Joy in the Morning - Conquistador

Apr. 25, 2008

Conquistador

A few weeks later, Lily and Leslie sat on the front seat in Leslie’s horse van. Leslie was going on about how wonderful the last race was that she watched at the Kentucky Derby and how the winner only won because the other horse had been disqualified and so on. Lily wasn’t really listening to her prattle; she was far too nervous. This race wasn’t just another Kentucky Derby. This was a race that Black Knight would be in and it would determine just how good a racer he really was. Samuel sat with Alan in the back with the horse. They, too, were nervous and they were silent as well. Samuel knew that this would be the race that would tell if Alan was a good enough jockey for Black Knight and it would tell if all the hard work and all the training had paid off.

All four of them were traveling through Louisville at that moment. The city well known for being the home of Churchill Downs. Every horse lover from all over the United States had dreamed of going there since the day that the first race was run there; and that included Lily. It should have been a time that she was terribly excited, but, instead, she was terribly nervous. Black Knight didn’t seem to care about any of the nervousness in the air. He was used to that air from the time he started his first race. Black Knight was calm and actually slept until they reached the gates of Churchill Downs. People were swarming the place! Lily hadn’t thought that there could be so many people coming to watch a race. But, then again, this was the race of a lifetime. It was the goal of every jockey and horse owner in the U.S. to get a place in the list of racers. Not very many were lucky enough to achieve that goal.

Lily got out at the gate and went in to the office while Leslie waited in the incredibly long line. She ran up the steps and through the door. To her disappointment, there was an equally long line inside! Suddenly, a lady shouted her name. Lily looked in the direction of the voice and saw the lady who was waving and shouting her name. Lily hardly knew her and wasn’t about to leave the line, so the lady, understanding the reason Lily wouldn’t come, walked over to her. “Dear Lily,” she said sweetly, “you needn’t stand in this long line. I’ve already signed you in! I did this because I knew you would come and here you are!” Lily gasped and stared at her in disbelief and the lady went on, “Oh dear, where are my manners?! You must be wondering who on earth I am. Actually, I’m not much older than you though I am indeed of higher rank in life than you are. But, now, here I stand speaking in riddles. I’m Princess Sara from England, but you can call me Sara and I won’t think it disrespectful at all. I will consider it a compliment from a friend.” Lily gasped again and Sara laughed, “My, you are in need of air! You gasp far too much, dear!” Then, taking Lily by the arm, she led her out and, as they walked out the door, snapped her fingers. Two men came from around the corner and stood at attention in front of her. Sara said in a commanding, yet cheerful voice, “Direct Lily’s van over there to barn number six.” Both men saluted and hurried off to do as she bid them.

In barn number six and stall number eleven stood, within an hour’s time, Black Knight. Lily and Leslie stood brushing him out and talking lovingly and praising to the stallion as they did so. Samuel and Alan stood watching and talking to Sara. The young lady was full of laughter and joy as she talked to them and never said a wrong word. Lily loved to hear her talk.

The next morning, before the sun came up, Lily led Black Knight out to walk in the open air. As they walked, Lily looked around at the open barn doors all around her. She was walking along quite calmly down the track when, suddenly, a shrill call was heard that sent chills down Lily’s back. Black Knight reared and answered the call with his own and pawed the ground. Lily saw the other stallion; a tall, muscular chestnut, and knew that she’d better keep a good hold on her horse. Then she saw the stallion lunge forward and knock over the groom that was leading him! He galloped forward with all his speed. Black Knight lowered his head and flattened his ears against his head. Lily released his lead rope; she knew then that Black Knight would break her wrist if she tried to hold him back. The two stallions crashed together with a grand force! Lily saw the other stallion’s groom running toward them shouting something. Lily waited until he came up to her and then he said, “That horse is something else! I didn’t know he’d be so challenging to care for or I’d never have offered to take care of ‘im. My name’s Donald Craig and that’s Conquistador.”

Lily nodded, “My name’s Lily Starr and that’s Black Knight.”

“You the horse’s groom?”

“And I’m it’s owner.”

“I see. Who’s the jockey?”

“Alan Kent.”

Finally, after what seemed like hours, though it was only a few minutes, Lily got Black Knight to stop fighting and get away from Conquistador. By that time, Conquistador’s owner had seen the fight and had come out to break it up. The owner was a Spanish man of extreme temper and he wasn’t very friendly either. He shouted at his groom to get the two horses apart and then shouted at Lily, “Get that horse away from my stallion! If Conquistador gets hurt, you will pay!” Lily frowned and took Black Knight away while the other stallion screamed challenge after challenge at the retreating stallion.

Lily walked Black Knight around the track and then hopped on his back for a ride. He galloped around the track for a while and then she led him back to the barn to rest from the fight and run. Samuel was angry when she got there and Alan was worried that Black Knight was hurt. But, Lily had got over her anger toward the Spanish, Mr. Cortez, so she only laughed and helped clean Black Knight up and bandage his legs. The stallion wasn’t hurt bad, he just needed to have special treatment so he wouldn’t end up disqualified on race day.