Post by alicekcrose on Apr 26, 2012 2:44:59 GMT -5
[/blockquote][/blockquote]The sun was beating down on the track. The end of summer… finally. Not long now until I can enjoy the cold mornings again. No more sweat first thing in the morning. No more sunburns… no more. Because today, it was the start of autumn, and it was time for our new stallion to show us what he’s made of.
Winged Romeo. That’s his name, Romeo for short. The beautiful sixteen hand one inch colt was going to race in the July Turf Stakes against the more experienced horses. He was a recent buy from Star Thoroughbreds… It was going to be a tough race, but I knew he had the strength to go all the way. The colt was muscular, and after two starts during the earlier months, placing fifth and seventh, it was time to step up our game.
I lead him out of his stall, his perfectly conformed body shone in the sunlight. As he stayed in, he wouldn’t get much of a winter coat. He stepped gently out of his stall, ears pricked, looking around through his blinkers. He hadn’t been here for a long while. Not since last year. He nickered to me, and nudged my hand gently.
I stroked his soft velvet nose. My short leg reached up into the stirrup, and I hopped on. Romeo bobbed his head up and down as I inserted my feet into the stirrups and gave him a little squeeze forward. His ears perked up as he walked out on to the soft turf. It had been watered, ready for the races today. After walking up round the clubhouse turn, I asked him for a gentle trot.
Almost immediately, be bounced energetically into a trot. Bet that feels good, boy. I said, rising as he trotted, each of his tiny fetlocks hitting the ground. I sat in my saddle and asked him for canter. He leapt forward into a canter, picking his knees up rather high. I grabbed hold of some of his mane and pulled myself up.
The colt pricked his ears tall and cantered energetically round the track, snorting with every stride. We rounded the far turn at a steady canter, and as we made the decent into the home stretch, I squeezed him forward, urging him on. He whinnied and bounced into a powerful gallop, stretching his whole body out, nose to tail.
I asked him for a bit more, and boy did he fly. Good boy Romeo! I said, urging him along. We flew past the post and I tried to pull him up, but he dropped his head and kept trying to go. I turned him round and he came back down the paces. Wow, Romeo. You are very good… I said, stroking his neck. I watched Jacey standing at the side. Two furlongs in 21 seconds flat! She shouted. I threw my arms round his neck.
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Listening to: Beyoncé - Halo