Saying Goodbye

SAYING GOODBYE 
By Liesl King
The countdown has begun. Tomorrow, Africa's richest race, the G1 Vodacom Durban July over 2200 meters, will be run at Greyville Racecourse in South Africa before a capacity crowd of about 55,000 people. Sixteen runners will vie for a chance to etch their names in history. Let's face it, it's a big deal. Dead heats, narrow defeats, victory from the widest draw– this race has a way of creating that stomach-churning feeling of drama, excitement and sheer despair, all rolled into one. 
Trackwork yesterday at the nearby Summerveld training center was a hive of activity as trainers anxiously watched their stars going through their paces. It wasn't the big guns, however, who caught my eye, impressive as Captain America (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}) and Futura (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) were. It was an expression of infinite sadness on the face of jockey Sean Cormack as he sat quietly, reins dangling, on the tiny Beach Beauty (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) as she stared down the track. Beach Beauty had stopped on the way to the chute, and Cormack was in no hurry to chase her along. 
There they sat, observing the kingdom they had ruled over for so long, sharing the moment one more time. You see, Beach Beauty has had a way of creeping into people's hearts from the day she was a gangly, small yearling on Trevor Armitage's farm. By then-freshman sire Dynasty out of the Capture Him mare Suncoast, Beach Beauty's pedigree was not earth shattering, and on top of that, she was small. Yet the filly was inquisitive, gentle and, above all, she loved people. When Trevor's son Mark died suddenly at the age of 40, a close friend decided to form a syndicate to race a horse in his honor. Trevor, Mark's widow and three close friends came together to form the Shanks Syndicate, 'Shanks' being Mark's nickname. They decided that the horse they needed did not have to be a world-beater. It had to be a kind horse, a horse they could cuddle, a horse who reminded them of Mark. 
Trevor knew that back home he had the perfect candidate. A small, light-framed, friendly yearling filly named Beach Beauty by Mark's daughter, Kate. Beach Beauty was sent to Dennis Drier for training, where she continued to be a very kind, gentle, easy-to-train filly. Beach Beauty, however, had not been told that she wasn't required to try too hard at racing–she was there to put the pieces of a grieving family back together. 
Six victories, including a Grade 3 and two Grade 2s later, Sean Cormack teamed up with Beach Beauty. They were two of a kind, and it was a match made in heaven. Beach Beauty is as gentle as a kitten, however, when her racing saddle is placed on her back, the small filly turns into mean racing machine, with the heart of a lion and an indomitable will to win. Gone are the soft eyes and gentle quizzical expression. In its place is a look of fierce determination as, ears flat against her head and with fire in her eyes, she dares any horse to beat her. Few do. Cormack is made of the same cloth– gentle and modest. He is a tough competitor in the saddle, however, never giving an inch and with a steely determination to pass the post first. 
Together, Beach Beauty and Cormack have won the G1 Paddock S. twice, the G1 Klawervlei Majorca and the G1 Garden Province S., South Africa's premier weight-for-age contest for fillies and mares. For three long years, the tiny filly with the heart of a lion has pinned her ears back and stormed through field after field, with Cormack gently guiding her. Tomorrow they line up in the Garden Province to defend their crown and, should they win, there won't be a dry eye in the house. Beach Beauty has not only healed Mark's family, she has also crept into the public's hearts. Yet, her time is limited, and Saturday may very well be her last race, as the breeding paddocks of Drakenstein Stud beckon. 
And that means that Cormack will no longer be able to swing his long legs over her back, crouch down low over her withers as her mane whips him in the face and pat her in delight as she once again storms into the lead, teeth bared and fire in her eyes. No longer will he be able to sit on her back and just gaze out over the vast expanse of the KwaZulu Natal hills they know so well. Their time is short–soon he must say goodbye, and that thought is almost unbearable. Yesterday, in the early morning light, Beach Beauty stopped and dawdled, almost as if she was buying more time for the pair of them. Cormack, with an unbearable sadness etched on his face, sat quietly, letting her be.