June Story Contest
Miracle By Day, Champion By Night
By: nrg1992
Age: 18It was a crisp, cool September morning, when Josie awoke from her slumber. She stretched, yawned, and rolled over to look at her purple unicorn alarm clock. " Six a.m.", she sighed. "Guess I better be getting up, before Mom comes in pouring water on me."
It was a typical day at Diamond G Stables. Wake up at six, bathe, get dressed and get downstairs in time for breakfast at six thirty with her Mom, Dad and three year old brother Michael. After a scrumptious breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausage and orange juice, the work begins. Diamond G Stables is the home of five Quarter horse broodmares and 3 Quarter Horse stallions. Josie was in charge of the broodmares, while her Dad took care of the stallions. Josie was to go out to the five acre pasture on her Appaloosa gelding, Moe Joe, and round up the broodmares. On this particular morning , however, Josie noticed that one of the broodmares was missing. She did a head count. There was the solid black Starlett, the brown dappled Derby Girl, the sorrel paint Big Sorrel, and the buckskin Matilda. The only one that seemed to be missing was the bay Royalty.
Josie took the four mares into the barn and put them into their stalls. She fed, watered and blanketed them before she got back on Moe Joe and galloped through the pasture gate into the lush green field. She rode about a mile when she heard a panicky sounding neigh off to the right. She pointed Moe Joe in that direction and slowly cantered up the break in the trees where she thought she heard the sound. As soon as she came throught the break, she seen Royalty. She was laying on her side groaning and neighing, a sound like she was in pain. Josie got off of her horse and walked to Royalty. She was sweating profusely and and only seemed to be in a lot of pain. Josie knew exactly what was going on. Royalty was in labor! Josie jumped back on Moe Joe and galloped all the way back to the barn. When she got there her Dad was standing at the pasture gate.
"Josie! Where is Royalty? Is she ok?" Josie replied frantically,
" Dad! Royalty is in labor! She is in the back of the field in the break in the trees about a mile out! She is in a lot of pain and might need some help!"
"Ok Josie, I have Charla saddled and ready to go. I figured something was wrong when i seen her empty stall."
So Josie and her Dad jumped back up and took off to help Royalty. Josie on her black and white leopard Appaloosa gelding, and her Dad on his gray Quarter Horse mare. They galloped as fast as they could all the way to the break in the trees. But when they got there, Royalty had quit breathing hard and sweating. She was standing under the shade, grazing, where she had been laying down in pain only thirty minutes before.
Josie whispered, " Dad, what's going on? She was sweating and neighing painfully earlier and now she is acting as if nothing had ever happened. I don't understand." "Well Josie, do you see the little figure laying there right in front of her? She isn't grazing Josie. She is cleaning her foal.", said her Dad with a smile.
They watched the dam and foal pair for about thirty minutes. By then the little black colt was standing on his own and nursing from his proud mother.
"Well," said Josie's Dad, " I guess we better get her back to the barn and get her fed. She has a little one to take care of now."
"Ok Dad. I brought her halter and lead rope. I brought one for the little one to."
"By the way Dad. What are we gonna name him?", asked Josie.
"Josie, I think you have earned the responsibilty of naming these foals, seeing as your the one who takes care of them anyway. Why don't you name him?"
As Josie was leading Royalty and her black son back to the barn, she thought hard about what to name this beautiful, tiny creature. He was small now, but he was going to be big and stocky like his black sire, Black Train. He was going to be tough and hard, but at the same time graceful, gentle and intelligent. He was going to be a great barrel horse like Royalty or maybe cutting cows like Black Train. Either way he was going to be great.
"Hey Dad?" said Josie.
"Yes?" "I think I have the perfect name for this colt."
"What would that be Josie?", asked her Dad.
"I think I am going to call him, Champ."
"Josie, I think that is the perfect name for him. He is going to be the best foal we have ever had on this farm."