Post by Cruisey on Feb 19, 2014 8:55:31 GMT -5
FLYING SOLO & JOHNNY GARNER
Flying Solo. That’s his name, Solo for short. The beautiful 16.3hh stallion was going to race in the King Cup, with horses mostly matching his caliber. He was a buy from Intrepid Racing at the beginning of Year Fourteen. It was going to be a tough race, but Carter knew the colt had the strength to go all the way. Johnny led him out of his stall; his coat gleamed in the sunlight. He stepped gently out of his stall, ears pricked, looking around through his blinkers.
Johnny stroked his soft velvet nose. Carter gave him a leg up and he jammed his feet into the stirrups. Solo bobbed his head up and down as he 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 workouts today. After walking up round the clubhouse turn, Johnny asked him for a gentle trot.
Almost immediately, be bounced energetically into a trot. They trotted along the inside of the rail, the stallion excited and ready for the day. He sat in his saddle and asked Solo for canter. He leapt forward into a canter, picking his knees up rather high. Johnny chuckled, grabbing hold of some mane and pulling himself up.
Solo 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, Johnny squeezed him forward, urging him on. He snorted and bounced into a powerful gallop, stretching his whole body out, nose to tail.
Johnny asked him for a bit more and boy he flew down the track. They glided past the post and Johnny tried to pull him up, but Solo dropped his nose and kept trying to go. Johnny knew he was ready for the King Cup, and the way he has been performing, everyone at Firestone knew he would be one of the greatest in his last year of racing.
