QiC - Flat Race

Results: 2nd Place 

Show: 2018 Quality In Colour Show
Horse: AS Foxfire 
Class: Flat Race 
Advertisement: N/A
Prize Donation: 10  per 1st Place Entrant 
- N.B. Winners must come note me individually to ask for their prize! I won’t go around searching for them! You want it, come get it! 
Featured Horses: CS Artistic Differences, RSF You Remember Lucifer, ERS Jack the Ripper. 
QiC Extra: Mummy’s Boy

Previous Experience: 
Fox’s First Race | The Devil’s Mile Maiden | 1st Place
Slip, Slide and Away | WBS Weekly Races | 1st Place

Story: 

White Blood Stables’ race track, the home turf of WBS Ghost Hour. Fox knew his ginger had raced here before on his Father, Abyaz, a race he’d lost to his own Mother and the place they became friends. Two white horses in the snow, talking about Juliet and Juls, enjoying carrots and sugar cubes. Fox wondered if either of them at the time had any idea that one day they’d have him, a young colt who was all legs and bundles of play who more often than not had his tongue out. 

Fox would not be racing his Mother. Ghost had retired now and he’d missed any opportunity to see her or his Father run. However, despite this, he was still on her home turf and he intended to impress. He wasn’t sure, his blinders prevented him to looking around too much and getting distracted, but he hoped that somewhere she was watching. He wondered if she would cheer for him, if she’d want him to win. He wanted to win, wanted to take home a first place, but it was scarier now: in his first race back at Devils Night Downs, he’d wanted them to be proud but neither of his parents had actually been watching. Suddenly he found himself nervous. 

His ginger seemed to sense his unease and lay a gentle hand on his neck. She was wearing gloves now and he was so happy for it, he preferred it when he could feel the heat of her touch, real and comforting, but the clothes touch was accompanied by her soft, gentle voice, filled with assurance. His ginger’s confidence bolstered his own and he took a deep breath.

“You could never disappoint me,” Mother had said. When they’d met at his debut she’d seemed proud of him, like he looked strong and impressive, more so than the image of a sickly foal she’d been left with in the beginning. He snorted, arching his neck and giving a little bounce to test his muscles. He ignored his handlers scoldings as he focused on being positive. Mother would be ground of him for trying and that would be enough. 

Still, it never hurt to be an overachiever.

Fox followed his lead up to the starting gates. As he passed he saw the other horses, three other colts like him. The Palomino, CS Artistic Differences, seemed a little nervous in the company of the other two. One glance at them at Fox understood why.

RSF You Remember Lucifer and ERS Jack The Ripper looked like Devil’s, each baring their teeth with ornery expressions, fire in their eyes. Luci’s ice-blue eyes held a bite in them like the worst of Scotland’s winters, their harshness was like the chocking cold of drawing in a frozen lake. The bay roan colt looked like he’d win that race if he had to run over the other contestants to do it. No small wonder his stable mate seemed so submissive in comparison. Fox made a mental not to give him a wide birth. 

Ripper looked like he wasn’t going to any ish from the other colt. In fact, the buckskin pinto looked like he could seriously give Luci a run for his money. Any time the devil-spawn flashed his teeth ERS’s entrant flashed his right back, fearless. Fox knew at once that neither would be push overs and he didn’t want to be caught in the middle. 

Most of the time, Fox was quite like his Mother. Now, he had no aspirations of becoming a duck nor was he a bit of an air-head (mostly) but he did enjoy making friends and was often the first one to strike up conversation. However, after looking at his present company, he decided it would be wisest to forgo introductions this time. It was one of those times when he took after his Father, Abyaz’s famous conviction to simply let horses get on with it and focus on his own ambition. 

Inside the starting gates the colts maintained their manners; CS Artistic Differences’ heavy breathes and wide eyes could be heard and seen, his nerves abundantly clear; Lucifer still huffed threateningly, glaring daggers at everyone else, though he’d notably calmed - he seemed to be more focused and his threats more bark than bite now the race was starting; Ripper still had his ears pinned but like Luci looked ready to tear up the track. Fox took a deep breath, trying to block out the sounds of the other contestants, his eyes zeroing in on dirt track. 

The gates burst open.