Gothic Queen's Chance To Prove(Pg)
Gothic Queen threw up her majestic pure-black head in impatience. Caryn Skylar groaned good-naturedly as she turned from where she’d been patting the Queen’s sire Wonder’s Champion on the muzzle. Ever since she’d first come to the Whitebrook stables when she’d accepted a job from Ashleigh Griffen the jockey well-known for riding winners despite injury and other set backs she’d fallen in love with the ‘pay attention to me’ attitude of the Queen. It was her greatest dream to ride a Triple Tiara winner and she felt that Gothic Queen would be the one. The Queen’s dam Ms. Gothin’ Up the Track, Ms. Goth for short, had been a slouch at the track and had been retired to a broodmare at the young age of 3. This was her first foal and no one expected much from this spiting image of her coal-black coat even though the Queen sire was a Triple Crown winner. Caryn thought so though. There was something about this ornery 1-year-old that made Caryn feel the warmth of happiness despite the cold days of late December. Caryn then made her way over to the yearlings paddock and was greeted by a gentle bump from the Queen.
“All right, all right you’ve got me this time, Queen.” Caryn told the big black horse through her
laughter. “Here’s your carrot. Now when you finish eating your snack let’s go in and then you can eat the rest of your meal.” She continued as she pulled a bright orange carrot out of her pocket. Then after giving the horse the treat she swiftly clipped the purple lead to the matching halter that the munching horse wore.
“Hey Caryn.” A voice called from Champion’s pasture. It was Cindy McLean, Wonder’s Champion’s young groom and Caryn’s good friend. Caryn could only take a quick glance a Cindy before Gothic Queen nudged her in the back. Cindy had come to bring Champion in and Caryn still had to escort Jazzman, Mike Reese, the co-owner of Whitebrook’s, prize stallion to his waiting dinner bucket. “How’s the thundercloud?” Cindy then asked referring to the stable’s nickname for Queen.
“ You know what Cindy? I think the thundercloud has suddenly changed into a rainbow.” Caryn joked as she led Gothic Queen, who was playfully prancing and snorting at the end of her lead, to the warm stall that was waiting to house this one-person horse. Then she went back out into the cold to fetch Jazzman.
That night Caryn carefully navigated her way down the long drive to the site of her previous job, Townsend Acres. Caryn was sure that even after she moved to Whitebrook that both Clay Townsend, the owner of Townsend Acres, and Ken Maddock, the head trainer at Acres, would ask her to ride some of their horses in races. Caryn would gladly say yes to their offer because it was at Townsend Acres that she’d received her apprentice jockey’s license. It was her way of saying ‘thank you’ for allowing them to ride their horses so she could get her jockey’s license and for giving Ms. Gothin’ Up the Track to her after she won an important race on another horse. When she got home she planned on getting ready to move by tomorrow which would be January the 1st. Which was the date when all horses officially became a year older. Caryn had so many plans for Gothic Queen’s two-year-old racing season and she couldn’t wait to discuss them with Ashleigh, Cindy’s dad through adoption Ian McLean, and Ian’s biological daughter Samantha McLean. All of these people even Cindy would play a role in training Gothic Queen into becoming a winner and throwing aside all doubts about her, Queen’s and Caryn’s, future.
Re: Gothic Queen's Chance To Prove(Pg)
Guess what everybody? I've got it!! Now all I need to do is get chap. #3.
Chapter 2
The next morning Caryn arrived at Whitebrook at the crack of dawn. Neatly stacked in the back of her beat-up blue truck were cardboard boxes that she’d stayed up late last night to pack. It was a good thing she’d had to pack last night because otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to stay up late enough to ring in the New Year. Now she was going to start the year off at a new job on a new farm. She painstakingly backed her truck up to the front door of the small cottage that she’d occupy as long as she held this position. Then she parked it and made her way down to the training barn to groom and feed Gothic Queen and her other charges. Which included Ms. Goth, who was once again in foal with a filly or colt from an unraced 7-year-old that Caryn’s parents had recently bought for her from Keenland Horse Auction. They’d bought him as a congrats-gift on her new job. Her parents had, as seasoned horse buyers, bought this horse because they wanted to help Caryn acquire more stock for her dream farm.
This stallion was nearly completely black except for a white face, giving him a demonlike appearance, which was a shocking contrast to his sweet disposition. Keeping this in mind his previous owners had combined the two qualities when they registered him as Eerie Moonlight. Upon his arrival at Whitebrook he’d quickly developed the reputation as the farm’s ‘lap-horse’.
It was in front of Eerie‘s stall that Caryn found Ashleigh Reese and Ashleigh’s daughter Christina. Christina was two-years-old and as cute as a button. Ashleigh glanced up and gave Caryn a small smile before returning her eyes to Christina whom was petting Eerie’s nose.
“Hey Ash, who do you think I should breed Eerie to? Should I breed him to one of the jumper mares, outside mares of owners who want to take a gamble, or wait and buy some mares I think have potential as good breeding stock?” Caryn asked.
“It doesn’t really matter to me considering he’s YOUR horse. But if you want my opinion I think you should wait and buy mares best suited for his bloodlines.” Ashleigh said picking up Christina and continuing. “ I’m going to drive Christina over to my parents’ place so she can get situated before we all leave for Saratoga so why don’t you take some time off and work that medieval horse of yours. I hear that they may have a Medieval Age horse show this year and award prizes for the most authentic act.”
“ You just read my mind Ash, I was just coming down here to ask you if I could take the afternoon off.” Caryn said as she fondled Eerie’s ears before turning and heading towards the end stall of the broodmare barn where her horse Icy Blueberry was stabled. Ice was a descendent of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Silver Charm. The only qualities Ice inherited from her famous ancestor was the stamina it took to win those two jewels of the Triple Crown. Other than that she was like any other saddle horse. Ice was a blue roan and was almost as sweet as Eerie though she only was liked that when it was just Caryn around otherwise she tolerated other people as best she could. Ice had a companion that was always there with her wherever she went. Her ever-present friend was a pygmy goat named Buttons.
Buttons had at one time been a petting zoo animal, but after repeated butting attacks on some extremely young kids she wound up as a horse’s companion. Buttons was covered in spots of different shades on her gray/ white coat.
~ • ~
An hour later Ice was completely tacked up and was standing tied to the fence waiting for Caryn to finish getting together all of her props. One of which was a peregrine falcon who’d Caryn had a friend who specialized in training birds of prey to do all sorts of things train to act like the olden hunting birds the kings and nobles had. Another prop was a sweet little deerhound that would, during the act, flush out a freshly caught wild rabbit for the falcon to kill. Ice was quite at ease with her fellow co-workers so when Caryn swung into the saddle she was as calm as could be. Then Caryn whistled very loudly and the practice session began.
at: 2/23/04 7:17 pm
just keep writing; you'll get there and everything will become easier.
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