Scout’s First Race

Story Starter - Writing Prompt:

It’s late in the afternoon, and the ground outside of the cabin is covered with snow. If you don’t saddle your horse, and leave now, they will…

Scout’s First Race

It’s late in the afternoon, and the ground outside of the cabin is covered with snow. If you don’t saddle your horse, and leave now, they will catch up to you. You know that every second counts and really don’t want to lose your lead.

You quickly gather your supplies and attach them to the saddlebag, quickly scanning the cabin to make sure you have everything you need and that you leave the cabin clean.

You head outside and climb on Scout, the majestic Appaloosa horse that has been training with you since his birth two years ago.

You signed up for the race so that Scout could get some experience. You figured that you would end up somewhere in the middle of the pack when the race was over.

As soon as the race started, Scout seemed to understand exactly what he was expected to do. He took the lead and outran every one of the other horses. He ran so far ahead that by the time you reached the nightly designated “rest” time, you were already at the cabin, which was supposed to be the stop for the second night.

When you awoke the next morning, you realize that you slept through your alarm. The morning start time was almost 3 hours ago, and you had no idea if anyone caught up to you.

 You quickly eat breakfast, clean up the cabin, saddle the horse and head out to start the second leg of the race.

As soon as you get onto Scout’s back, he gets excited. On your command Scout took off running.

He is happily galloping through the forest, jumping over fallen trees, and swimming across the river that came out of nowhere. The current takes you both downstream and you are a little off course. Scout struggles to get up the riverbank, because his hooves keep sinking into the mud.

Once you are both safely on firm ground, you rest, have lunch, and rehydrate. You quickly scan Scout’s  hooves, removing any mud that is caked on so that it doesn’t cause him to get hurt. You make sure that he is unharmed and ready to race. You then climb onto his back and begin the steep climb up the mountain side.

You reach the peak of the mountain way before dark and decide to keep going. This horse was doing way better than you thought was possible. He’s a beast and you were never so proud in your life!

The decent down the other side of the mountain is harder than you thought it would be. The path is full of thorny branches that slap at you leaving, cuts, and bruises on you both.

At the base of the mountain, you locate a flat spot to set up your tent. You build a fire, cook supper, and settle into the darkness until you fall asleep.

In the morning you pack up your tent, eat some fruit and nuts, and refill your canteen by the spring. You feed Scout, who eats while you continue packing up.

Day three of this race begins with the most amazing sunrise you have ever seen. The skies are vibrant shades of orange, pink, and yellow. You smile, knowing that the weather is going to be beautiful today.

Scout continues racing through the woods. His main blowing in a breeze that he created. It’s as if he knew exactly what to do, and was enjoying the freedom of the trail.

Stopping to give Scout a break, you sit on a rock beside the river and take in your surroundings.  However, as you were deep in thought sitting on that  rock, Scout started whinnying. He looked frustrated, like he was trying to tell you something important.

You learned many years ago to follow your horse’s instincts. You put your sandwich into your pocket, grab your drink and hop onto the Scout’s back . Just as you are speeding away, you turn around to see a grizzly bear sniffing the rock you were just sitting on. “Thank you, boy!” You say to Scout as you pat the crest of his neck.

Scout ran for many miles before once again stopping to eat a meal.  The “rest time”  is in half an hour and you decide to stop for the night. At this point you aren’t sure if you still have the lead or if you are in last place. All you know is that you hadn’t seen another soul since the very first day.

You lay there that night trying to figure out how this horse ran so fast. No normal horse could outrun the magnificent creatures he left behind him. You have always known that  Scout was a special horse. But, oh my goodness did he outshine any of his past runs! He is the most magnificent horse you have ever had the pleasure of training.

The fourth day of the race brought an unexpected storm. The rain is whipping into your face, and the wind is blowing so hard that you almost fell off  of Scout’s back. The pathway is getting so slippery that poor Scout stumbled repeatedly. You knew you needed to find shelter and you kept scanning the surroundings searching for somewhere to hide out from this storm.

As if  by magic, you notice a cave in the distance. You cautiously enter the cave and discover that someone has set up a fire ring with some dry firewood. It looks as if someone has stayed here before. You search little nooks that were chiseled out of the wall and notice a box of pots pans and dishes.

“Is someone else here?” you think to yourself You call out, “Hello! Is anyone here?”  You call out a few more times and still no answer. So, you make a fire, eat dinner, feed and water Scout, who is right now resting in a corner of the cave. The storm raged on throughout the day and late into the night.

As you sit by the warmth of the fire, you hope the others find a safe place to ride out this storm too. Eventually, you relax enough to fall asleep.

You awoke to the sound of thunder. There is water flowing down the mountain, turning the path into a waterfall.

You survey the surrounding area but notice that the storm caused the valley to become flooded. There is no safe way to race today, so you take your time feeding and watering Scout, preparing your own food, and gathering water to heat over the fire so you could wash up.

Once you are clean, you decide to explore the cave. Starting with the box of pots and pans, you looked for clues as to who may have set this up. There is a note tucked inside the box that says, “ If you are inside this cave, and the valley is flooded, make yourself at home here. There is a chamber in this cave about 500 feet back on the left side that has totes with bedding inside. You will also find warm dry clothes. if necessary. A little farther back is a cavern that holds some non-perishable foods to help you through the storm. Feel free to use what you need. Please do not try to wade through the flooding. It isn’t safe to do so. Once you can see the rock that’s painted red – as seen in the picture – it will be safe to leave once more. We tried to stock up on anything you may need if you are stranded here. Please report everything you use to the ranger station so they can replenish it for the next stranded party.”

You search the rooms and find everything the note described. You notice that there are also bales of hay in the “bedroom.” You take a few bales of hay to the front of the cave and set up a sleeping/feeding station for Scout. These people thought of everything, and you could not be more grateful!

You settle into your new shelter, preparing to stay as long as necessary.

The rain stops late in the morning, but you could not see the red rock yet, so you stay inside the cave. That rock still isn’t visible in the evening and you prepare to once again spend the night in the cave.

The next morning you look outside and see that the water is receding but still do not see the red rock.

After lunch, the rock is finally visible. You pack up your belongings, straighten up the cave, and make a list of everything you used. You put this list in your pocket, pack the saddlebags, and head out of the cave. ,You did not get onto Scout. Instead, you walk him down the mountain through the thick gooey mud.

Two hours later, you finally find more solid ground. You hop into the saddle and continue on your journey.

That evening you see lights in the distance. Unfortunately it is now “rest time” for the racing participants and you are not allowed to keep traveling towards the lights. You set up camp but are unable to sleep, knowing that the finish line is so close. Even Scout is restless and eager to finish the race. Morning couldn’t come soon enough.

You eat a large breakfast, pack up your campsite and head towards the town, excitement increasing with every step.

A few hours later, you stop to eat a quick lunch and to give Scout a rest, but he is too excited to rest for too long.  You clean up your mess and get on your way once more.

Scout is flying through the forest towards the finish line when you hear dogs barking in the distance, which excites Scout even more. He picks up his pace, racing through the trees, jumping logs, and closing the distance between you and the finish line.

An hour later, you finally clear the trees and hear voices yelling, “Someone made it. Look! Here they come!”

A crowd gathers and cheers as you pass the finish line.

You parade around the crowd as they cheer. Then you get down from scout, walk him to the water trough and rehydrate your amazing colt.

The mayor told you that you won the race and would be presented with your trophy at the ceremony after everyone else makes it to the finish line. He explained that most of the racers are at least two days behind you. The race organizers weren’t sure that anyone could have made it through the storm.

You settle into the hotel after getting Scout set up in th stables. You send your list to the rangers with a note thanking them for making shelter more habitable and comfortable.

Four days later the last racer crosses the finish line. Each person who crossed the line expressed their concern that you were not lost in the storm.

At the ceremony, each person recounts their story. Some say that they were trapped in the cabin while others tried to ride out the storm inside their tents.  Unfortunately, the tents didn’t hold up under the storm and most of the tents  had been washed away in the flood waters.

Not every participant saw the cave, but they all passed the red rock. They were so impressed that you made it that far before the storm. It took them so much longer to get to that point of the race.

As you accepted your trophy, you said, Scout is honored to accept his trophy. He is a very special horse, and I am so honored to be a part of his team. Thank you for allowing me to accept the trophy on his behalf.”

When you return home, you celebrate your amazing colt. He truly is one of the most special horses you have ever trained. Many decades after this race, people were still telling the story of a horse who ran so quickly that he completed the race and half the time. Scout has become a legend in the racing community, and you now have the reputation of training the fastest cross country race horses in the world!