The Widower

   John glanced to his right, seeing Marie sat in her sulky, fussing with her grip on the reins. He swung his gaze back, focusing on the view to his front, of Vicki shaking out a rolled up flag that she would use to denote the off, and the view of Luci in her harness between the shafts of his sulky.

His day had started early, a quick breakfast and then a walk with Marie, through the course that was going to be used, along bridle ways and tracks across the moors, then back to the stables, and a double loop of the running track. He took note of the flag markers that dotted the route, and the rolling nature of the course.

Back at the stables, he had watched Vicki prepare Luci for the race, seeing her hair pulled back into a ponytail, before the American was oiled, and watching as a well worn harness was fastened on, Vicki working quickly to get everything in place, before taking her time to adjust individual belts, tightening the waist belt, and in particular, pulling on the belt that went between Luci's legs.

He had helped place her between the shafts of the sulk, locking chains to the waist belt, fastening the reins to the sides of the bit that was in Luci's mouth. He had climbed on board, made himself comfortable, then gave Luci a quick flick with the whip, and a sharp command of 'Walk..'

She responded a little slowly, so he flicked at her again and she got the message, setting off with a little effort, John driving her towards to running track where they would both start and finish the race, getting a feel to how Luci reacted to the reins and to the whip, and working her up to a quick trot.

Marie and Joanne were already at the start line, but John had taken his time , drawing her up to a halt alongside, hopping out of the seat once they had stopped, to take a look at how Luci had reacted to the drive, seeing her chest rise and fall as she recovered from the exercise. Marie had looked over the harness quickly, pulling things tighter again. She had looked Luci in the eyes at the end, clearly saying 'I'm going to have fun whipping you after this..'

Vicki cleared her throat, 'Ready?' She was holding the flag high now. Marie replied with a clear 'Yes...'

John's voice was a little hoarse. 'Ready..'

Vicki dropped the flag...

-*-

If driving Joanne yesterday had been a novel experience, driving a pony in an actual race was something entirely different, even if there was meant to be no way Luci could win.

By the time they had reached the half way point through the moors, Marie's sulky was a little distance away, but Luci was showing no sign of slowing. Instead, it was more that both John and Luci didn't know the ground that well, and so the running was often not realizing what was going to happen around the next corner.

Luci certainly was different to drive than Joanne. She certainly responded far better to the whip than to the reins, and her sweat slick shoulders bore a crisscross of marks, matching the ones across her arse. John could see the raw ability in her running, but could see how her running wasn't the way Joanne ran, used as Joanne was to pulling a cart.

By the time they reached the running track for the final part of the race, two laps around the track, Marie and Joanne were about half the length of the straight in the lead, maybe 50 meters or so. In front of him, Luci was glistening in the sun, oil and sweat mingling on her back, her honey blonde hair a few shades darker with sweat. John flicked the whip again, and Luci displayed a reserve of energy that he didn't know she still had in her.

Slowly, they started to gain on the sulky ahead of them, Luci opening up her stride as they ran on the track. By the start of the second lap, the gap was visibly smaller, and John could hear Marie exhorting Joanne to keep pushing. By the home straight, there couldn't have been much more than 10 meters in it, but that must have been the last of Luci's strength.

She started to slow, her steps starting to lose their rhythm, and John had to use the reins to keep her heading straight, whilst up ahead Joanne crossed the line and slowed, Marie turning the pony and sulky off the track and into the center.

'Go on Luci, one last effort! Finish the race!' Marie was shouting, and John added his own encouragement. 'Don't fail Luci, you've lost, but don't quit!'

Luci crossed the line, and John pulled on the reins to halt her. He could see she was going to drop to the ground, and didn't want the sulky to still be rolling when she did.

The sulky just about reached a halt when she dropped to her knees, and John to leapt from his seat and ran around to the front, catching her before she face planted onto the track.

She was dripping with sweat, her face flushed and her chest having as she sucked in air. John loosened the bit, dropping it onto Luci's chest, twin streams of drool dropping from the edges of Luci's mouth as he pulled it out.

He stroked her head, running his hand through the sweat slick hair. 'Good Girl.. You didn't quit... You showed them you can do this...'

Marie stopped next to them, squatting down so she was on the same level as Luci. 'You did well Pony. You've got so much talent, but you lack stamina, and you need control.'

She reached around to grab at Luci's ponytail, pulling on it so the pony's face was staring at her. 'But you still lost.. and that means I get to show you how well I can use a whip...'