Fosta by Judy Andrekson

Author:Judy Andrekson [Andrekson, Judy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77049-004-8
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2008-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

lan and Helen worked with the gelding in the coming months, rebuilding his base fitness level and getting him back into racing form. Foz seemed happy to be home and happy to be working again, giving his all to these people he knew and loved more than anyone.

Alan had his sights set on Shahzada again, but there wasn’t a lot of time to prepare and he knew it would be tough after more than a year off. He and Fosta completed the eighty-kilometer Wandandian ride, which helped put some of the edge back on the little horse, but it was hard to say if he was ready to pull off another four-hundred-kilometer test. It was hard to say if any horse was ever ready for such a test!

One hundred twenty-three horses were entered for the Shahzada that August – one of the largest fields ever. The weather was not a factor that year. The skies were clear, the afternoons warm and dry and the river full of water. It was the trails that caused the greatest problems for the teams. Many new routes had been marked, the hills were treacherous, and some of the old routes that were still being used were worn, rocky, and full of new-growth brush. The horses felt the stress and had a difficult time with the challenging course. Only half would complete the test, including Fosta.

Fosta had an uncanny ability for covering the courses cleanly, making his way through rock and bush without picking up a scratch. He was sure-footed and calm, and seemed to know, instinctively, the best routes to take. Alan was happy to let Foz make decisions, and trusted the horse to get them through the sticky spots in one piece. Fosta never failed.

Alan helped him all he could, jogging countless kilometers beside the bay, keeping him nourished, cool, and limber during the rest periods, and trying to prevent his own discomfort from affecting his partner’s performance. They were an awesome team, a combination of youth, energy, spirit, and competitive drive that few could match.

Alan was there, purely for the love of the sport and horses. Fosta gave his all with loyalty and courage. In the end, despite all the odds against them – the time away from racing, the trail conditions, the fact that only a handful of horses achieved multiple completions in this grueling test – they were the second to cross the finish line. Unfortunately, the final stretch of the test had taken its toll on the first-place finisher and he did not pass the vet inspection. Alan and Fosta were boosted to the number one position.

No one had expected him to be in the top ten that year. Certainly, no one expected him to be first.

Kintamani Fosta turned eleven in 1991, and was now an experienced long distance horse, and a seasoned competitor. His fear of traffic remained his greatest downfall, despite the Lindsays’ continued efforts to condition him to accept it. Most endurance rides involve highway crossings and exposure to vehicles, and every outing was a gamble with Fosta.

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