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Post by Kenren on Aug 29, 2013 21:03:44 GMT -5
Fifty in Front & Tigris Greenfire
Lucky Silver & Minske Mavecci"I'm not touching that horse. He bit me twice last time. Look, it's still bruised!" Tigris held his arm out for emphasis, showing the nasty-looking green-yellow bruise on his forearm. Minske glanced at it, then continued tacking the stallion in front of him. "Maybe you should get your arm out of the way next time," Minske said simply, no hint of sympathy in his stormy blue eyes. Tigris groaned in frustration, causing Lucky's head to swing around, ears flicking back at the dark-haired boy. Minske swung around, pointing his hard bristle at the other boy. "Look, do you want me to trade you? Finn's a jerk, but I'm not scared of him."
That was exactly the right thing to say, and Minske knew it. Tigris' face dusted, both from embarrassment at realizing how whiny he sounded and anger that Minske would insinuate that he was scared. "Oh, nevermind," he mumbled, turning to go and brave the colt's wrath. Fifty in Front was a bullet on the track, but he was just plain mean. Nobody really wanted to handle him. Minske turned back around to groom Lucky Silver, who was thus far standing well for him, and smiled. He didn't envy Tigris the task of looking after the rough juvenile, and even Lucky, who could be a handful, was golden by comparison. It only took a few minutes for the curses to come flowing from that end of the barn. Minske called out helpfully, "Let me know if he starts trampling you, I'll come right away." Tigris called back something not fit for young ears, and with a laugh Minske finished saddling the big chestnut stallion in front of him.
He waited until Tigris finished up with Finn, who was actually behaving mildly for once - he'd only bitten Tigris once, probably due to the reflexive backhand to the nose he'd gotten in return. Finn was now watching Tigris with wary eyes, probably trying to decide what to do next to his human handler. Eventually the boys and horses were on their way down, Finn a few lengths behind Lucky, who didn't take kindly to the younger male's bravado. Lucky was fairly compliant under Minske's firm hands, though any time Finn got too close, he threw his head up and pinned his ears, casting a nasty eye behind him. "Yes, yes, you're top dog. Now come on," Minske said fondly, getting the horse's attention and leading him on. Finn wasn't cowed by the shows of dominance, but the lip chain kept him from charging forward and causing a problem. Tigris had a sour look on his face - at least Finn hadn't gotten as good of a hold as he could have, just leaving a light bite on his shoulder.
The two didn't say much as they made their way to the track, preoccupied with handling their difficult charges. When they reached the track, they were greeted by two laughing figures, oblivious to the boys' early troubles. One was an older man in his forties, with blonde hair and blue eyes that showed a remarkable resemblance to Minske's - rightly so, because it was his father, Cole Mavecci, the trainer for Valkyrie. The other person was a woman a little older than the two boys, and looked every bit a 'woman' rather than a 'girl'. Her hair was long and chocolate-brown, and when she turned, her face was as pretty as any model's. "Hey, boys," she all but cooed, walking up to drape her arms over Minske's shoulders and kiss him lightly on the cheek. He smiled back at her, then waved her away - Lucky wasn't appreciating the extra company, and he could almost feel Tigris fuming behind him. Hal noticed too, and blew a kiss to the dark-haired boy. "Don't be jealous, Tiggy. I've got enough love for the both of you."
"Like I want it," Tigris said moodily, handing the lead to Cole so he could mount up. There was a little struggle as Finn tried to rear away from the man, but Cole got him back under control long enough for Tigris to mount. He let him go, allowing the boy to move the aggressive chestnut out onto the track. Minske had mounted Lucky, but was standing waiting for instructions - with Finn out of the vicinity, Lucky was practically placid. Hal had moved back to the rail, and seemed to be taunting Tigris as the boy circled the colt, keeping him from taking off.
"As keyed up as Finn's acting right now, he's going to want to take the lead - let him. Let Lucky settle back four or five lengths. I don't care if he passes Finn in the end, just get him even. He doesn't have anything to prove to a juvenile, but Finn needs to feel a horse coming up behind. Just go five, they don't need more than that." Minske nodded, gathering the reins to lead the horse onto the dirt. Lucky felt strong beneath him, walking with his head bowed and nostrils flaring. He knew what was coming, and he was ready for it. He signaled for Tigris to start the warm up, calling out the instructions as they trotted down the middle of the track. After that, Tigris was pretty quiet, hands full with keeping the excited animal under him from taking off. He was a young horse, so that coupled with his aggression made him a difficult horse to keep under control. He wanted what he wanted, and he got pissed when it wasn't given to him.
Soon the two horses were asked to canter, getting a feel for the track as it churned beneath their feet. Minske didn't have to do a whole lot with Lucky, who was naturally falling back a little. The worst he did was toss his head every once in awhile in eagerness, but he didn't fight. A few minutes more, and the horses were asked to gallop, moving closer to the rail. Minske was worried, watching as Finn tried to bolt - however, Tigris managed to bring him back to hand after a few strides, settling him into an easy gallop. Tigris was a good rider, but he wasn't as experienced as he could be. He seemed to be doing well with the headstrong chestnut, though - probably because Tigris was one of the most headstrong people Minske had ever met. They were made for each other, really. Smiling at the thought, Minske watched as Tigris gave the signal to start the work. He leaned over Finn's neck, and the colt easily took off, kept off of a breakneck pace my the boy's steady hands. Minske followed suit, easily settling Lucky four lengths behind the juvenile. The stallion obeyed, but the blonde boy could tell that he was watching the other colt hungrily. He was ready to give chase at any moment.
They went easy for two furlongs, then Minske started asking asking Lucky for more. The chestnut gave it willingly, slowly increasing his pace, cutting the distance between he and Finn with every stride. Minske moved him off the rail, then with two furlongs left, he gave the stallion his head. He jumped forward, hooves churning, gaining on the pair. Finn was asked to go as well, but he didn't seem to notice the challenge from behind until Lucky was at his hip. The colt pushed back hard, but it was too late - Lucky's momentum kept him going, and he passed the wire half a length in front of the younger horse. Minske asked Lucky to gallop out, strength and stamina much better than the younger horse's. When they pulled in by the gate, Finn looked considerably more tired than Lucky, but had a dangerous, fiery look in his eye. He knew he'd been beat, and he wasn't at all happy about it. Perhaps he'd fight a little less and listen a little more in the future...
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Post by Kenren on Aug 31, 2013 21:58:49 GMT -5
In Front & Halexia SuhailAs the two boys moved off the track to have closing words with Cole, Halexia blew by on her ride for the day, a spirited colt named In Front. It earned her a few shouts from the boys, who apparently didn't appreciate her spraying them with dirt, but she didn't mind. She allowed Ticker, as he was called, to canter when he reached the turf track, settling him on the rail since she was the only one out there. Hal rode a little differently than anyone else at Valkyrie - she had no fear, and no inhibitions. She was reckless, really, taking holes that seemed to small and rushing headlong into whatever was thrown in front of her. But it made her a hell of a rider, bringing out the best in the horses, matching their competitive spirits. However, today at least, there was no competition for her to race at at breakneck speeds. Just a routine breeze, three furlongs to ready the juvenile for his upcoming race.
In Front was a horse on lease from Oak Hill Farm, and there was a lot of hope that he would shine in the coming years. He had a great pedigree, and one win already under his belt - Valkyrie was hoping to close out his season strongly, and this work would be his last before the Yellow Cup. Hal kept his pace steady, taking no nonsense when he tried to break into a faster speed. When she felt the huge, muscled bay finally relax, she rewarded him with a gallop. The long-legged horse stretched out, stride insanely large even at a slow pace. There was something different about riding a horse over seventeen hands than any other - their motion was different. Bigger. It was a thrill.
They reached the pole to start, and Hal leaned forward, asking Ticker for more. "Let's go, big boy," she crooned to him. The colt responded, digging in and pushing the pace faster. She mostly let him have his head, since she had no instructions to hold him back. The horse kept driving, speed increasing steadily with every stride. He was all power, even with his two-year-old frame. He didn't quit, didn't flag. Hal felt invigorated as they passed the wire, still surging, still full of energy. The woman asked the horse for a lot on the gallop out, wanting him to remain strong, and he rose to the occasion. He was sweating but alert when she pulled him up, and she patted both sides of his neck.
"Such a sweet boy," she said after she dismounted, scratching under his forelock fondly. He leaned into it, then shook himself out. He was handed off to a hotwalker, and Hal turned to talk to Cole, who was leaning against the rail. "They all looked pretty good, huh?" she said, hopping to sit on a rail, looking down at the older man. Cole shrugged in response, though he seemed happy. "They always look good. Let's just hope they can perform for us."
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