A/N: Oneshot I came up with cause I was watching a barrel racing video (something I've always wanted to do) and listening to a couple barrel racing songs so I wanted to write this. Also introducing a new character, my newest OC made especially for this - Silver.
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to Disney.
There was always something different about Blade.
It wasn't a bad different. Just something that set him apart from the others. Something about the way he moved, the way he could jump into a dead run from a dead halt. Something about the way he could turn extremely sharp, extremely fast. Something about the way he placed his feet when he was running, throwing his head around.
She'd wanted to sit on him, ride him, run with him. Try him on a barrel pattern for the longest time, because she knew he would be great at it. Amazing, even. She could see it in the way he moved, the way he was built.
When she finally got that barrel racing saddle on him, the one specially designed for high speed turns, put the breast color on and slipped the bridle and the bit on his head, she knew she was in for one hell of a ride.
Superintendent Jammer had gotten the outdoor arena at the lodge all set up, with the barrels in the cloverleaf pattern. Others were running, to, not just her. Dynamite, Blackout, Avalanche, Dusty, and even Maru. A few others from the lodge with their riders... It'd just be for fun though, nothing serious.
They were second to run, after a young mare with a young rider, around her late teens. Silver herself was only fourteen. The pair ran a 17.43, the time to beat for now. It was always harder than it seemed.
When she set Blade up in front of the now open gate, the alleyway to the inside of the arena. She felt him tense, his steps became lighter, faster. His neck arched, he mouthed the bit. She began making kissing noises. His ears flicked back, he began hopping on his forelegs. Sitting on his haunches and bouncing with his forelegs as he moved forward a couple inches, throwing his head up and laying his ears back.
When she finally allowed him to go, he was gone. She felt I'm sit back as soon as she released the pressure on his mouth, then propel himself forward with more force than she expected him to.
She didn't have to think to know what she was doing. This stallion beneath her knew exactly what he was doing.
On that first barrel, he didn't seem to go very fast. He sat on his hindquarters, but his shoulder next to it and turned fast, throwing his head to his left. She was rocked back into the saddle, jerked back more like it, as Blade shifted gears.
Silver didn't have time to think as Blade flew around the second barrel. Much easier than the first one, not skipping or sliding, no hesitation. She didn't realize she had begun nudging him forward with her legs till she felt Blade's stride lengthen, leaving that second barrel.
And there he was, bearing down on the third and final barrel. She felt his strides shorten as they closed in on it, his head lifting the slightest bit and hindquarters begin to dip, preparing to make that sharp turn.
She didn't need to direct him with the reins, he already knew he needed to let his hind legs slide a bit, to cut down on the time.
Digging his hooves into the ground, he left that third barrel. His head and neck extended, picking up speed as she allowed him to stretch. She felt like she was flying, his four legs leaving the ground for a millisecond at a time.
As they passed through the open gate, she heard the cheering of the crowd. She began to slow him down, sitting back into the saddle and pulling back on his bit.
They passed the smokejumpers at a trot, Silver only half listening, still trying to get Blade settled down. However she heard Drip mutter, "I didn't know boss could run like that," and a murmured agreement among the rest of them as they watched.
That's when she heard the announcer again calling out their final time. She was amazed.
"14.2 seconds folks!! That's a record!"
No sweat, no foam, no nothing on this horse. Nothing to prove that he worked hard, nothing to show that he actually tried.
So they stayed and watched the rest of them. Dynamite was the second best, followed closely by Dusty had he not slipped on that last barrel. The two were still over a second behind their chief, though.
And she knew why he'd gotten the time he had, after a while of watching the others.
He was muscled, extremely. But he wasn't overly so. His stride extended far more than the other did, and he was able to get a kick start... even from an uncomfortable angle. Blade wasn't a long horse, either, helping him bend around the barrels much easier. That, and he was extremely confident. Again, not overly confident, but enough to give him the mind to try new things and kill it while he was doing so.
Undoubtedly, he came in first. Dynamite second, Dusty third and so on.
When asked how he had ran so fast, completed the course so quickly, he simply answered with, "I don't know, honestly. I set my mind to something and make it happen."
A/N: So kinda short, I know, but it's midnight... Hope you all enjoyed! Till next time
