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Post by .*.Brandy.*. on Mar 12, 2009 18:01:17 GMT -5
Nostrils flared, I did my best to hold back the panicked bay coltine, his eyes wide and auds pricked. Upon recieving Patrick at CCI, we did not know anything of his lineage and he seemed like a relaxed, leader type of guy... But the second we took him out for a gallop at CCI, all his bravery and cockiness was gone. We were shocked at the 180 degree change in him but actually I prefered to have him shy rather than arrogant, like my dressage mount, Deja Vu. Patrick now was terrified of galloping around corners because there could be anything there, he must have been thinking With a sideways prance and a snort, Patrick nervously and begrudgingly moved into a gallop, his young two-year old stride very uneven and spastic. I lowered my heels further into my stirrups, my eyes up as I tried to steady the bulbous colt. I felt Patrick's sheer power as we galloped and after a few strides, I had regained control. The bay coltine felt at ease now that I was in control and lowered his head slightly onto the bit, mouthing it thoughtfully. Eyes ahead, I couldn't stop thinking for a second or he would get nervous. I helped him balance around the turn through leg-to-hand control and my weight focused to balance him. Down the backstretch, I felt Patrick soar beneath me, his legs not allowing any inhibitions. Around the turn the second time, Patrick had gotten a feel of the turf and was using every bit of 'umph' that he had to get the greatest amount of speed. Seeing the final stretch, he pricked his auds forward and he flew forward, his flighty speed awestrucking. I slowed him now, my eyes lowered to his lathered bay neck. I felt bad for the neurotic-ness of Patrick but he sure could run!
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Post by .*.Brandy.*. on Jul 7, 2009 15:26:29 GMT -5
My eyes couldn't keep focused on the trembling coltine beneath me as I watched the good looking group of young racers and teenaged (and Roger, the old man, who was 21!) jockeys enter the track. My bay coltine snorted anxiously as he watched his colt pasture mates enter the track. I halted Patrick parallel to the fence and twisted in my saddle to see my sister jogging her buckskin filly, Cute Italian, towards me with a huge goofy smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow, suspicion creeping across my face. I voiced my concern.
Kayla...? What did you do?
She grinned at me cheekily as she pulled Callie to a stop beside Patrick. The buckskin filly nickered throatily towards my colt, who flicked an ear uninterestedly in her direction but turned his head to look in the other direction, concerned at the construction going on a few miles away. I focused my attention back to my sister's answer as she shrugged lightly, her eyes sparkling as she replied.
Well, it might have something to do with spilling my Diet Coke on your shorts in trailer.
I groaned just before she finished the sentence. Great, now I'll have to go the entire ride back to CCI in these gay riding pants. I hated wearing them, they did weird stuff to my... Okay, I'll stop. Kayla grinned sweetly at me. She knew I wouldn't be mad but I pretended to glare at her and I raised my fist slowly, to show my 'anger'. Unfortunately, all this did was startle Patrick, who shot forward and slowed as soon as he realized he was seriously spazzing at nothing. I rolled my eyes and turned him back into his spot beside Kayla and Callie. By then, Lily and her gray G1 racer, Airliner, had come up beside Callie. Kayla's buckskin nickered towards Cadet now and the older colt paid even less attention than Patrick had. He sighed deeply and Lily patted the colt's neck, loosening her reins. I was always shocked at Cadet's calmness. I had never seen a thoroughbred baby like that before. It was hard to remember that he was only 3. On the other end of the spectrum, speak of the devil, was Fashionista, the fiery bay filly that Joshua had gotten... I was fortunate that Josh had arrived at CCI just as she arrived... Otherwise, she would have been my charge and quite honestly, I had my hands full with Patrick, who was pretty much terrified of everything. Nista was scared of nothing but always energized enough to put her head down and grab the bit. Her galloping even scared me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Joshua handle her prancing sideways and slow her to a halt. Nista mouthed the bit fiercely, her auds flickering back and forth from being pinned to her skull and to a halfway point. Her bay coat glistened in the sun and she stamped a hoof every so often as she stood, moving her head every second.
Everyone load up! And remember, we are only going one turn around the track. That means you, Lily.
The voice startled me, although I knew it would be coming at some point. Roger jogged ahead of the rest of us on his gorgeous palomino coltine. CCI Surprise Party, or Preston, had really settled into himself the last few months and was doing great. He moved elegantly off of Roger's leg and seat. He loaded without a problem into the furthest gate. This was for a reason, I recognized. Roger was not only the resident racehorse trainer here but Preston was also the most well awarded here. I was the lowest on the totem pole as far as horse experience so I loaded into the gate closest to the rail. Patrick was severely concerned with the gate even though he had loaded thousands of times. I patted his neck and cooed words of encouragement to the coltine. He flicked his ears back to me and took a few cautious steps into the gate and backed out. I rolled my eyes, sitting in the centre of my saddle and squeezing him towards the gate. He finally loaded, trembling nervously as he waited for the gates to open like they always did. Cadet loaded uneventfully beside Preston, Lily sticking her tongue out at her brother. Cadet preferred longer races than just one turn around the track and I wouldn't be surprised if Lily kept breezing Cadet after we were done. My sister loaded Callie beside Lily and Cadet, offering a light grin to the other blonde. She was proud of Callie's accomplishments and Lily was the overseer of their work. I was proud of my sister too, she was really a good jockey. Josh loaded Nista in between me and Kayla, the fierce bay filly snorting towards Patrick, uninterested in flirting with him. I rolled my eyes at Nista and grinned lightly at Josh. He returned my smile and focused ahead of him as we all waited for Monica to push the button to open the gates.
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Post by .*.Brandy.*. on Jul 20, 2009 21:29:53 GMT -5
Josh, seriously dude, you said she was going to chill by the end of the season.
All I got in response to my serious set of vocals was a grin that was more like a cocky smirk. He raised an eyebrow at me and replied, teasingly now.
Yeah, like Mister Fraidy-Cat over that is doing much better in changing his ways... At least I've figured out how to channel her ferocity.
I stuck out my tongue at him and realized the truth in his words. Patrick still wore blinders and still freaked out in the post parade but I had been working to get him to bare down on the track. I'd say about 75% of the time he focuses and listens to me. The other quarter of the time he's just terrified of everything and spirals into a frenzied gallop and he loses control of himself. At that point, there's nothing I can do except for hold on. He wasn't doing it to be bad. It's just he didn't start his training until the middle of the season and he was doing well considering. I thought so, anyway, and so did Roger and Lily apparently or we wouldn't be entering the BC this year.
My eyes fell on the bay filly beside me. Nista was a good-looking girl and was a fierce competitor on the track, especially on turf although she unknowingly was just as fierce on dirt. She had won the Eagle Cup this year without a lot of prep and was standing strong and tall today, obviously ready to kick me and Patrick's butts once and for all. She was a G3 now and in her own way, must have thought she was done practicing with me and Patrick but no way. They were too similar in their racing styles to keep them from racing against each other for practice and there was nothing like an in-stable rivalry to make a horse work for it's titles. The filly pinned her ears as if she realized I was thinking of her and threw her head towards my burlier colt. In his fashion, Patrick scooted away from the filly, not completely terrified but definitely nervous enough to get away. I rolled my eyes and stopped beside Josh, speaking lightly.
I'm going to load him into the box once for practice but since we don't have anyone to push the button, we can start the race from outside of it.
Josh grinned lightly at me, his dimples present on his cheeks and nodded briefly. I focused my eyes ahead on the open doors of the loading box. I saw Patrick's ears shoot forward and felt him take a shakier step towards it. I cooed lightly to him words of encouragement, willing him to be brave. I patted his neck lightly and the bay colt took a few steps forward. With a sudden burst of bravery, the coltine moved into a jog now, his auds pricked forward and he loaded easily into the tight box. Once he was in there, he stopped in a square halt, taking in a deep breath and sighing deeply. I smiled inwardly and patted his neck. After that moment, I knew I could keep him calm in the stressful situation that we were going into this weekend. I asked him to back up out of the box, which he did willingly and we walked around the gates to where Josh and Nista were waiting.
I grinned lightly at my stablemate and competitor, ready to do it. Patrick felt totally different underneath me today, his energy pulsating throughout his veins and his auds pricked forward, almost excited, rather than his usually flicking, scared ears. I smiled now as I leaned down into his mane. Nista pranced underneath Josh and he shook his head at her antics, tightening his reins to keep her control. With a toss of her head, she ripped the reins from his hands, raring to go. I counted off and in a split second, the two bays shot off. Or wait... Maybe not. The usual trip-er was Patrick because he got himself so worked up but Nista had pushed off a little too hard on the slightly tough turf (there was little rain around here recently) and had made herself stumble slightly. She got up and did her best to make up for lost time but Patrick and I were already far ahead. Surefootedly, Patrick's auds flew forward once he knew he was in front. I felt him mouth the bit, wanting to gallop forward but I kept him in my hands.
He was being the brave, strong lion of a horse that I knew he could be. I leaned further into his mane as we galloped around the turn with gusto, his strides full of contained energy. Nista was coming up quickly now as we galloped down the back-stretch and I could almost see Josh's intense face as we ran just ahead of the pair. I felt a breath on my boot as I glanced back slightly to see Nista's intensely fierce face and her contrastingly beautiful blaze beside my leg. I shot a kidding glare at Josh, who grinned back and I whipped my head back to Patrick's head. He felt her presence and was starting to tense under the pressure but I cooed lightly over the wind to my colt. I showed him the whip and kneaded my hands on his neck twice, giving him a little go-ahead. He shot forward now but didn't use much in the process. The speed he gave me was blinding, showing me the tenacity he had in him.
We rounded the turn, our speed slowly increasing as Patrick realized Nista wasn't about to come up behind him. He was elated now as I watched his auds flicker forward again, giving him a youthful, excited face as he galloped down the homestretch. Nista wasn't far off but she was too angry now to listen to Josh. The other boy was trying to keep the mare controlled and finally couldn't after they rounded the turn. He let his reins go and the bay filly shot forward with speed that was unheard of in such a short amount of time. She was back at Patrick's hindquarters, trying to pass him with all her heart. She was pissed off that the wimpy coltine was showing his truly fantastic colors and that her smarts weren't serving her against the fearful and less smart colt. Josh shook his head now as we crossed the finish line as an amoeba. Nista bucked now as showing of her anger and Josh yelled at the filly, teasingly as he sat back, trying to slow her to a walk.
It's your own dumb fault, little girl! You gotta listen from the get-go!
Nista tossed her head wildly now, her eyewhites showing a crazy look in her eyes as she finally slowed to a walk. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as Patrick slowed beneath me. His walk was eager and his auds were pricked forward as we jogged to catch up to the other walking pair. I stuck out my tongue at Josh who returned it with a smile as he walked Patrick's eager and happy jog beside his filly. I slowed my bay colt without any problems beside the other pair with a pat to his neck. He heaved a sigh again and it was at that moment I knew that this guy really could be a lion.
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