A trip to Dubai

It really was a good time of year to visit Dubai the weather was beautiful and mild. The sky was a perfect pale blue with not a cloud in sight. Tadhg stood in jeans and his long-sleeved T that said “Barbaro” down one arm. This shirt was one of his favorites because in his mind the loss of Barbaro and Eight Bells was the beginning of his disillusionment with the racing industry. What a wild ride the last 12 months had been. He’d quit training for other people the year before and had slowly started selling off his string almost without thinking his eye had turned on each one with what they’d do in retirement. If he didn’t think they’d transfer well he’d sold them. He still was trying to sell them and yet here he was looking at the flashy chestnut mare in front of him.

He ran a practiced hand over the long legs of the mare. She was by no means a delicate flower. At 17 hands you had to wonder how she could get out her own way, and well since he was here looking at her as an eventing prospect, she obviously could not. He had in his head the idea of a perfect mount. As with most things with him, appearance mattered. Trip was a great horse but he was bland in appearance.

“Anaha taqfiz” Rafiq started to speak

“English please,” He interrupted and smiled over at Ivy and gave her a little wink.

“Ah, sorry.” Rafiq did a little duck with his head and continued in English “She jumps everything she can get enough strides to get off the ground. I’d consider selling her in France for hurdles, but she also is slow.” Rafiq frowned a little at the admission. “She’ll learn to get out of her own way eventually.” He continued “She’s only three and the big ones mature slow.”

“Was she raced at all at 2?” Tadge asked, as he turned back to run his hands over every inch of the mare slowly. He’d croon softly at her when he hit a ticklish spot. She was good on the ground manners like any trained thoroughbred was. She also had a very kind eye Her flashy looks had really caught his eye, and she was leggy, which meant he would not look awkward on her. Trip was a great horse to ride but he was still just a little spooky. The idea occurred to him that he’d send him to Ivy when she had an opening.

“No” the man replied “And at three she has been lackluster. Her pedigree is filled with endurance. I had hoped I injected speed as well but no, and in fact, I seem to have bred that the speed away.” He finally cracked a grin a little. “When we were bringing her on, she loved the days she could run for long and never sprint. Maybe lazy but Hasam should have been able to get something.”

“She’s got a nice eye and good bone,” Tadhg said matter of factly. “But she’s gonna need a fair bit of dexterity and speed to run a cross country course. And more than a fair bit of dexterity for Dressage.” he patted the neck of the giant chestnut mare that seemed hell-bent on erasing the common prejudice against the type. He looked over at Ivy,

“Thoughts?” He asked her, genuinely happy for the 2nd opinion.

Ivy squinted as she drew imaginary lines across the mare’s body. “Her shoulder and hip have nice complementary angles, and her chest and barrel suggest that she has good endurance.” She smiled at Rafiq, “but that’s already been mentioned. The angles of her hocks and pasterns are nice. She looks like a good one. But it also depends on what’s going on in her head. She hasn’t been entirely successful – how’s her try? Does she ever seem discouraged?”

“A good point. Rafiq tack her up and I’ll exercise her. See if she’ll breeze and how she tries.” In response, Rafiq speaks some words to a groom who leads the mare off to be tacked up.

Rafiq says a quick sentence in Arabic to Tadhg and in response, Tadhg gives him a bland look “Not that long my friend. I promise not to fall off.” he said flatly. “Do you happen to know if the Vet is on the track? If she seems right in the head I’ll want her checked and a look at her records”

In short order, the groom, led the horse and people to the track, At 9 am most of the early risers were in already about a couple of horses were still out. Rafiq gave Tadge a leg up and he moved off at a trot and then into a canter.

Ivy watched her trot away. It was rhythmic and fluid, with nice reach. That told Ivy that her joints were sound. The canter was a bit hesitant, but soon she stretched out to work. Her hooves fell in all the right places. She was straight, with no interference or sloppiness. She may not have been fast on the track, but it wasn’t because she was unbalanced.

Tadgh thought she felt sound and even underneath him. Her ears were pricked and she was clearly having fun. So he asked for a 2nd gear and she responded to the request, he put her into a fast canter for a bit, settling into what he figured was a cross country pace, and let her go, to see how far she’d get before starting to feel tired under him. After a little bit of confusion, the mare responded and settled into the unfamiliar pace.

Her ear flicked back and forth, listening to his reassurance and requests. She was willing to try anything he asked as long as he gave her time to figure it out. He spent time letting her run comfortably and then picking her up and in to see how she collected. Racehorses didn’t ride like normal mounts and had a lot of retraining and rehabilitating before she’d be ready for a show ring.

So far, he liked the flashy chestnut. She didn’t seem to be laboring under his weight. When she started to slow, he dropped her to a trot and zig, zagged on the way back to see how supple she felt. She slowed to a walk and did a couple of figure eights before he hopped down of the mare. It could be she’d make an ideal mount for him in a year or two. Maybe she’d go all the way to the top.

“Ivy, what did you think of her movement from the ground?” He asked her.

“She had a nice rhythm, with good reach. From what I could see, she tracked up straight, so she won’t ding herself, even if she doesn’t quite know what to do with her legs. Nice mover, she just needs to grow into herself. You’re right, sometimes it takes a bigger horse a while to figure it out.”

He reached for Ivy’s hand as he spoke with Rafiq about the horse. The men fell into Arabic as they haggled about her. Hands gesturing to the mare expressively as they spoke. His Arabic was not quite fluid but it was better than Rafiq’s English. Five grand for the mare providing the medical check and paperwork went through was decided and then Rafiq offered them a meal with his family. Rafiq walked away to take care of the vet and start the paperwork,

“Sorry about lapsing into Arabic, but his English isn’t as good as my Arabic.” He brushed a bit of hair off her face and then smiled. “He’s invited us to a meal with his family. Usually, the food is very traditional and it’s sure to be delicious. His wife is lovely and speaks fair English and he has children.”

“Sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon.” Ivy wasn’t one to turn down a lunch invitation.

After getting Ivy settled into the classic Porsche he’d rented, he rolled the top back and they headed back to the Hotel from Rafig’s home. Lunch had been spectacular, Fatimah and her family had made Al Machboos and as always it was delicious. He liked food of all kinds, from beer and pizza to Fancy French restaurants filled with decadence. Admittedly most of his food came from restaurants. He didn’t cook for himself and the homecooked meal had been very appreciated.

He was enjoying the way Ivy just seemed to take everything in stride, even wrapping her hair in a scarf while they were out and about. He chuckled as she knotted said scarf over her hair when she saw that he was putting the top down. He was a spontaneous person and often he listened to his heart rather than his head. This time it had paid off, his spur of the moment invitation for her to come along had been a stroke of brilliance

“I’m excited about Sunshine,” He said. The barn name fit the flashy mare “She rode like a dream and was excited to be working. Good listener and in a couple of years she’ll be brilliant.” he said as let the engine roar to life. “Five thousand us was probably more than I should have gone but I like what I like”

“It’s not like your extravagant or anything” Ivy replied, making pointed eye contact with the dashboard of the rented sports car. “Either that or you’re showing off.”

“Why not both?” He answered honestly and then he sped off, the wind around their faces making conversation undesirable. Bugs in the mouth were unpleasant. He glanced at Ivy and she was looking wide-eyed at all the sights. He took the long way to the hotel so she could see as much as she could.