Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2014 15:19:43 GMT -5
Lime Light and Heart of Rio
Jockeyed by Evan Winters and Lucy McDuff
Lime and Rio were a good pair. Lime was so laid back he was almost sleeping, and Rio was annoying enough to keep him awake. Lucy thought that the idea of Lime being a race horse was amusing, but he was a good boy with a nice stride. He wasn't the brightest horse on the block, but he was the most mellow, easygoing colt she'd ever come across and he wasn't a bad runner either. He wasn't the handsomest horse, nor was he likely the fastest one out there, but he would get a person from point A to point B with a good, solid effort. Perhaps once he found his feet a little more, he would shape up to be a fine race horse. In any case, he was perfect for getting Evan more comfortable. The kid was a bit skittish, and while he was a good rider, Lucy thought he had a bit too much of a soft side. Of course, she never was brutal or harsh to the horses, but they weren't pets - they liked to throw their weight around, and one had to be on their toes and know exactly how much to push back.
He would get there eventually. Meanwhile, she was sitting atop Rio, who was a different story. She was a sweetheart, but Lucy thought she was something of a menace. She was always causing trouble, irritating other horses, and people as well, but at least she was friendly about it. As she and Evan made their way out onto the track, she noticed a few others out there as well, but for the most part it was quiet. Once again, Jaimy was absent, but this did not bother Lucy in the slightest. They were going to be working six furlongs today, nothing too fast, just a good race pace run kept steady. "Ready?" she asked as she walked over to give the younger jockey a leg up. Evan nodded, and she hoisted him up onto Lime's back. Then, she turned to Rio and vaulted up into the saddle herself.
"How do you do that?" Evan asked. "That...jumping up there."
Lucy grinned. "Three years of gymnastics, mate. Comes in handy sometimes. Let's go," Clucking at Rio, the filly's ears swiveled back and she sprang into a canter, leaping forward as though she were doing a poor impression of a gazelle. Lucy made a noise like a disgruntled cat, sitting out the display of energy while Evan struggled to get his own mount into a canter. What a pair of racehorses they were. However, despite these antics, both horses managed to move into a hand gallop. Lime was moving along well, his even large stride almost melodic as his hooves pounded away. It was like he was trying to go as softly as possible, his long, conservative stride carrying him so smoothly that Evan hardy bobbed at all. Rio was another case, but she had an elegant, even longer stride that rocked back and fourth. She was more of a distance horse than her chestnut companion, but the six furlong workout would be good for the both of them. As they fell in stride, Rio began reaching over towards Lime's neck, ears pricked as she bared her teeth almost playfully. Lucy locked her right elbow and stopped her mid motion, giving her a smack on the shoulder and allowing her to go a little wide on the first turn. As they galloped slowly past the six eighths pole, both jockeys urged their horses into a race pace.
It was evident that Lime was half asleep, but he seemed spurred on by Rio's enthusiasm to some degree. Jaimy was right, they were a good pair. Lime was calm enough not to be bothered by Rio's antics, and Rio was tempered slightly by the chestnut colt's easy nature. As they began to open up, a slight competition became evident. Once again, they fell in stride with each other as they rounded the final turn, and while they were both already going fast, both jockeys had to keep a close rein on them, allowing one to edge ahead, then forcing them to back off a little, getting them used to the idea of not always being in the front, and listening to their jockeys commands. In the last two furlongs, it was difficult not to flat out race, and both horses were still going quite strong. Rio was slightly more athletic than Lime, due mostly to age and experience, but Lime was quite capable of matching her pace.
Finally, they flew under the wire, and both jockeys began slowing their horses, which proved easy enough for Evan, but not so much for Lucy. Upon bridging her reins, the filly simply curled her head underneath her, almost at her chest and kept right on going until she finally grew tired of yanking on her own mouth and slowed to a reasonable pace. It had been a good workout, that much was for sure, and Lucy hoped they would be ready to jump back into races again - their first couple of weeks hadn't gone too well, but that was to be expected. She just hoped that they would get their acts together soon so that Evergreen Stables didn't become the local joke.
