motionless glory [closed - Ripley]

It was a time of rejuvenation. A time of return and there was no better way than to start it off with a relaxed workout with one of the best horses in the barn. Brooks sighed, chest rising and collapsing easily beneath his navy blue riding vest. Ripley had gone on a small vacation... somewhere. No one was quite sure where exactly. And she hadn't returned alone. A former face and a very new face had appeared in the back of a horse trailer that somewhere Ripley had managed to get her hands on. And just like that the woman was back in action.

About time... Brooks thought. She'd left everyone in a loop until March Week Three at Green Horse Fields where she'd shown up to ride. He grumbled beneath his breath. Just in time for the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Open. Not that Ripley would lay claim to being in charge of Red Herring and Bella Luna if they were successful anyway. She just showed up for moral support when it wasn't her own stock in the spotlight. She was a good woman with an extremely thick head. Right Freeze?

The dappled gray stallion bobbed his neck, puffed his chest. He was tough and strong. He was returning to last years brilliance around the same time too. He was officially a grade one, taking down both SOPS Axis Mundae and Star Thoroughbreds' Georgie's Girl. Frozen Motion finally had the pep back in his step after last year's Breeders Cup Turf Marathon had thrown him out for a while. Galloping with youngsters sure was bringing back his spunk. Especially Bella Luna, current The Wire turf phenom. Freeze snorted violently and stepped into a rolling, muscular canter. He was back and making a statement like it was his day job. Brooks smiled over the bowed neck, the broad body. Frozen Motion had filled out dramatically, no longer the lean greyhound.

Brooks spotted a familiar horse that he used to compete against. Ode to Glory was the forgotten horse in all of this year Turf Triple Crown party. He'd deadheated for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf with Blue Me Away and since then had seen the back of both Wish Upon A Star and Bella Luna many times. Brooks wondered if everyone at SOPS was facing a downturn, minus their talented filly In The Spotlight. He hailed the rider with a wave of his hand, drawing Frozen Motion up alongside.

Once upon a time, Freeze had been the forgotten horse, but now it would be his turn to shine again.

Brooks smiled and tried not to notice Krystal's formal tone. He couldn't blame SOPS people for being under the weather. Witch Creek itself was just making its own form of recovery. The Rising and Whipped Cream had managed to launch into grade four territory when they had just been on the edge of retiring from lack of try. The two year olds were a big downer, especially for Ripley, who had been so involved in their early training. Then Mastermind had spit the bit in the Wood Memorial and the press had launched full attack, suspecting Ripley was failing to train her past stars up to par. Brooks felt anger burn in his veins. Their relationship had sputtered to a halt when he'd proposed, but his feelings for her hadn't. Especially the protective ones.

Freeze glided beneath him, ears bobbing anxiously when he felt the tension rise. Ever the iron horse, however, the dappled gray galloped on strong. He was one of the only things that kept Brooks coming down to the barn in the morning these days. Freeze was worth more than his weight in gold and Brooks would buy him before Ripley sold him off. The stallion needed an opener today over his home track. The big races were coming up and even if he was newly grade one, he still had quite the ways to go to be back at the top of the class.

Brooks patted the horse's neck, noting the interest Freeze had taken in Ode to Glory. Oh, he's doing good. We're still trying to get back on the pedestal after the Breeders Cup. The Marathon was tough on him and it knocked him out for a little bit. But his last two wins have been solid. He's the man for Witch Creek when we need an uplifting. It's nice to have a grade one back in the barn since Mims is out popping babies now.

He paused briefly, thinking. Maggie misses her, but she's got Flawed Princess for the moment. But Mag is always out there bringing carrots to Mims and her black filly by Sweeto Cheeto. The filly looks a mirror image of her mama. Could be a bad sign for SOPS in the future. He winked then, hoping to draw Krystal out of her shell. He didn't like seeing women lost in their thoughts. Now that was a bad sign for the men in their lives. How's everything for you guys? And Ode?