Faith In Shadows & Grave Digger; got an ENTOURAGE

[Melissa]

and her own paparazzi

The bay mare tossed her head, hindquarters swinging out as she nearly run into Grave Digger who squealed and nipped at Faith. "Jeez Kyle take him on the track already." I snapped and tugged sharply on Faith's reins with a sharp "chill out." to the Thoroughbred and Faith flared her nostrils, eyes keeping track of the black Gus gelding as he fought Kyle every inch of the way to the track. Faith struck out with a hoof and I wrapped my hand tightly around the rein and with the help of Gabs who gave me a leg up on the mare's back I held tight as Faith blew toward the track gap. Gabrielle barely got out of the dynamic racer's way before Faith charged, ears back as she slammed to a halt when she was a good distance away from the rail. I pulled her head around firmly to my boot and made her trot in a tight circle to hopefully settle out her high spirits. The Augusto gelding a little ways away seemed not willing to let Kyle get close enough to mount up and I smirked in his direction, it was time he got what he deserved. Between me and Jade we had been doing a lot of the ground-work with the Gus son and I had ridden him in his first start under our colors but I couldn't continue to ride the racer Kyle would be training himself and today was the perfect opportunity since I had planned on working Faith and Dudley could use a blow-out against an older, more experienced racer.

With a loud neigh Dudley's head shot up and he crow-hopped around the blond trainer. Kyle scowled and pulled back hard on the reins, hard enough to make the gelding pause in his explosives and he took advantage lurching for the saddle, his foot already swinging across Dudley's back and into the stirrup before the black knew it. Shuddering Dudley's eyes rolled and he reared, hooves pawing at the ground. "Let's start the gallop from a standstill. I don't think Dudley will be able to enter the gates with you." I called, the last bit of the sentence coming out in a sing-song voice. Kyle's eyes narrowed at me when Dudley leaped forward, hooves digging into the surface as his head came up and his mouth opened due to his rider's strong hold on the reins. Faith swayed from side to side restlessly as she attempted to take control of the bit. Moving my left hand slightly I let Faith trot to where it was good and even for a fast transition to a gallop from a halt. "Here's good." I said over my shoulder and wrestled Faith down to a walk. Dudley pranced up a minute later, his neck covered with sweat and tail swishing angerily as he chomped on his bit. Faith's ears pinned back and she threw her head up, "now!" Kyle half exlaimed and half growled when Dudley and Faith were both somewhat calm to start the gallop. It was best to do it when they both calmed down, since it was now telling how long firecracker Dudley would remain calm and Faith was running on high.

We both leaned forward and gave sharp taps with our heels into Dudley and Faith's sides. Faith broke faster into the gallop, her long willow body easily leaving the gelding behind as she blew forward. The black gelding took a second to realize he was being left in our dust and then he was coming after us with astonishing speed and power in each step. Faith didn't like it one bit that Dudley was inching up on her and despite my iron-hold she maintained a neck lead over him, dirt flying up around us as they swept around the turn and entered the backstretch. I glanced underneath my arm at Kyle and Dudley, noting that the three year old still had untapped reserves but so did my mount and she showed signs of not being the one to finish second. This was a distance workout, mainly for Dudley to see how long he could withstand the grueling pace it would take. We had suspected he'd be a horse who could run best at anything over a mile to a mile and a eighth but Kyle and I had thought it would be wise to test him under wraps to the mile and then let both him and Faith out for a blow-out from the mile marker onward. Kyle slipped Dudley a bit of rein and he shot up to vie for the lead from the bay mare. Faith surged forward without any encouragement, her legs stretching out farther as she stretched out running nearly parallel with the ground.

Dudley's ears were back and he was going stride for stride with the bay, his huge size was helping him inch forward but Faith was fighting back, tooth and nail. She was not going to let him get a inch over her and I still hadn't let her out yet. Kyle had given rein to Dudley to let him catch up with Faith, but other than that Dudley was racing even with the four year old at his side. To succeed, you had to just step up or you were on the loosing end and it looked like neither racer wanted to be on the loosing end. The mile marker swept on us and with one fast exchanged look we both leaned over our horses withers calling encouragement to the bay and black. Dudley streaked forward but Faith was right on his tail until the seventeen hand colt swerved in front and bucked. Whinnying out sharply Faith ducked to Dudley's outside, his hoof had knicked her in the chest but the determined mare was still rolling despite the small superficial cut. Setting her down I kicked once with my heels, feeling her pour the speed out even more and she rushed up on the gelding's outside just as they made their way to the start of the second turn.

Ears flattened firmly into forelocks the bay looked Dudley dead on into his eye, teeth showing a bit as she feinted a bite at his shoulder and he screamed, coming off the rail slightly but Kyle got him back on track. Faith tossed a smug look in the gelding's direction as the two bolted down the backstretch. Their necks had sweat lines from the reins and foam that had flown back from their mouths was staining their chests. Finally when I felt Faith start to run on fumes and not gas, they were entering the first turn for the second time and I stood back, hands grabbing hold farther up on the reins to slow the mare down. Kyle immediately started pulling Dudley up, noticing I was trying to get Faith under hand. "You did girl, come on steady." I pleaded as Faith continued to pound forward and it was only until she had gotten a length over Dudley that she slowed down to a bumpy trot. Dudley looked like he was giving Kyle a relatively easy time with some small kicks out at he was slowed down. Faith dropped her pace to a walk and I slid my feet out of the stirrups. "Talk about a wild ride." I mused feeling my calves relax against Faith's sides as she walked along on a loose rein head high with pride. "That was a great ride, especially once Dudley started to listen more." Kyle said happily and I looked over to find the blond trainer nearly beside himself with happiness.