Then he heard his father�s voice asking him to sit up. �Can�t, Dad,� David mumbled. �My head�s gone.�
Ben laughed in relief, then leaned over to block the sun as David opened his eye. �What happened?�
�Movie tossed you. He�s OK.� Ben offered his hand to David and slowly helped him sit up. �That was an impressive spill, son.�
David rubbed his elbow. �It feels like it was.� He carefully moved his legs, then wiggled his toes. Everything worked. Everything that is, except his right ankle. �I think he kicked me, Dad. My right ankle feels like it got stepped on.�
Ben probed the ankle and heard David hiss at the pain. �You�re going to the ER. It might be broken.�
David groaned loudly, then let his father help him stand. Father and son slowly made their way to the waiting truck, and left for the emergency room.
Four hours later, they were back at the farm. David�s ankle was indeed broken and now encased in a hard cast. It would be at least six very long weeks before he could ride again. The only thing he could think about was King. There weren�t very many other riders that he responded to. King was an odd horse in temperament. He had days where he was the most obedient horse on the farm, and other days when he was a holy terror for his groom. It took a strong hand, and yet a soft touch to get him to respond. It was a delicate balance to keep.
Ben too was worried about how King would react to the rider change. Even though most of the staff didn�t know it, Holleyhock Farms desperately needed a big win, and King was the horse with the talent, speed, and stamina to pull it off. He would have to find the right rider soon, or the entire planned Triple Crown campaign would never happen.
David knew his father was worried about how the accident would affect King�s training, and that night at dinner he made a suggestion. �Dad, do you think Courtney could ride King in his workouts? She knows how to handle him and he likes her.�
Ben looked at his son. He was serious. �Is this your idea or her idea?�
�Both. I called her, and she�d like to if it�s okay with you.�
Ben thought a moment. �I�ll have to talk to Polly and Courtney�s dad.�
David smiled. If he couldn�t ride King, having his best friend ride him was almost as fun.
The next day, after church, David slowly made his way down to the broodmare barn. He hadn�t seen Coco and Sunny since the middle of the week. His jacket pockets were filled with carrots, and he doled them out as he went down the aisle in the barn. It had rained again, and most of the mares were inside to protect the foals from getting sick.
Coco heard his voice as he talked to the other mares, and stuck her head over the stall door. She nickered happily as David slipped the latch and let himself in. Sunny was curled up in the corner taking a nap.
David reached up under Coco�s forelock and scratched, moving down behind her ear then down her jawline. She sighed blissfully, then nosed at his pockets for the carrots. David pulled one out and fed it to her, then sat down. His ankle did hurt, even if he wouldn�t admit it.
Coco sniffed at the cast momentarily, then turned to check on her foal. David watched in silence, then leaned his head back and let his eyes close. He was so tired and he had no idea why. Before he knew it, he had dozed off.
When he awoke again, the first thing he heard was voices. He stood up and went to the stall door, being careful to stay hidden. Coco was drowsing and Sunny was nursing, so he knew they wouldn�t give him away.
�Polly, Brent has fallen in love with that little palamino colt.�
David clenched his jaw to keep from exploding. Brent Tyson wasn�t in love with Sunny, not like David was. He heard a sigh.
�Brian, I just can�t give up Sunny�s future. His breeding gives me a lot of hope for what he can do. He�s bred to race, not be a pleasure horse.�
He relaxed. Mrs. Polly wasn�t going to give in to her fianc�s son.
�When I said Brent could pick any horse he wanted for his own, I didn�t mean my future racers. He�s welcome to claim one from the older string, or even one of my retired horses. There are a couple of geldings that would make excellent pleasure horses for him.�
�I understand that, Polly,� Brian soothed. �It�s just that he�s always dreamed of having his own racehorse.�
David poked his head out a little further and saw Mrs. Polly turn to face Brian Tyson. �And he can, but not one of the foals or yearlings. He can lay claim to any of the current racers except Flamenco and King.�
David grinned triumphantly. Flamenco was starting her 3-year-old season, and had a lot of promise. She loved the turf, and David was itching to ride her in a turf race. He wanted to enter her in the Breeder�s Cup Turf later that year and see how she did how against the colts.
�Why not those two?� David heard Brian ask.
�Because they have talent, speed, and heart. That�s a winning combination no matter what their breeding is. King is pointed at the Triple Crown, and Ben has high hopes for Flamenco in graded stakes. She�s one of the best fillies I�ve ever seen.�
David ducked back into the stall as Mrs. Polly and Brian came down the aisle. He turned, and bumped into Sunny who was standing there staring at him. David rubbed the colt�s nose and ears.
Then he heard someone lean over the door, and he turned around. It was Mrs. Polly. �Did you hear all of that?� she asked.
David nodded. �I didn�t mean to.�
Mrs. Polly smiled and shook her head. �It�s OK. Sunny is going to have a fantastic racing career. No one is going to interfere with what your father wants to do.�
�Really?� David couldn�t help asking.
�Really.�
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
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