The noise rose to spectacular levels as the morning wore on. It was getting on my nerves. Alec had gone briefly, but he came back wearing new clothes. I looked at him...he had a green shirt on that looked silky looking. He wore white riding pants, and his boots were polished to a shine. He patted me as Henry walked to my stall. "I'll be back," he said, and left the barn. I whickered after him, but Henry petted me too, and I knew I was safe with the old man too. Besides, Napoleon was there anyway, so I knew that whatever happened, I wasn't facing it alone.

Henry took me out of my stall and cross-tied me in the aisle. He soon had my bridle on, and carefully put my brand new black cooler on top. I pricked my ears at the crowd that kept going by, but there were uniformed men standing outside the barn preventing people from coming in. Alec came back and we got ready to go.

I had never seen or heard so many people before. Only Henry leading Napoleon beside me prevented me from bolting. I looked around wildly, and and decided I wouldn't even know where to go even if I could. Alec murmured to me as we walked, and that helped a lot. We approached a paddock of sorts and I could see two horses being led there already. I snorted and focused on them. The chestnut had a bright red blanket on. The other horse was grey, and he wore a white blanket. Suddenly I caught their scents and reared up. They were stallions! The anger and rage coursed through me. If they want a fight...I'm ready! Nothing can stand in my way! The boy made me walk far behind the two stallions, and I pranced with anticipation.

I spooked as a loud voice carried through the air, "Riders up!" I couldn't see where the voice was coming from but Alec was calm. Henry stopped Napoleon and tore off my blanket and draped it over his his shoulder. He had carried my saddle with me and had a little difficulty getting it on, as I wasn't in the mood to stand still. Let me at those stallions! Napoleon whickered, which drew my attention to him, and in that moment, Henry boosted the boy on my back.

I saw the track suddenly and I got really excited. I was torn between wanting to run and fighting the stallions. I wanted to gallop so badly, but if I didn't deal with other horses, they would think I was running away from them. That would never do. At last I was guided to the gate of the track and Henry had to hold Napoleon back. The old grey horse whinnied after me, clearly wanting to come. I snorted back at him before turning my attention on what was happening.

I trotted down the track under a tight hold from Alec. As the masses of people saw me, they shouted and pointed. The noise was incredible. I looked up and saw the starting gate. Henry had trained me to use one during our night rides. It certainly looked different during the day! I wheeled and spooked, but the boy's voice came to me amid the noise of the crowd. I permitted myself to be steered near to the the gate, but then that meant I was also near the other stallions. I bared my teeth and screamed a challenge to them. The grey stallion immediately moved away from me...he did not want to fight me. But the flame coloured chestnut did! He stood his ground and did not budge when I approached, although his rider was trying desperately to get him to move.

Again I screamed and reared, striking at the other stallion. The chestnut rose as well, slashing his hooves at me. We knocked each other off balance and our riders brought us down and made us move away from each other. I was still angry at the stallion, but I moved closer to the starting gate. Thinking that I was conceding to him the chestnut attacked me again. Once more I swung around and tried to bite him. I felt a pain go through one of my front legs but I managed a savage strike on his side. I screamed at him and the chestnut suddenly seemed to realize he'd bitten off more than he could chew. He started to back away nervously. Now our riders pulled us apart again, and this time, a man on the ground grabbed the chestnut's reins.

I pranced and snorted. To be fighting again felt good. A man gingerly took my reins and led me into the gate, where I stood, ready to run. I felt Alec lean down to look at my leg. It was bleeding, but I didn't care. Nothing would stop me from running. Alec apparently decided that I was too injured to run, and was starting to climb off me when the gates snapped opened. I lost my head and reared. Then I bolted out of the of the gate in hot pursuit of the other two horses galloping ahead.

Alec was off balance but I didn't care. I needed to run! And I also needed to catch up to those horses ahead. The boy sawed on my reins trying to get me to stop, but I ignored him for once. He finally got himself balanced again, and that made me run even faster. My hooves thundered on the track...I had never had such perfect footing before. I tossed my head trying to get free of his grip. At last, I won the battle and ripped the reins away from him. I could feel him scrabble to get them back, but he at least had given up trying to stop me. Good, because nothing was going to stop me today! My head dropped lower as I stretched myself to be even more streamlined. The boy hovered over my withers and encouraged me with his hands. I'm sure he was trying to talk to me but if he said anything at all, the wind whipped it away. I could see the stallions rounding the first turn of the track and gauged their distance. They were a pretty long way, but I was sure I could catch them.

I turned on another notch of speed and was satisfied that in the straight part of the track, they did seem closer. Their outlines were long and flat, red and grey tails streaming behind them. The crowds were roaring, but I had long since ignored the noise. There was only three sounds that mattered...my own heartbeat, the thunder of my hooves, and my deep snorting breaths as I reached forward ever more.

We reached the far turn and the distance between the stallions and I were lessening! I was running them down! I was so determined to catch them. As of yet they didn't know that I was there, but soon I would make myself known! I was the wild desert stallion once again. I was right on their tails and felt the boy steer me wide. I saw the chestnut and the grey both trying to beat the other in speed, and at last the grey gave up. He had met his match and was tiring. I whipped by the grey and could hear his exhausted pounding breaths. I paid no more attention to him as I flew by him. There was still the flaming chestnut ahead.

Stride after stride I came galloping to him. At last we were side by side, matching strides. I pinned my ears, ready to prop and attack him. SMACK! The boy swatted me hard on the neck. He had never hit me before and I was surprised. I hesitated, eying my enemy. Then I turned on my speed...the last of it...and surged by the chestnut and in front. Now there was nothing ahead of me but empty track. Glorying in my victory, all challengers defeated, I ran on ahead to where the finish line would be. My leg was starting to really hurt me, so I allowed the boy to start pulling me up.I could hear the crowd yelling and screaming but I strained to hear one particular voice as Alec made me slow back to a canter, then a trot. Then it came to me...the high shrill call of Napoleon.

As soon as I stopped, Alec jumped off me and wiped a cloth out of his pocket. He wrapped my leg in the cloth, but my blood soaked through quickly. I panted for breath...that had been some gallop. I was tired, for I had strained myself to the utmost, but I knew that I had won.

A truck rattled onto the track beside me, and startled me. I reared in fright, but came down as Henry leaped of it. Another man who smelled like medicinal things hurried to me as well. I knew he would probably help my leg so I stood as still as I could while he took the temporary bandage off and looked at my leg.

The noise finally died down as the man looked at me. I could feel thousands of eyes on me. I did hope whatever the chestnut stallion had done to my leg wasn't too serious. I'd been injured before, but legs were not a thing to be flippant about. I need all four of my legs to be functional for me to survive. At last, the man finished washing down my leg and wrapped it in a good bandage. His attitude said that it wasn't too serious, and I was relieved.

Henry put Alec back on my back and again the noise started up again, somehow even worse than before. I danced around nervously, but the boy patted my neck and Henry was at my side. I was lead off the track and into an open area. Some people tried to run to me, but I reared high and this effectively scared them off. I snorted in amusement, but Henry only took hold of me more. At last I was told to stand still. I did. I turned my head around curiously at all the people. I knew I was handsome...my black coat shone with the sun and sweat. I was in top shape and my muscles rippled as I moved. There were so many people with those funny box like things and snapping sounds. Bright lights flashed over and over again as they pointed them at me. I didn't mind them. I was too tired to really make a fuss about it, and anyways, they didn't come close to me.

Several men came close carrying a long stream of flowers. They gently settled them on my neck and I breathed in the sweet scent of the red flowers. I liked them, and I could feel the boy's pride at having them. I suddenly turned my head as I caught a scent in the air. Yes, it was Alec's father! The boy's father fought through the crowd to be able to walk up to me. He shouted happily to Alec, who answered him. Now my head swiveled in another direction...there was another familiar scent, a female this time. His mother, of course. She laughed as she made her way to us again, and actually became brave enough to pat me on the nose. I huffed softly at her.

Alec jumped off me and Henry held me as the boy accepted something bright and shiny from an important looking man. I started to fidgit as more snapping sounds came to me and the hubbub of the crowd came over me. I whinnied suddenly, startling several people. I ignored them, for I heard something I very much wanted to hear. At last the crowd parted and Jim appeared, leading the old grey Napoleon, who was nickering for all his was worth when he saw me. We touched noses as more men came to congratulate Alec and me for my victory.

Finally all the nonsense was done. I had my cooler thrown on me again, and I was led away to my stall, Napoleon at my side. Once I had my bath, I settled into my stall and dug into my oats.

I didn't know what would happen from here. I had come such a long way from the sandy desert in which I was born. But I knew several things. One, I would always be wild at heart. No one could take that away from me. Two, I had found Alec, whom I knew would never leave me, but we two shared a bond that would never be broken. I had also found friends in Henry and Napoleon.

I looked out my door once again, and let my ringing call sound again and listened to the echoes of my voice. I turned back again and didn't worry about the future as I settled to my hay.