Post by BeLuna on Mar 24, 2009 15:28:16 GMT -6
"Alright, Affie, listen up," a sweet voice came from the path heading to the Western Ring, talking quietly to her horse. The black and white Quarter-horse champion seemed to understand her and flicked both of his ears in her direction, giving the appearance of listening intently to her. Perhaps he was, perhaps he did understand her every word, humans will never know. "Chris is going to time us from outside the ring," she continued, gesturing towards the stablehand she had recruited for the job. "We don't have to do perfect, but if we beat last year's record set by Midnight and Crystal of 19.42 seconds, our names will go in the books for setting the record in our state. This isn't an official competition, it's just practice, but we could still beat the record. What do you say, boy, you ready?"
An Affair to Remember tossed his head high up in the air and then brought it back down, as if to say that yes, he was ready to break the state record. If they could do it in practice, they always did it in competition. The hardest part was getting the time down in practice. Leia laughed, a high clear sound that made Affie fold his ears back and then tickle her neck with his muzzle. "Alright then, let's do it," Leia whispered to him, swinging her leg up into the slim western saddle that was as versatile as it was lightweight, perfect for barrel-racing, trail riding, and other Western sports. She fit the saddle perfectly too, probably because it was custom made for her and Affie. The stallion felt the comfortable familiarity of weight on his back and snorted excitedly, even as her gentle hands touched the reins.
"Okay, Chris, as soon as we shoot out of the gate start the clock. When the last barrel is completely rounded, stop it," Leia instructed Chris as she nudged Affie towards the box-gate on the side of the ring that opened up into the area with only three solitary barrels, laid out exactly as they would be in a competition. The gate to the outside was open and Affie went in easily, dancing a little on his hooves and anticipating the challenge soon to be posed to them. Leia closed the gate on Affie's right side and motioned for Chris to come over and hit the latch for the inside gate. As he walked quickly over, she readjusted her cowboy hat, got her feet firmly in the stirrups and settled easily into position.
Chris hit the latch on the gate and the start button on the stopwatch at the same time, while Affie and Leia shot out, just as she had said, like a bullet towards the first barrel. The wind whipped through her short hair and she urged Affie faster, faster...the first barrel seemed to take forever, but it hardly took but 3 seconds. Then off to the second barrel, curving around it gracefully like a dancer. Affie responded eagerly to her, as willing to please as any devoted spouse. She maneuvered him expertly and suddenly they were finished and Affie was trotting towards the small gate again, but Chris had already hit the stopwatch. Leia was breathing hard, Affie was breathing harder, but she had a smile on her face as she walked Affie out, not allowing the stallion to go back to the gate for another go like he was used to. "What do we got, Chris?" she asked, trotting the black and white horse around the ring easily. It was good to strengthen his legs and loosen them up; barrel racing could be dangerous to a horse with weak ankles and legs.
"16.29 seconds!" he called back to her and she answered with an immediate 'WHOOP!' that rang through the air. Affie had no idea why she was happy, but he figured it had something to do with what they had just done. "We did it, boy! We broke the record by a full three seconds!" Leia whispered, hugging Affie's neck and continuing to trot him out with a big grin on her face.
[/center]An Affair to Remember tossed his head high up in the air and then brought it back down, as if to say that yes, he was ready to break the state record. If they could do it in practice, they always did it in competition. The hardest part was getting the time down in practice. Leia laughed, a high clear sound that made Affie fold his ears back and then tickle her neck with his muzzle. "Alright then, let's do it," Leia whispered to him, swinging her leg up into the slim western saddle that was as versatile as it was lightweight, perfect for barrel-racing, trail riding, and other Western sports. She fit the saddle perfectly too, probably because it was custom made for her and Affie. The stallion felt the comfortable familiarity of weight on his back and snorted excitedly, even as her gentle hands touched the reins.
"Okay, Chris, as soon as we shoot out of the gate start the clock. When the last barrel is completely rounded, stop it," Leia instructed Chris as she nudged Affie towards the box-gate on the side of the ring that opened up into the area with only three solitary barrels, laid out exactly as they would be in a competition. The gate to the outside was open and Affie went in easily, dancing a little on his hooves and anticipating the challenge soon to be posed to them. Leia closed the gate on Affie's right side and motioned for Chris to come over and hit the latch for the inside gate. As he walked quickly over, she readjusted her cowboy hat, got her feet firmly in the stirrups and settled easily into position.
Chris hit the latch on the gate and the start button on the stopwatch at the same time, while Affie and Leia shot out, just as she had said, like a bullet towards the first barrel. The wind whipped through her short hair and she urged Affie faster, faster...the first barrel seemed to take forever, but it hardly took but 3 seconds. Then off to the second barrel, curving around it gracefully like a dancer. Affie responded eagerly to her, as willing to please as any devoted spouse. She maneuvered him expertly and suddenly they were finished and Affie was trotting towards the small gate again, but Chris had already hit the stopwatch. Leia was breathing hard, Affie was breathing harder, but she had a smile on her face as she walked Affie out, not allowing the stallion to go back to the gate for another go like he was used to. "What do we got, Chris?" she asked, trotting the black and white horse around the ring easily. It was good to strengthen his legs and loosen them up; barrel racing could be dangerous to a horse with weak ankles and legs.
"16.29 seconds!" he called back to her and she answered with an immediate 'WHOOP!' that rang through the air. Affie had no idea why she was happy, but he figured it had something to do with what they had just done. "We did it, boy! We broke the record by a full three seconds!" Leia whispered, hugging Affie's neck and continuing to trot him out with a big grin on her face.
