The Champion Thoroughbred

Chapter Three

   "Hello, there. I'm Scarlett," the black Arabian greeted. "I'm Split," the newcomer returned. "It's nice to meet you, Split. This is Calypso, Aztec, Jimber, Button, Chili, and Pepper. Teeny the pig is probably asleep somewhere. The dog and cat are in the house. Their names are Shep and Angora. Welcome to Horseland," Scarlett said. "Thank you. It's wonderful to meet you as well. I look forward to being friends," Split replied. "You don't want to be friends with them," Chili interrupted. "Yeah. Don't worry, though. You can hang with us," Pepper agreed. Split looked at the Dutch Warmbloods. "And why should I be friends with you but not them?" the Thoroughbred asked. "Simple. A champion such as yourself shouldn't be forced to interact with lesser horses," the grey mare answered. "Lesser horses?" Split questioned, not liking Pepper's tone or wording. "The non-pedigree horses," Chili clarified. Split flattened her ears. "I think I'll choose for myself who I make friends with. And it won't be determined by whether or not they have a pedigree," she spat. Scarlett smiled. I like her already, the mare thought. While it was well-known that the filly wouldn't accept being bullied on the racetrack, she had just made it clear that she didn't tolerate it off the track either. Deciding to change the subject, as Pepper and Chili were still staring at Split in disbelief while Split looked like she wanted to kick something, Scarlett asked,"So is it true that your going to run in the Triple Crown?" Split relaxed at the new topic of conversation. "I'm not sure. After my last race, Vitani said we were taking a break. But she also put corn in my feed this morning, which she only does to give me more energy when we're training for a race. And I saw her put my racing saddle in the trunk along with my other tack. So I suppose it's possible that this isn't truly a break. It might be a way for us to train in secret," the filly replied. "But how would you train? There aren't any racetracks in the area," Calypso asked, confused. "As long as there's somewhere I can run for an extended amount of time, we don't need a track," Split told the Appaloosa. "Do you think you and Vitani will join us in lessons?" Aztec wanted to know. "I have no idea. I'm not sure I would be very good at it if we did. Racing is all I ever trained for. I don't know the first thing about dressage or showjumping. Though, if Vitani does plan to train for the Triple Crown, I doubt we would join you. They wouldn't want me to forget something because I had learned something else. Now, if that's all, I'm rather tired. I think it's time for me to call it a night. Goodnight, everyone," the filly stated. After a chorus of agreement from the other horses, everyone laid down in their stalls to sleep.