The Black and Sugar

CH1: Barrel Racer

"Hey Henry, were we expecting company?" Alec asked from the back of the colt he was riding. The son of Satan, and grandson of the mighty Black was chomping at the bit as the jock walked him slowly around the track in a cool out.

"I don't believe so, and I don't recognize the rig. Any ideas?" The old trainer was resting against the white pole that ran around the sandy track, watching and directing Alec on his colt. He wasn't impressed with this one comparatively in this year's crop. He was good, but not good enough. "Go see who it is, I'll take Gramps here to the barn." He referred to the two year old as Gramps because of his relaxed stature. Registered, though, his name was Royale, a tall strapping sorrel colt.

Alex nodded, swinging a leg over the tall colt and handing the long rein to the short trainer. He then started toward the gate to the newcomer at the farm. He didn't even have a guess to whom it would be, or why they'd brought trailer along with them. They weren't looking to buy or sell any horses right now.

He was surprised when the driver got out, and the man he was expecting to see turned out to be a slender girl. She couldn't have been any older than him, with blonde hair in a long braid running down her whole back. She had a white complexion with slim, but sharp features, and light grey eyes. When she saw Alec approaching, she stepped out of her truck and lightly shut the door behind her. "You're Alex Ramsay, right?"

"Alec," he corrected. He never had and never would go by Alex. "You are?"

"Sorry," the girl apologized. "Hope Bailey, great to meet you. I'm a barrel horse trainer from Colorado, but I found myself with a horse that might be of interest to the pair of you."

Alec furrowed his brow, confused. Why would a barrel horse be of interest to them? Most rodeo horses were bred Quarter horses, who were used for quick speed, with little stamina. Henry and Alec raced thoroughbreds, who were distance runners, unlike the very different sprinters. "Why is that," he was now irritated with the time he had wasted, he had colts to be riding. By now, he could hear the crunch of gravel underfoot, and understood Henry was walking up to the girl as well.

"Well, I'm a quarter horse breeder," she started. Obviously, Alec thought to himself sharply. "And I found this horse given to me by a friend. Well, he's a big time thoroughbred man himself, and has travelled the world looking for the best of the best, and claimed he found it," she continued. Henry was listening intently, but hadn't spoken up. The girl turned away and went to the trailer, where she opened the back doors and backed a horse down the ramp easily.

What Alec saw he wasn't expecting. Standing in front of him was a horse the mirror image of the Black! The colt was dapple grey with a flowing silver mane and a tail to match that touched the ground in the braid it was in - there wasn't a single spot of white on his steel body. His arching neck met a small, dainty head, and his body was that of a freight train. The only difference between the horses was the one standing in front of him was maybe an inch or two shorter, and already he seemed much friendlier. He turned to the trainer standing next to him and saw a similar reaction to his own, shock.

"This is Sui-hēr. I call him Sugar," she said, leading the stallion towards the shocked men. The horse pranced excitedly, looking around the new place with his small and attentive ears. Even his deep black eyes reminded Alec of his own stallion's. "My friend apparently found him in Arabia from a breeder there."

Alec automatically found himself interested. "Abu Ishak?" He asked intently. The girl shook her head.

"No, I don't remember it, by that's not it. But anyways, he assisted this breeder somehow, I'm not sure exactly, and as a gesture of good friendship or whatever, he gave him this colt. Well, my friend is what you would say," she paused, looking for a word, "...obsessed with me. And when he was in Colorado he brought me this weanling as a present." Alec couldn't understand why someone would give a horse up like that, no matter the reason. Even if he was in love with the girl in front of him right now.