Chapter 12
They were part way through the third lap when he realized that this was going to be the hardest race they had ever done. They were in third, Tim and his pony clear in the front by a few meters, Monique and Adanna in second.
They were passing through the wooded section when Luci clipped a root with one foot, stumbling a little before regaining her footing, John steering her well clear of any other roots in the track, even if that meant the other two teams were pulling further ahead.
Luci didn't seem to be struggling, but to John, this was a warning sign. The heat and the humidity over the two days of racing were taking their toll, even with the work he had done before this race. That was when he remembered the cooler. It was placed there for the end of the race, but nothing was said about not pausing for a water stop, like a water station in a marathon.
He knew what he needed to do.
-*-
John hopped out of the sulky quickly, racing over to the cooler by the side of the track and grabbing a sports bottle. He knew he had to take this calculated risk, even if the owners and ponies spectating looked at him as though he was mad.
He ran back to Luci, spraying fluid into her bitted mouth so she could drink it, before dumping the rest over her head, then jumped back up to the sulky and got Luci moving again.
He hoped he'd made the right choice.
-*-
The fourth lap was agony. He could see the leading pair out ahead of him, but it didn't seem that they were catching up at all. He was starting to second guess himself when they entered the wooded section again when he noticed Monique was steering Adanna around the hardest section entirely, just as he had the lap before.
He flicked the whip at Luci, and she responded, a little kick of speed as they entered a tricky section. John quickly stowed the whip in a holder and grabbed the edge of the sulky, maintaining only a loose grip on the reins.
'Go on, Luci!' he shouted, trusting her to find the best route through the section. This was all up to her now. She took a route he wasn't certain he'd take himself, the sulky becoming very close to trees on occasion, and rattling over roots, but by the time they had passed through the section, they were considerably closer to Adanna and Monique.
As they passed the start/finish line for the final lap, he could hear shouts of encouragement from Steve, from the team from Trinidad. This was it, all or nothing.
He gave Luci a couple of flicks with the whip, and she responded again, the distance between them and Monique in front dropping again. He could see the other owner flicking the whip at Adanna, but he was certain that she wasn't responding as well as Luci.
By the time they reached the approach to the wooded section again, John and Luci were on Monique's heels. She steered Adanna around the hardest section again, Luci taking the other direction, John holding on as the sulky occasionally lifted a wheel off the track as they bumped over roots.
As the two paths came back together again, John flicked out the whip three, four times, shouting 'You've got 'em!' as they entered the final section neck and neck. He barely saw Tim and his pony cross the line in first up ahead, he was concentrating on keeping Luci going. He flicked the whip again and again, as Monique did the same, but Luci had just that little bit extra left in her, and she started to inch in front, crossing the line just ahead of Adanna.
John hauled the reins sideways, bringing Luci to a sudden stop, the sulky skidding sideways. Luci had already dropped to her knees by the time he reached her, and he practically tore the head harness off her.
He caught a bottle someone had thrown at him, ripping the lid off and just pouring it on Luci's head, whilst she forced oxygen into her lungs, crying out as the ice cold liquid from the bottle ran down her body.
He undid her wrists from the shafts, grabbing a pair of bottles from someone nearby. He helped Luci bring one bottle to her lips, pressing it into her hand, then finally taking a long pull at a bottle himself.
'Did we....?'
He looked at Luci, soaked with sweat, dripping with whatever was in the bottle he had poured on her.
'We did...you did.. second place... We beat them, Luci. We beat every pony team here.'
He helped Luci stand, Steve taking hold of her as well. He could see Monique help Adanna stand as well, and, with Luci supported by him, he slowly made his way over to the other team.
He stuck out his hand, but Monique pushed it away, leaning in instead to kiss him on the cheeks, once, twice, three times, repeating the gesture with Luci.
'No one has ever won this meet except Adanna. No one until today.' Monique grabbed both his and Luci's hand, and held them in the air.
'Ladies and Gentlemen, ponies! I am delighted to present, the winners, by one point, of this event. John, and his Pony, Luci!'
He looked at Luci. Exhausted, soaked, but with a smile matching his own.