PEOPLE: Kirsten Jade, Melanie Mackenzie & Claire
PLACE: Akita Rose Stables Paddocks
Posted on June 11 2009.
The Day has Come
to leave your mother's side and start become racehorses.
Melanie leaned against the paddock fence and watched the hyper young foal kick up his heels and frolic in his enclosure. Soon this colt will have some company that he can run and play with. Today was the dreaded weaning day. Melanie always dreaded this day each year. The desperate cries for their mothers were almost too hard to handle. This year the weaning day had been put back at a later date then usual because they had been way too busy on the farm but now it was time for the foals to leave their mothers and start training to become a racehorse.
At that moment the dark bay colt bounded over to Melanie and nudged her hand. Just as Melanie was about to rub his nose he bolted away. Once he got to the middle of his paddock he stopped and turned around. Melanie couldn’t help but smile. The frisky colt was bored and just wanted to play. Soon Striker… soon…
The colt in the enclosure was named Thunderstrike and he had been born at Rockstar Stables. Once weaned, Kirsten brought him home to Akita Rose Stables. She had weaned Princetta from Blanchette and had traded her for Striker. Today is the day that they would be weaning the three foals left over. Personally, Melanie wished that Kirsten would have more foals each year but Kirsten refused to have more than 3-5 because she said that it gives them each a chance. She liked a small racing string. Melanie shrugged. Whatever works… She stretched her back and then set off towards Queenie’s stall to go see her absolute favourite foal of this year’s crop.
Claire stood outside Charisma’s stall and watched the mother and son interact. Ever since she had come to Akita Rose Stables she had always been drawn to Charisma. The mare was the reason that Claire even wanted to become a jockey. It was her dream to be able to ride one of her offspring. Like that will ever happen. Charisma’s foal is by Night Stalker and everyone knew that ONLY Kirsten rode Night Stalker’s offspring. She would not have it any other way. But what was she going to do this year? There were two Stalker offspring that are both hopefuls for the Triple Crown someday… the big classic races. In fact, there were three foals that will all be racing on dirt, most likely in the classic distances.
Claire felt like jumping up in excitement. Maybe she would get to ride one of the mounts; they couldn’t possibly let one of the horses rot in a stall… could they? Claire shook her head to clear her thoughts. This was all just so far in the future that there was no point in even thinking about it.
Charisma advanced towards Claire and thrust her nose in her hands. Claire scratched the side of her face and looked into her brown trusting eyes. Claire had been at this exact spot when she watched Charisma give birth to her latest colt, Knight Rousseau. At that moment Claire noticed the bay colt pressed against the stall door staring at her. The colt was already proving to be a difficult horse but he trusted Claire and she loved the little stinker. How is he going to react to the weaning today?
Kirsten sat with her back against the inside of the Sweetie’s stall. Pride lay at her feet with his head on her lap. Sweetie stood at the back asleep with one hoof off the ground. Sweet Stalker trusted her visitor with her firstborn foal. As a new brood this was bound to be a horrific day for her. The first weaning was always the worst on the brood and they never forgot it.
Kirsten stroked the relaxed colt lying in front of her. Pride Stalker was going to be just as good as his dam and dam sire, she was sure about it. Obviously she was going to be his jockey when he’s ready. But what about the other foals? Kirsten always liked to have the best mounts, the ones that will be the winners. How is that fair to your other jockeys? Truth was, it wasn’t. In fact Claire only had one mount at a time. Well, since there are three foals with extreme potential and most likely the same preferences that would mean they could each have a horse to train. But which would I ride?
Pride lifted his small head and looked at Kirsten curiously and whinnied. Kirsten laughed, there was no way she was not going to ride Sweetie’s firstborn son. This would mean that she would have to assign the other two to Melanie and Claire. If only she could ride all three…
Melanie opened Queenie’s stall and let herself in. The beautiful dark bay mare greeted her happily. “Hello girl, how are you today?” At that minute Dark Sunrise thrust her nose past her mother’s and stuck it in Melanie’s face. She laughed out loud. The filly was independent, pushy and beautiful and Melanie already loved her. “Not to be undone are you, Sunny?” The black filly snorted and shook her mane. Melanie laughed again. There was just something about a foal that can lighten your day, especially this foal. Melanie didn’t know what it was about her that draws her attention from any other foal. It could possibly be the fact that Sunny actually reminded her a bit of herself, pushy, rebellious but beautiful. Or it could be that Sunny was a True Enough foal and was related to Lusitania, or that Sunny was almost exactly like her sire. Whatever it was, Melanie hoped that she could be the one to ride her in the future.
Melanie hoped that she would get a chance today to ask Kirsten if she could train the only filly of this year’s crop. She was almost certain that Kirsten would probably allow that, considering that Kirsten would probably rather take care of the Night Stalker foals. But yet, Kirsten has always ridden all of Queenie’s offspring as well. Well then… this should be interesting…
Melanie sighed. She should probably start to prepare for the weaning process. She and Kirsten always weaned the crops but this year Kirsten said Claire was supposed to watch and see how things get done so that she could possibly take care of it next year with Melanie. Melanie frowned at the thought. She knows how much Kirsten has to deal with around the farm but why couldn’t she have hired an older and more experienced worker?
At that moment Kirsten raced by with Claire at her heels. “Melanie! Get Queenie and Sunny ready, they’ll be the first ones. Claire! Go get Blanchette and let her loose in the mare’s paddock and then come back and get Charisma and Rousseau ready.” Claire nodded and rushed off towards Blanchette’s stall. Melanie sighed and grabbed the two lead shanks by the stall door. Here we go… She kind of figured that Queenie would be first because she is the most experienced broodmare. “Alright girls. It’s time. I’m so so sorry about this!” She quickly attached a lead shank to both halters and started to lead them out of their stall. Dark Sunrise pranced at the end of her rope happy to be going outside. If only she knew…
Melanie could see Claire leading Blanchette ahead of them. Melanie followed at a steady pace with her two. Just as they neared the paddocks Kirsten rushed towards Melanie and took Queenie’s lead and led her behind Blanchette. Before Sunny had a chance to notice she was released in a separate enclosure. Sunny spun on her heel and bleated out loud for her mother. Melanie’s heart broke for the foal but she had to hurry now.
Kirsten was having some trouble at Charisma’s stall. Knight Rousseau was refusing to be lead out. It was almost as though he knew what was going to happen. Kirsten reached out to him and just as she did that he flattened his ears and tried to bite her. Kirsten frowned. The foal had hated her from the beginning and she always thought that he’d warm up after awhile. He is a Night Stalker baby after all… Claire cleared her throat and looked at Kirsten shyly. “Could I please try? He seems to like me.” Kirsten sighed but stepped away. “Fine, but watch him.” Kirsten highly doubted that Claire would have any luck but if she wanted to try then whatever.
Before her thoughts were even over Knight Rousseau made his way over to Claire and pressed his back against her leg. Maybe she does have a bond with the beast. Kirsten watched as Claire clipped the lead shank and started to lead both Charisma and Rousseau out of the stall. Kirsten smiled despite being rejected. They had a racing trio after all, and a very talented one at that.
After leading the duo in separate enclosures Kirsten left Claire to watch the weanlings while she rushed off to Sweetie’s stall. Melanie was there waiting for her. They lead them out together and when it was time to wean Pride Kirsten took Sweetie’s lead. They only went two steps before Sweetie dug in her heels and bellowed towards her foal. Pride also stopped and both horses tried to move towards each other. Kirsten could feel her feet slipping beneath her. “No! Sweetie come my dear! Follow me. Please!” After some more begging and one last look at her beloved son Sweetie followed her owner into the paddock with the other mares who were also upset about their lost foals.
At the weanlings paddock the babies were going crazy, running up and down alongside the fence, screaming for their dams. All except for Thunderstrike, who was standing strangely still and staring at the others in confusion. After awhile Striker started to run in circles near the others really fast. They stopped screaming and watched him. After another lap Dark Sunrise whinnied and joined in the chase. They other two were not very far behind her. Kirsten joined Melanie and Claire at the fence and the three of them watched their future mounts play chase.