"Jog him a half mile and then let him go at the pole. Let's see what he can do over eight furlongs."
Elizabeth Bennet glanced at her father, exasperation written plainly on her face as she tried to control the fidgeting colt beneath her.
"Just do the best you can, Liz. He's got to learn to settle down at some point and earn his keep. I noted his workout on the training board, so it should be pretty clear out there," added Mr. Bennet as he let go of the bridle.
With a nod, Elizabeth lightly urged the colt forward toward the gap in the track railing, while silently wishing she was back at the barn mucking stalls. Anywhere but here, she thought.
A small smile graced her face once they stepped onto the dirt track and she noticed that her father had been right. Not a horse or rider was in sight. The track was practically hers. The smile was suddenly replaced by a frown when she realized that no one was on the track because everyone had decided the view was better from the rail. "Doesn't anyone have anything better to do?" she whispered to herself. The chestnut colt flicked his ears back at the sound of Elizabeth's voice and started into a high stepping trot at the sight of the numerous trainers, exercise riders, and grooms leaning against the outside rail, no doubt thinking they were his admirers.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. The appropriately named Bold Trouble, for all of his promising bloodlines, speed, tall stature, and beautiful golden coat, was nothing but trouble. Ever since her father had brought the colt home from the Keeneland Auction as a yearling, he had wrecked havoc. Now at two years old, the age when most racehorses begin their careers, Trouble was nowhere near ready for his first race. The horse was headstrong and almost impossible to ride, his morning workouts becoming the favorite pastime of many horsemen based out of Meryton Downs, who no doubt felt safer on the sidelines than on the track with Bold Trouble during his workouts. He did as he pleased, bolting when he was told to halt, refusing to load in the practice gate, and just plain throwing his rider whenever he felt like it. Elizabeth had lost count of how many riders her father had gone through after finally giving up and realizing that his own daughter was the best for the job. She knew how guilty her dad felt every time he gave her a leg up onto the Trouble's back, but their family's hopes rested on this unraced horse. Her father thought he was the horse he had spent all his life waiting for.
As they reached the half mile pole at a fast trot, Elizabeth crouched low over Trouble's neck and clicked her tongue as she gave him more rein. The colt tossed his head and eagerly broke into a canter and then ground eating gallop. Elizabeth smiled into the horse's mane. So far, though not the perfect gentleman, Trouble had been controllable and had listened to her cues, allowing her to ease her tight hold on the reins and simply enjoy the colt's huge stride.
Suddenly near the mile marker, the reins slid through her hands as Trouble grabbed the bit in his teeth and swerved toward the outside of the track, running full speed. While desperately tugging on the reins, Elizabeth looked up to see another horse and rider slowly galloping toward them on the outside track reserved for horses doing slower workouts. She tried to shout out to them, but her voice was drowned out by pounding hooves as Trouble surged on. As panic seized her, Elizabeth could only pray that the oncoming rider would soon realize that her horse was running wild. Her prayers were soon answered, yet as the other rider tried to frantically steer his mount out of the way, his own bay horse suddenly reared. Mere feet away from the bay, Elizabeth mustered up all her strength and yanked Trouble's reins to the left causing the colt to lose balance.
The last thing Elizabeth remembered was hearing a man's angry shout as she flew over Trouble's neck and hit the ground.