My Sweet Victory - Part 8
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The rain attacked me as I struggled through the storm to the barn. Before stepping inside into the warmth, I glanced up at the angry, gray sky. Will the race still be on tomorrow I wondered. I quickly stepped into the barn to be out of the cold. Two weeks had gone quickly and now it was nearly time. I couldn’t believe it, my first race!
I strolled along the line of stalls, checking on all the horses. Sugar, my mom’s appaloosa mare, seemed slightly startled by the storm, but all the others were fine.
“Hey boy,” I had reached Victory’s stall. My handsome gray thoroughbred was standing at the back of his stall, eating his feed. He spotted me quickly and wandered over to me.
I smiled, “Storms don’t scare ya do they?” He rest his head on my shoulder and snorted as if to say “Storms?! They don’t scare me!”
“We’ve got our race tomorrow you know,” I told him, stroking him slowly. He pawed the ground and glanced over at the barn door.
I sighed, “You can’t go out now,” I looked into his deep brown eyes, “It’s all stormy,” I fiddled with his mane for a few seconds, “And wet,” I added. He seemed to understand and went back to munching on his hay.
I didn’t notice my dad was there, until I felt a hand on my shoulder, “He’s a great horse, isn’t he.”
I spun round, “You don’t usually come out to see the horses,” He sighed, “You know, don’t you?” he turned around to face the wall, “About me being a jockey and all.”
I nodded slowly and decided not to say anything; whatever came out of my mouth would be the wrong thing, so I stayed silent and listened.
He picked up the newspaper clipping with the photo of him falling of the bay thoroughbred, “Crimson Sunset,” he gazed thoughtfully at the photo, “My best horse; the horse of a lifetime. It’s my fault she died,” I saw a small tear in his eye; small, but a tear all the same; “I didn’t give her a longer rein. I held her back. She stumbled, I, I,” he was struggling through tears, “I fell off. She broke her two front legs.” He wiped the tears from his eyes, “She was euthanized later that day,” the tears had stopped now, “I guess you feel the same way about Dylan. Everyone says it wasn’t your fault, but deep down, in your heart, you know it was.”
I gave him a weak smile.
He gulped and reached into his pocket, “Here,” he said, holding out a small red rosette, “I want you to have it, for tomorrow. It brought me luck. I lost it the day before the accident. But now I’ve found it, I no longer need it.”
I was surprised, “For me?” I accepted it and examined the red rosette closely. It read ‘Silver Oak Ranch’.
“That’s your first rosette, isn’t it?”
He nodded, “Good Luck for tomorrow. Not that you’ll need it of course,” he smiled and patted Victory, “Come on then, let’s get back to the ranch house.”
I nodded and followed him out into the rain, and back into the house.
My mom was sat in the kitchen, fiddling with my jockey silks; our collie, Blue, lying her feet and staring up at me with her creepy, blue eyes.
“The horses ok?” My mom asked, looking up at a very wet Dad and me.
I nodded, “Sugar’s a bit nervous, but the others seem fine.”
She smiled and looked back down again at my silks, “Just writing your name on the label,” she told me.
I nodded, smiling, “Do you think he’ll be good?” I asked her, “Do you think he’ll enjoy it?”
My mom chuckled mildly to herself, “Of course he will! He was born to race, and with you on board he’ll be in safe hands,” she reassured me.
I sighed, “I guess I am worrying a bit too much,”
“Don’t worry, when tomorrow comes, he’ll know what to do,” I could tell that there was no point arguing with her, so decided to go to bed early.
Tomorrow was a big day, and I was going to be ready for whatever hit me. |
Related: My Sweet Victory - Part 1, My Sweet Victory - Part 2, My Sweet Victory - Part 3, My Sweet Victory - Part 4, My Sweet Victory - Part 5, My Sweet Victory - Part 6, My Sweet Victory - Part 7, My Sweet Victory - Part 8, My Sweet Victory - Part 9, My Sweet Victory - Part 10 - The End,
More In This Category: Horse Fiction
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Sapphire Flames
Yay!!!!! can't wait to see how the race goes! :D
Yay!!!!! can't wait to see how the race goes! :D
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