"Are we there
yet?"
Laura sighed, getting a little impatient. She
looked over from the passenger seat to look at her 8 y/o cousin, who had popped in for a
visit and gone with them to the White Oak Handicap, where she saw Reina Meadow’s own,
Universal, run third.
“We’ll be there in 10…9…8…7…”
"We get the
point, Dad!", Laura sighed as she looked at her father, who was
driving the whole crew. Finally, the truck and trailer pulled up to the driveway and headed
down the steep hill, and then to a flatter area where Reina Meadows was nestled.
Laura
hopped out and grinned when she saw Jackie running up.
"Third! He got third!
Yipee!"
"If this if what you’re like when he gets third, we better get prepared when
he wins!"
Laura’s dad had already lowered the ramp. Laura rushed up and unloaded the
colt herself.
Universal didn’t seem at all tired. He’d ran well, and now he just
seemed glad to be back in the high altitudes. The chestnut colt pranced on the spot, tossing
his head and swishing his tail, still wrapped from the trip.
"I’m sure you want to
get him settled back in yourself, Laura?" Jackie smiled as she picked up the tack trunk.
“Yea, that’d be…”
“I wanna!”
“Umm, look, Chrissy…” Laura sighed, looking
at her younger cousin, "Universal isn’t like the Shetland ponies you’re used too. He’s a
racehorse, and needs special care. He spooks easily…"
"You’re saying I can’t
handle a racehorse?"
“You’re not even trotting yet on Peanut,” Laura sighed,
referring to the buckskin Shetland gelding that had tagged along with Chrissy, and was being
stabled with Minx. And the little yearling just loved it.
"Oh, yea? Well soon,
Peanut and I are gonna win the Triple Crown! He goes up to 100 gazillion miles per, umm,
second!"
“Wow, that sure is fast!”, Jackie said. "It looks as though Peanut has become
a babysitter. Why don’t you go help him with Minx?"
Laura looked over to see the
little bay nipping at Peanut, as if to say, “Hey, c’mon and play! How about tag?”
“Okay!” Chrissy ran over to the paddock and whistled. Jackie hurried after her. And,
finally, Laura led Universal to the racehorse barn, so he could finally get settled after the
race.
)