turned to walk out of the door. "And Alana?" she turned around to face the trainer. "Good luck" she smiled curtly, nodded then left. Not really the sociable type she struggled in situations where she did anything but talk about the job and that had looked like it was about to. She walked into the changing room, pulled on her gear, and walked out again, into the yard where she could see the handlers trying to deal with a very excited Stormi.
The filly was practically bouncing on the spot, pulling on the rein with her head held high. Each stride she took seemed to spring back up and she was determined to move. Already tacked up, she had known exactly where she was going. Now, however, it was even more clear as she had her jockey and best friend in her sights. But Alana just walked over, patted the filly's powerful neck, and mounted. "That's a girl, come on now." she yanked the lead rein from the handlers hand and instructed him to run down and open the gate so that they could get onto the track before pushing the filly into a canter. Maintaining the pace was difficult, as Stormi wanted to push faster and actually run, but Alana was determined that they would save it for the track. As they reached the track the gate was open and they moved out onto it.
Alana decided she couldn't be bothered with a starting gate. Stormi was good with the gate anyway and this was just a workout, a breezing. She turned the filly, had her facing down the track, and released the restraints she'd had to use constantly to stop the filly flying into a gallop too easily. The hot, dry dirt clouded behind them as they moved and Alana knew they would probably be getting dirty come race day, being placed behind any front runners. Including Silverianna.She also knew that dust did not disturb Stormi, and that they would run well anyway.
It was a beautiful sight, the bay thoroughbred flying down the dirt as if she were in a world of her own. To her, it was good fun. To Alana, it was a serious competition. With each well-placed and powerful stride they propelled forwards at great speeds, the filly's dark mane and tail flying behind them as they rounded into a corner. Deliberately done, footing secure as they continued on their path. Soon, Alana pulled the energetic filly down to a walk, even though the thoroughbred seemed to want to continue running, and she dismounted. "That's enough for today, Stormi. Get some rest, you'll be thankful come race day."
Walking through the yard, the stress seemed to radiate from the short, dark-haired jockey. Her brown eyes glowed with a desire for competition and her attitude was very much come and give it a shot. She was pumped, so pumped that she was having to take pills to get to sleep at night. But there was reason behind that - this was her first major race series that lasted for more than one week. This was the first time she was riding a horse that she really believed could pull the challenge before them off. She didn't want to fail. She didn't want to let Stormi down, or the team at the stables. So things were in high gear with no intentions of stopping until the Tiara was theirs.
Alana understood the need for the filly to rest. She had worked her only once since the Acorn and she intended to do so again. But after this there would be no more. With a race occurring every two weeks she refused to allow the filly to become too tired. Even on top form she had limits - every horse did. Everyone knew that and she wanted the hopeful prospect to be at the very top of her game. Which was why she had left the filly be since their last workout. If Stormi saw her she seemed to get excited which was certainly something she didn't need to be doing during her rest period.
Alana didn't even knock on the office door before walking in, her eyes setting meaningfully upon the blonde-haired trainer - Matthias. He raised an eyebrow as she walked across the office and leant with both hands palm down on the desk. "Well, time to get her ready don't you think?" she said to Matthias, who instantly clicked. He knew Alana had broken her personal rules with Afterglow - becoming attached and even caring for the bay and her future. She was driven, she fought for what she needed to be done, and when it came to Stormi their were no limits to how far she would go. "Yes, Alana. It is time. One moment." he walked to the door, shouted a groom over and explained that they needed Stormi to be made ready for a workout.
"She's still in good form, you really don't need to push her too hard as she is pushing herself and we don't want her to injure herself before the race. This couldn't have been timed better and come race day I want you both at your best so you can knock the socks off of the Star Thoroughbreds team, OK?" Alana nodded, turned to walk out of the door. "And Alana?" she turned around to face the trainer. "Good luck" she smiled curtly, nodded then left. Not really the sociable type she struggled in situations where she did anything but talk about the job and that had looked like it was about to. She walked into the changing room, pulled on her gear, and walked out again, into the yard where she could see the handlers trying to deal with a very excited Stormi.
The filly was practically bouncing on the spot, pulling on the rein with her head held high. Each stride she took seemed to spring back up and she was determined to move. Already tacked up, she had known exactly where she was going. Now, however, it was even more clear as she had her jockey and best friend in her sights. But Alana just walked over, patted the filly's powerful neck, and mounted. "That's a girl, come on now." she yanked the lead rein from the handlers hand and instructed him to run down and open the gate so that they could get onto the track before pushing the filly into a canter. Maintaining the pace was difficult, as Stormi wanted to push faster and actually run, but Alana was determined that they would save it for the track. As they reached the track the gate was open and they moved out onto it.
Alana decided she couldn't be bothered with a starting gate. Stormi was good with the gate anyway and this was just a workout, a breezing. She turned the filly, had her facing down the track, and released the restraints she'd had to use constantly to stop the filly flying into a gallop too easily. The hot, dry dirt clouded behind them as they moved and Alana knew they would probably be getting dirty come race day, being placed behind any front runners. Including Silverianna.She also knew that dust did not disturb Stormi, and that they would run well anyway.
It was a beautiful sight, the bay thoroughbred flying down the dirt as if she were in a world of her own. To her, it was good fun. To Alana, it was a serious competition. With each well-placed and powerful stride they propelled forwards at great speeds, the filly's dark mane and tail flying behind them as they rounded into a corner. Deliberately done, footing secure as they continued on their path. Soon, Alana pulled the energetic filly down to a walk, even though the thoroughbred seemed to want to continue running, and she dismounted. "That's enough for today, Stormi. Get some rest, you'll be thankful come race day."