Post by Dante on Jul 31, 2012 15:43:25 GMT -5
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LADY OPHELIA
workout with
ERIN TRUBELL
for the
TULIP BUD CUP[/b]
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Last season hadn't been stunning, but the four year old cremello mare showed great promise still. Three races, and thrice in the winner's circle, one third, one second, and one win, in that order. Ophelia was big and strong, and while still off-the-walls insane, Erin and their trainer, Connor, had learned to channel it. They were working hard to prove that Ophelia could win, with the right hand and the right plan. This race, so far, was looking to be a race of four.
"Okay. Erin. You know what to do. Keep her running, keeping her forced on running and nothing else. if she gets mad, give her only running as an out. if we make her into a wrecking ball she'll probably buck or rear or something and that's anything but what we want." Connor seemed oddly not-drunk nor high at the moment. Surprising. Maybe he'd found a date.
"Gotcha." Erin licked her lips, which were painted red - her lucky charm - and wheeled the crazylittlebig mare to the gate. The mare might have been insane, but she did know what a gate was, and she went into it fairly easily. The the gates made many horses claustrophobic, and Erin as well. They were so small and cramped and...BAM.
Like a gunshot, the gates opened, and like a bullet, Ophelia came out with them, tearing up the dirt and flinging it behind her. Erin usually put Ophelia near the rail, but in this race, she decided it wasn't smart, to she kept her a little ways from it. If there was another frontrunner in a small race, Erin wouldn't move Ophelia to the rail right away. She'd wait for the correct time to do it, if such a time arose.
Ophelia's head bobbed and her hooves landed solidly with every stride and Erin could feel the power she was holding. It took a lot of muscle more than one would think, to keep Ophelia in check, even as Erin let her run a little more than with most horses. The mare was built for distance running - she could probably do more than 12 furlongs - and so Erin figured she could get away with running Ophelia a little more, as long as she kept the reins and contact right as well.
A cool wind met them at the turn, buffeting her and drowning out the sounds of those around, just the buzz of the win as they came out of the turn six furlongs in, and then Erin knew it would only be a short time more before she let Ophelia give a last run to make the gap between her and the others larger if she could. It was right...about....NOW! The seven furlong marker flew past them, and Ern gave Ophelia the stick. The mare couldn't be fully trusted with the reins, so Erin only gave her a little, but the stick worked well enough as long as Erin kept moving with the mouth of her mount. They zoomed forwards towards the nine furlong marker, as the ground and sky blurred into one mass around them. There was just Ophelia and just the buzz of the wind. All else was lost to Erin until that ten furlong marker was even with them, and then she began to recollect Ophelia to meet up with Connor.
"I like the time she's got." Connor poked a time written down on some papers. "I like it a lot, but we'll see how it goes."
"I'm hoping for the best. Erin said, looking around the track, before Ophelia decided she no longer liked the presence of Connor and promptly kicked out at the man. "Oh for...." Optimistic thoughts were scattered in a strong of curses as she brought the once again misbehaving horse back to earth.-----------------------
WORKOUT STATS
words| 706
workout surface| Dirt
distance| 9 furlongs
horse| Lady Ophelia
jockey| Erin Trubell
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