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Against All Odds - The Story of Bronze - Part 3
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I looked into his gentle brown eyes, and I knew that I had found my horse. Or rather, I suppose, that he had found me.
This was my first meeting with Bronze. My mother was besotted with him from the second she saw him, so we hurried to Alfie’s office to ask who the stallion was.
The gorgeous stallion was... Nobody.
He was 4 years old, unbacked and unnamed. He had no identity – he was just ‘one of the stallions’.
He was not registered, either, but Alfie knew his bloodlines. His dam was Mistress of Song – the old dark bay mare that we had seen when we chose Cuppi and Choc. His sire was Goldmark, a great South African racehorse, and fantastic sire. Of course, this meant nothing to me at the time. I just knew that I liked Bronze, and wanted him.
We were taken to see his half brother, too – High Gold, by Goldmark, the only gelding on the farm – and apparently a decent racehorse, too. Unfortunately for High Gold, I had eyes only for Bronze.
I named him Bronze, because that was the exact colour of his coat. It was a deep, rich bay – and it gleamed like nothing I’d ever seen. He had dark points at his shoulders and near his rump, and jet black stockings reaching well up to his knees. Not a single white marking – except for a sprinkling of tiny white hairs half way down his nose, which could only be seen under close examination. It was as though he had considered having a stripe, then decided against it.
Still, ‘Bronze’ did not quite seem to cut it. I needed something to describe the size of this massive creature – so he became ‘Mountain of Bronze’ Huge, Steady and… Unmoving. This was indeed what Bronze was, for at the time he was lazier than I care to remember!
The next day we went to visit Bronze and the others, it was decided that I should sit on him – just be sure he was rideable.
Sure, throw the little ten-year-old up on the huge, unbacked stallion. Nothing bad could happen there... But of course, we were all ignorant – my mother, myself, and even Alfie. We didn’t know horses well enough to know how easily Bronze could have killed me.
So we called one of the grooms over – the remarkable man who would, in fact, later become Team Fluff’s groom.
He bridled Bronze, perhaps for the first time – judging by the stallion’s calmly befuddled reaction to the bit. He accepted it happily enough, mostly because Bronze is a lover, not a fighter, but mouthed it and toyed with it ceaselessly in a rather confused fashion.
I was lifted WAY into the air, where I perched on Bronze’s back – reins in hand.
The groom led me around on Bronze, and the stallion walked around in such a lazy, ploddy fashion that he might as well have been attached to a carousel. We put down some poles on the ground – since I had already decided that I would turn this stallion into a jumper, no matter what – and attempted to convince Bronze to step over them.
I’d like to say he tried, but that would be a lie. He had no clue what to do with the pole, so he stopped there, and waited for us to move it. We didn’t – and when the groom led him forward over it, he nearly tripped over his own feet – of which he suddenly seemed to have six – in his clumsy confusion.
Some horses are natural jumpers. Bronze was NOT one of these horses.
Next, we tried to make him trot. Even with the groom running, clucking and tugging – and my little legs flapping away like the wings of a startled chicken – Bronze was not going anywhere. He plodded on his same slow, sedate pace – ears flopping out to the sides, as though he was too lazy even to hold them upright.
He was the complete opposite of my beloved Polo, but I adored him, and my decision was not swayed by his laziness. Bronze would be mine.
During our next visit, Alfie offered to give us Finola’s 20 year old dam – who we accepted, because Elevation was her sire, and because poor Alfie was desperate to find good homes for the horses.
Finally, we accepted Country Cousin and her colt.
This brought our number of new additions to a remarkable 7 – bring us to 9 horses in total, with Astro and Polo.
It was a foolish decision, this I admit, but I do not regret it. You see, most of the remaining horses went to a dealer… A dealer who, if she could not sell the horses within a week, had them put down.
It was to this unfortunate end that befell Choc and Country Flight’s poor sire, and many more wonderful, talented horses.
A terrible waste, and a great tragedy...
I shudder to think what might have happened to my beloved horses if I had never read that newspaper. Never picked up that phone…
A series of unlikely events, gradually leading a group of special horses to safety. |
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FreeRein
:) THERE MUST BE MORE POLO!!!!
:) THERE MUST BE MORE POLO!!!!
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10 days ago
• 8,233 views
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Carpe Diem
GREAT! I love it! Bronze is so pretty. (:
GREAT! I love it! Bronze is so pretty. (:
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10 days ago
• 8,238 views
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Madeirey
BRONZY!!! *steals* MY BRONZY!! MUAHAHA!!!
BRONZY!!! *steals* MY BRONZY!! MUAHAHA!!!
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10 days ago
• 8,230 views
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Simplicity
Bronze is beautiful
Bronze is beautiful
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9 days ago
• 8,229 views
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All That Jazz
Your articles.. Just too amazing. xD
Your articles.. Just too amazing. xD
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9 days ago
• 8,233 views
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RoyalCrownEstates
MOD
I love the story !! Great job,
cant wait to read more
I love the story !! Great job,
cant wait to read more
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9 days ago
• 8,250 views
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Stay Untamed
I love this story!! Can't wait to read the rest!
I love this story!! Can't wait to read the rest!
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9 days ago
• 8,282 views
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Polo the Weirdo
MOD
I'm so glad you're all enjoying the series! :) There's still plenty more to come, so keep your reading glasses on! :P
I'm so glad you're all enjoying the series! :) There's still plenty more to come, so keep your reading glasses on! :P
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8 days ago
• 8,232 views
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