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06/10/2002: "A New Triple Crown Contender?"

Okay, so War Emblem stumbled coming out of the starting gate, and that was that for the Triple Crown this time around. But maybe - just maybe - I have another Contender coming on here…

Saturday afternoon while Mike was running the spreader, I let Indy and Ami out into the big pasture again. They were happily munching away, and I was just watching - something I NEVER tire of :o) I lost sight of Indy but didn’t think anything of it. I figured he’d just gone around the corner or down the hill a bit. The grass is SO tall that if either of them goes down the hill at all, they disappear in it. Mike keeps a strip mowed all the way around the perimeter so we can at least get around that much. I can hardly walk around in this tall stuff. And YES, it’s time to make hay, and NO, we can’t do it because it won’t stop raining!

Anyway, I was relaxing, still watching Ami chomp when suddenly I saw Indy loping along the cross fence. I couldn’t believe he was waaaaay down there, but there he was - he rounded the northeast corner and came thundering up the east side and across the paddock fence line toward Ami and me. He nodded at me as he passed me, and kept going. He disappeared around the hill for a few minutes, and then I saw him galloping along the cross fence again. Once more, he nodded at me as he flew past for yet another lap. Remember now, he’s lapping a TEN ACRE pasture for the THIRD time - on a hot day! He wasn’t running like he was spooked or anything. He was just doing a LOVELY hand-gallop like a healthy young horse having himself a total blast. Ami was staring at him like he was NUTS. She did take a few strides with him on the second lap, but said, Not me, Baby.

Finally, after completing the third lap, Indy finally stopped to graze up near the front fence line, and then came back to where Ami and I were, just outside the paddock. He was puffing a little, but recovered very quickly. Boy, is he in great shape or what??

Someday, I’m gonna be riding that gallop, and man - it’s gonna be WONDERFUL :o)