Welcome to the Improv

Story by Chester Equus on SoFurry

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This is a story that I wrote as a kind of prequel to another tale I was asked to do for DJ Darkfox. In short, I wanted my character, Chester, to have earned his pro card before doing that other story. This is the story of how that all came about. Hopefully you all like it (all 5 of you who read it LOL)


The following story is a work of fiction. There is really nothing that should offend sensitive readers. There will be scenes of extreme muscle detail, perhaps a little bit of muscle worship, but nothing else should really be here.

Chester and all miscellaneous characters are © to me

DJ Darkfox is © to his player

Furvus Wolf is © to his player

Kauto is © to MaidenWildWolf

Welcome to the Improv

A very sizable stallion walked over to his mailbox, and opened a brown envelope. He looked carefully over the information that was contained in the letter with a soft smile, until he noticed a few things, which seemed to confuse him. He snorted almost angrily and stomped back into his house and slammed the door. He got on the telephone and called the EBF - Equine Bodybuilders Federation.

"This is Darius Eifel. I want to enquire about the list of competitors for the upcoming professional qualifier. I must protest a few of the competitors that are listed. One of them has only had one or two contests that are at some little inconsequential regional show. Suddenly, he can be on the same stage with a seasoned veteran of competition such as myself? I think this requires an explanation."

"Thank you for your concern Mr. Eifel. Let me assure you that everyone who is listed has met the minimum requirements to compete in the pro-qualifier. If you truly think that a particular individual is not really ready to be on the stage, then you have less to actually be concerned with. Is there anything else that I can help you with today, sir?" The faceless diplomatic voice on the other end of the telephone waited for any further response.

"If that's your position, then I pity the state of the EBF. I promise that I will finally achieve my pro card."

"Yes, sir. Good luck and good day to you."

Darius hung up the phone with a somewhat more calmed disposition. He walked over to the mirror and looked at the definition in his muscles, which was starting to come in over the incredibly thick, bulging mass of his muscles hidden by the tight-stretched tee-shirt. He nodded at himself, pleased that his definition was starting to come in. He'll be in the best condition ever.

____________________________________________

Furvus and DJ were driving towards Chet's farm on the outskirts of town. The sporty blue Mustang carried both professional bodybuilding furs down the country road, until they finally turned into the long tree-lined laneway up to Chet's farmhouse. DJ, from the passenger seat, tapped Furvus on his muscular forearm gently and then pointed out to the right side of the car. They both saw their stallion friend out in the field. He was pulling a plow steadily, almost breaking into a trot. Furvus stopped the car half way down the driveway and pulled over to the side of the lane. They both unbuckled their seatbelts and stepped out of the sports car to watch Chet.

The stallion was so intent on the job at hand that he hadn't noticed his friends arrive. In fact, he wasn't even aware that they were going to pay him a visit. He had chores to do, and wanted to get his workout to make sure that he was in the best condition he'd ever been in for the professional qualifier coming up this weekend.

Chet huffed and puffed with the sheer effort of pulling the plow through the hard ground. With every step, his quad muscles bulged hugely. Veins thick and thin ran over his massive thighs. Calves that showed sharp definition and marvelous thickness were pumping along with those mighty quads. Chet leaned against the plow harness with his upper body. His entire body was covered with a sheen of sweat, making the muscles shine and look harder than ever. Furvus looked over at DJ and they both just shook their heads with surprise and admiration.

"Wow, DJ! Look at him. He's a shoe-in to win at that pro qualifier." Furvus watched more of the big stallion's show.

"I'm sure he'll do very well. I know that the equine division is very very tough. They are so naturally muscular, and I have a feeling that Chet will actually be one of the shortest stallions." DJ also watched Chet pull the plow, until he finished the field shortly after the two friends arrived.

Chet still hadn't noticed his friends had arrived. He was breathing heavily and he slipped the harness off of his upper body. He stretched out his arms overhead and flared his lats wider. It was at this point that he noticed his friends. He let out a playful squeal and ruffled his mane, then trotted over to the edge of the field.

"Hey guys. I didn't know you were coming. Sorry that I'm not exactly ... presentable."

"No problem, Chet. We just wanted to surprise you with a little visit. Give you some last minute encouragement, but clearly you don't need it. You look incredible." Furvus offered his assessment with a warm pat on the big horse's shoulders. Chet blushed at the compliment and folded his ears shyly to the side.

"Well, all the encouragement is quite appreciated. This is probably the hardest test I've ever faced. I really don't wanna let you guys down. You've both been so successful with your contests, and I have such little experience. Plus, the equine division - well, there are some really huge stallions out there. Judges don't seem to look so much at our definition. I'm trying to just show the best that I can. So I thought I'd get in a good cardio workout and a bit of a pump to my quads."

"Furvus is right, Chet. You look amazing, and I'm sure you'll do a great job. Don't worry about letting us down. You have already made both of us proud. We can both tell that you're in the best shape of your life. You have also come out of your comfort zone by wearing the posing trunks and getting out on stage to show the results of all your hard work. How could you possibly let us down?" DJ asked his rhetorical question as if there was no answer that Chet could offer.

"Well, I'd still feel like it would be a disappointment if I didn't get my pro card." Chet looked back a little shyly for having the negative thoughts.

"It's not important to us whether you get it or not. It's not like life or death with that Chet. If you don't get it this year, you'll get it next year. I'm sure that you can be a great pro bodybuilder. With that body, it's a foregone conclusion. What DJ was saying is that you have made so many strides. And he's right. You've come a long way. And you should be proud, just like we are of you." Furvus reiterated enthusiastically.

"Look at those mighty quads." DJ's eyes trailed down to Chet's legs. The cut-off jeans that Chet usually wore were literally stretched to the limit with the stallion just standing there. The muscles were so pumped and still glistening with that sheen of perspiration.

"I guess they're not too shabby, eh, DJ?" Chet tried to put away his shy demeanor, even though it was hard for him to do that. He stood in front of his two pro bodybuilder friends and thrust his right leg out in front of his body, planting his hoof solidly on the ground. Then, as the stallion flexed slowly, the muscles showed the definition between the clearly separated four major muscles of the quad. The more Chet flexed, the deeper the striations formed. Then he tensed his leg fully. This extra flex made the fine lines of cross-striations slice through and across the inner and outer heads of the quad muscles. There were even some cross-striations showing on the middle muscles. A thick set of veins surfaced on the inner thigh. Furvus stared in awe and both fox and wolf gave a little rawrr sound showing their admiration of Chet's definition.

"I can't say that I've ever seen this kind of definition on any stallion I've seen in contest before, Chet. You'll probably be the most ripped horse on stage. I mean, honestly, this is incredible!" DJ made the claim quite sincerely and of course made Chet blush slightly with the compliment.

"Awww shucks, DJ. Furvus. You guys are too kind."

"You're too modest, big stallion. Just look at that display. And you have such awesome control over the muscles." Furvus leaned over and gave a little punch to the still-flexed quad. There was absolutely no give to the muscle. Furvus simply smiled at the result.

"So do you guys wanna come in for a cold drink or something? I guess I've earned a bit of a break. My chores are done."

"Sure. That sounds like a plan. We'll meet you up at the house." DJ and Furvus hopped back in the Mustang, and Chet trotted back out to the field, putting the harness back over his shoulders and pulling the plow behind him up to the barn.

Chet went into the house and came back out a few minutes later carrying three glasses of cold lemonade. Handing his friends a glass each, he smiled warmly and took a sip, pursing his thick lips at the initially sour taste. The fox and wolf looked at Chet's reaction and giggled. They then took a drink and licked their lips. It was refreshing as they sat out in the dappled sunlight of the shady back yard area behind the farmhouse.

"So you guys came all the way out here to try to give me some last-minute encouragement? That's kind of you."

"Well, it's what friends are for, right Chet? Besides, we have both been there and maybe you have some last minute questions for us. Perhaps you want to show us some of your posing routine, and get some feedback on your conditioning? Whatever it is, just ask." DJ left the pause there to see whether Chet would take up the invitation. He did.

"Well, honestly, I was wondering what I should do about my tail. I mean, I haven't done anything with it in my two other shows. I just left it natural. I know that a lot of the big Clydesdales actually have cropped their tails, so their muscular glutes really show through clearly. They naturally cut their manes short for contests too. Some of them go so far as to braid them to show off the muscles of their neck even more. I don't want to cut my mane too short. I like it kinda long and natural, so I suppose I'll have to braid it. What do you guys think?"

"I've seen a couple of horses wearing that vet wrap stuff at the base of the tail. You might try that." Furvus offered openly.

"Yes, I have seen a few stallions do that with their tails too. I've seen a few others have their tails braided too. That must take a long time, and it must be really hard to do. I think it looks beautiful though." DJ offered his suggestion and watched Chet's reaction change. He nodded with his ears perked straight forward.

"That's awesome. I want to get it braided. That way it'll look very clean, and there won't be any stray long hairs flying all over the place. Braided tails also hang a bit heavier, so it'll look thick and powerful." Chet grinned and nickered softly.

"Sounds great, Chet. How's your posing coming along? Do you have your music all sorted out? What trunks are you using for the contest?" DJ asked about all the basics of preparation.

Chet nodded with each element. "Posing's pretty solid. The music is set and I've practiced for hours every day. I wanna keep the song a secret so that you'll be surprised by it. It's a song that no one would ever expect me to be posing to, but I think it's pretty suitable. I'm using my equine-friendly yellow ones. I usually do green ones, but I thought I'd change it up a bit, and try those ones out." DJ and Furvus both looked at their stallion bro and nodded.

"OK, you've got me totally curious. I wanna get a sneak peak at the show. Right now. Go get your trunks on. Let's see what you can do, ... super stallion." Furvus paused and added the friendly little tease at the end with a playful grin.

Chet looked back at the big wolf and nickered curiously. He was a bit surprised that Furvus was so excited about Chet's contest. Then he looked over at DJ, who was pointing toward the house, demanding that Chet go get his trunks and come back out to give a sample. He shrugged then and figured that maybe he could get some feedback about things he was doing wrong. He relented and went back inside, fetching his trunks, slipping them on carefully, and adjusting his sheath inside the deep pouch of the equine-friendly trunks. He turned and made his way back outside to join the two professional bodybuilders.

When Chet emerged from the house in nothing but his posers, both Furvus and DJ literally gasped for breath. Chet's body was absolutely shredded with definition, and somehow he hadn't lost any of the muscle size. His tight chestnut coat was the perfect colour to show just how ripped his muscles were. In the bright afternoon sunlight overhead, the ridges of muscles made shadows to highlight the detail in the muscle too. Chet blushed when he heard his friends gasp.

"Is something wrong, guys?" Chet looked back with concern.

"You are drop-dead gorgeous, Chet." DJ gushed at the sight of the stallion in front of him. Furvus nodded affirmative. He was seemingly speechless. Neither of them had ever seen Chet so completely ripped and full at the same time.

"WOW, DJ, I think Chet has completely nailed his conditioning. He looks ... astonishing."

"Awww shucks guys. I haven't even hit a pose yet. Surely you flatter me too much." Chet's ears automatically folded in his typical shy response. DJ was having none of that. He pointed at the bay window off the dining room behind Chet. Their reflection shone clearly for all three of them.

DJ put his paws on Chet's shoulder and waist and physically turned the shy stallion to face the window directly. He saw himself; DJ and Furvus were standing a few feet behind him.

"Can you honestly look at that reflection and tell me that we're being too flattering. I mean, Chet, you have to see that you look awesome. Time to build up that confidence, stud. Look in that window. Show us those abs." DJ coaxed the shy stallion.

Chet stood there for a moment. He wasn't flexing, but already his abs were a set of chiseled cobblestones, clearly defined under the tight skin and coat. He ruffled his mane softly and gave a little snort, exhaling a breath and making those abs shred into a clean, deeply-etched 10-pack set of solid muscle. With the stallion flexing his abs so tightly, his flank muscles shredded as well, framing the midsection with chiseled defined fingers of hard muscle angling downward to highlight the narrow waist. As Chet stood looking at his reflection, he realized that he wasn't really even putting a huge effort into the display. That came from all the hours of practice, finding the best way to show the muscles without flexing so hard that you're shaking in the pose.

"Good God, Chet! Look at the control you have over your muscles. That's incredible. Of course, that's nothing short of anatomy-chart definition right there. I can't see anything that needs more work with your abs. I looooooove them. They're perfect." DJ gushed about Chet's display. Chet actually ruffled his mane and nickered softly, lifting his right arm slowly over his head and tucking it in behind. He shifted his upper body slightly and flexed the ripped muscles a little bit more. The thin tight skin rolled smoothly over the hard muscles, showing every sinew of definition possible with the shredded stallion. DJ saw the confidence building and he patted Chet on his massive shoulder. Furvus rawrred softly too in behind the muscular equine.

Finally Chet relaxed the pose and stood casually once again. His abs remained quite well-defined and flat. His muscles glistened in the sunlight. He stared intently into the window reflection. Then he noticed that DJ and Furvus had both removed their shirts. Both professional bodybuilders stood, one of either side of the taller stallion in the middle. They both looked up at Chet with playful grins. Then they both looked back at the window reflection. Both fox and wolf tensed their perfect 10-packs, showing off just how incredibly-conditioned they both were. Chet nickered playfully and took up the challenge this time, flexing his abs once again. He watched the reflection in the window and saw that his abs were a clear match for theirs. He flexed his upper body and twisted slightly to make the muscles ripple and roll under the tight skin again. They had narrower waists, but in proportion with their body sizes, Chet's was quite remarkable. DJ and Furvus looked back at each other behind Chet's back. They both nodded and instantly lifted their arms out to the side, slowly flexing their biceps. Both of their arms bulged thicker, showing the incredibly hard muscles of their strong arms. Chet whinnied softly at their display and blushed a bit.

"Cheeeet! Don't start getting shy now. You're not competing against us. We're trying to show you what you have! We're trying to show you how to believe in what you have!" DJ admonished the shy stallion for his hesitation.

Chet kept blushing, but then he raised his arms to the side with a dramatic flourish of his arms out in front of his body before finally lifting his arms to the side, then slowly curling his forearms inward. His biceps shredded with definition and veins everywhere. He knew that his condition had never been better, but surprisingly, the size of his muscles was still full. The biceps peaked into a hard, shredded and craggy ball of solid iron-hard muscle. The stallion tried to simply focus on his own form. He remembered what DJ had told him before the first show, and he angled his elbows a little higher, which added to the overall impression of how big his biceps really were. His lats flared with amazing width as well. Then he licked his lips playfully and watched his wrists twist a little further back, making the already-impressive peak of his muscles stretch even higher on the biceps.

"Now THAT'S a double biceps pose, eh, DJ?" Furvus dropped his arms back down to his side and turned to Chet, staring up at the massive muscles on the stallion's arms. DJ looked to Chet and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep, I think we're seeing the next professional stallion bodybuilder right here."

Chet snorted softly to himself. "Well, guys, I hope the judges are looking for the package that I bring to the contest. I know that a lot of equine bodybuilders have much more size than I have. Heck, I'm probably gonna be the shortest stallion on the stage. They'll dwarf me; which says nothing to the fact that they will be more muscular."

"You know, Chet, I'll tell you that you have a point. You may very well be the shortest stallion out there. The thing I would suggest you keep in mind is that, you can't control what the judges are going to think. You can't control how the other contestants look. The things you can control are your own condition, your posing routine, you can control how you draw attention to your strengths and hide your weaknesses on your body. With that in mind, I can really not see any weak points. Everything is in proportion. Your conditioning is impeccable. You are a good poser. With this particular contest, there is no pose-down, so you don't have to worry too much about a huge amount of comparison. This show is more based on how you look as a complete package. If you find that they call you out against a lot of really tall stallions, you can hit a few lunging poses to counter any height advantage that the other stallions may have over you. You've got great shape, great symmetry, great definition. That's where you have the advantage."

"Plus, you'll have me and DJ in the crowd, cheering you on really loudly." Furvus added this little benefit. Chet blushed a bit at that.

"I got news that there will be a special guest poser too." Chet looked over at his big fox bro with a grin and a wink.

"Yep, it's true. They are letting me do a guest posing show for the equine qualifier. That's quite an honor for a fox, among some of the biggest bodybuilding species around. I guess they figure that I'm one of the more accessible professionals around, since I'm local to the contest here." DJ smiled warmly.

"You're in such amazing condition, DJ. You could probably win the contest with the shape you're in." Chet teased his big fox friend a little bit.

"What can I say, Chet? I always like to be in very good shape, and I like to please the fans with a good show. I know I'm not competing. I think it's more a show of respect that I have for other contestants. They have worked so hard to be in the best shape of their lives. Why shouldn't I show up in at least decent shape?"

"That makes sense. I was just trying to tease you cuz you look so incredible. Heck, both of you are still in unbelievable condition. You could both walk on stage and probably win a show tomorrow." Chet granted his honest assessment of their condition.

All three of them returned to the table and drank the last of their lemonade. After a nice visit, DJ and Furvus congratulated Chet on being in such incredible shape, and bid him a good night. They headed back to Furvus's car, and drove off back to their homes for the evening. Chet cleaned up and headed back inside for a nice shower to clean himself up.

__________________________________________

Kauto was smiling happily as he was driving out on the country road. His huge truck seemed to float over the dirt and stone surface effortlessly, while the music pumped out of the stereo in the truck. Kauto's black mane flowed in the wind that was swifting in through the window, along with the scents of the fresh country air. Finally, he pulled up to the driveway to Chet's farmhouse, and drove down the tree-lined laneway. The big Friesian stallion opened the door and slid out of the high truck, landing on his hooves in the dry dirt. He then went over to the back door of the farmhouse and knocked.

Chet answered the door and instantly wrapped his arms around the big black horse. Kauto gave a little shy squeal from his muzzle as he was surprised by Chet's reaction.

"G'day there Chet. Uhhmm ... wow, what a greeting mate." Kauto chuckled softly with that strong Australian accent of his as he looked down at the affectionate stallion, still wrapped around his chest.

"Well, it's been a little while since I've seen you, and it's good of you to come over to help me out with my grooming. I just can't braid." Chet blushed a bit and finally released his embrace. He invited Kauto in for a cool drink. They both chose to drink some water, so Chet used his typical equine bucket-type containers for them both. They drank heartily and licked their lips slowly.

"Well, I'm here to lend a hoof for you. Braiding can be tricky indeed. Have you been conditioning your mane and tail for a few days?"

"Yes. Actually I do it regularly because it just looks much better. Plus, I'm out here in the fields all the time, so I have to take care of my mane and tail. It gets really hard to manage if I don't." Chet chuckled at that. Then he brought out the grooming kit for Kauto.

"I hear you're getting and prim and proper for your pro-qualifier. How's your physique coming along?" Kauto asked plainly since Chet was fully dressed, including long sleeves on his sweatshirt.

"Well, I hope I've done my best. Furvus and DJ were over yesterday and they seemed to be rather impressed. The contest is tomorrow actually." Kauto nodded at first and his eyes widened when Chet mentioned that Furvus and DJ were impressed, since he knew how hard it was to impress those two muscle furs. Then his expression changed to disappointment. Chet noticed this.

"What's wrong, Kauto?" Chet asked.

"You said that your contest is tomorrow. I have to head off to a really important race for my team tomorrow. I won't be able to see how you do. You have to record the show, so that I can see it later on. I know I get a sneak-peak at what your body looks like now. If it's even remotely close to how you looked for our strength contest, you'll probably mop the platform with the competition." Kauto seemed to be rather confident that Chet had a professional physique.

"Well, I guess I have to strip down so you can groom my mane and tail and maybe the rest of my coat. So here goes," Chet breathed in and just reached up to the neck line of his sweatshirt, pulling it up over without really adding any flare. Kauto watched and his jaw started to drop as Chet's upper body was revealed.

"Oh my god, Chet. It's not possible!" Kauto was stunned

"What's wrong?" Chet finally finished pulling his sweatshirt over his head as he tossed it to the kitchen chair and perked his ears curiously toward Kauto.

"I have never seen a stallion so ripped, and so full with muscle. It's not possible to have this combination. Or at least, I never thought it was possible. Here, you've proven me wrong. You look ... astonishing!" Kauto was blushing under his black coat, which made it nearly impossible to see. Chet started to blush as well, blending in well with his chestnut coat.

"You're surely too kind. It has to have been done before. I can't be the first stallion to have this kind of conditioning. I have been working pretty hard on it though. I suppose that it's been working." Chet explained to his large and buff stallion friend.

Chet nickered playfully and lifted both of his arms slowly over and behind his head. His biceps balled up into shredded mounds of vascular muscle, while his lats flared wider. Then the stallion slowly crunched his upper body forward, making the already-chiseled 10-pack of ab muscles grow more pronounced. The definition between the cobbled muscles etched deeper as the muscles bunched tighter. As Chet scrunched forward just slightly, every shredded finger of detailed oblique muscle rose and stretched over the tight skin and coat. Chet's muscles looked harder than they ever had before. Kauto moaned softly as he took in the display from his stallion friend.

"Anatomy charts would be jealous of the definition in your muscles, Chet." Now Chet blushed very deeply.

"Oh cut it out. I'm just trying to reach my potential and give a good show. Thanks for the compliments, big fella. You're very kind to say that. I'm still gonna have my hands full with those other stallions on stage. They're all heavy draft horses. They'll dwarf my body, surely." Chet tried to keep himself grounded and focused on the contest. The last thing he wanted to be was too cocky and just assume that he didn't have to work for the pro-card.

"Well, I'm sure that the judges will never have seen anything like the whole package that you present - especially on an equine." Kauto continued to gush the praise on the shy stallion, but then they both decided to get down to business. Chet reached down and slid down his shorts over the bulging quad muscles. Kauto gave a sexy nicker when he saw Chet's yellow posing briefs.

Without a further word, Kauto rummaged through the grooming kit and chose the tools he needed. He started by braiding Chet's mane so that the long black hair would stay under control while he was posing and trying to show every muscle to the best he could. Kauto was nearly finished braiding Chet's mane as he moved closer to the patient chestnut stallion. Kauto hurrrr hurrrrred soft and deep, pressing his muscular chest gently against Chet's back. Kauto lowered his muzzle to Chet's neck and gave an affectionate nip, blowing a warm puff of breath against his stallion friend.

"You are a real hottie Chet. I hope you don't mind me getting affectionate."

"No, I don't mind. I'm flattered that you feel this way. I can assure you that the feeling is mutual. I'm just a little bit out of character here because I'm focused on the contest tomorrow." Chet finally admitted, but then Kauto nipped a little more at Chet's neck. The chestnut stallion hurrr hurrred softly and his ears folded to the side as he started to lean back against Kauto's thick chest. The muscular black Friesian stallion slowly wrapped his strong arms over and around Chet's shoulders, rubbing his thick, shredded pecs slowly. Chet lowered his muzzle and tenderly kissed at Kauto's forearms. Kauto once again nipped at Chet's neck as he pressed more of his body closer to Chet's back. They both sank into the very hot scene between each other. In the other room, a rather loud grandfather clock rang out 12 bells, signaling that it was now noon.

"This is so nice. I don't want it to end, but I'm sure you have to get things ready before you head off for your races this weekend." Chet brought the moment back to reality, against every instinct in his whole body. Both stallions grudgingly nodded and got back to the task at hand.

Kauto stepped back and Chet shifted into a more accessible position. Kauto reached for the brush and brushed out Chet's long luxurious tail. He expertly pulled the dead hairs and untangled others so that the tail began to really look full and actually had some weight to it. Kauto had lots of experience with making tails ready for showing. Chet's tail was now all one uniform length, and had a beautiful shape and weight to it.

"Now for the fine touches." Kauto held Chet's tail length at the base and sorted through the long fine hairs. He carefully and deftly braided the tail hairs over the form of Chet's tail, tying it off with a yellow braid ribbon that matched Chet's posing trunks perfectly. Kauto stood back a step or two and nodded happily.

"Never done such a perfect job like this before, but then look at what I had to work with." That comment made Chet blush a bit again. He stepped forward, then looked over his shoulders, nickering softly and nodding too.

"Wow, Kauto! How did you make it look so full? You're awesome! I definitely called the right horse to help me get ready." Chet lifted his carefully braided tail and watched as it followed his command. It was a good choice, because Chet could really show off his leg muscles and that shredded rump to full effect. Not only that, but his tail was now gorgeous.

Kauto stared at Chet showing how he could control his tail. Chet grinned and playfully tensed his rump muscles. Slowly, but steadily, the muscles rippled and then hardened into dense and chiseled solid muscles. Kauto watched the flex and he snorted lustfully, ruffling his long mane to try not to tackle Chet to the ground. Chet heard the reaction and stopped flexing.

"Sorry about that tease Kauto. I just wanted to see what you'd do."

"It took every ounce of self-control for me NOT to tackle you right there. While I don't think either of us would really mind it, you're right that there isn't really time for that now. I hate that." Kauto almost pouted, but then so did Chester.

Chet turned around and walked over to his sexy stallion friend, pressing their thick chests together. Chet lifted his muzzle to Kauto's neck and nibbled affectionately. Almost instantly, both stallions felt the lust build again between them. The moment was once again rudely interrupted by the grandfather clock chiming in at 2 bells. Indeed, two hours had passed while Kauto was working on Chet's tail.

Kauto leaned his neck over Chet's left shoulder, while Chet did the same over Kauto's right shoulder in a proper equine hug.

"Good luck at the races, my friend. I know your team will do amazing." Chet wished his friend warmly.

"Good luck at your contest, Chet. I don't think you're the one who's going to need the luck though. The other stallions aren't going to know what's coming. I think you're just the horse that the federation is looking for to change the direction of the sport for horses. Other divisions are based on a total package. The equine division has been so heavily dominated by those heavy draft breeds for so long because they can pile on so much muscle. You go and show them what a total stallion package is like."

"You're far too kind. Who knows when they will make that change. If it starts with me, then I'd be flattered. I certainly can't take the rest of the competitors lightly. I'll just try to do my best." Chet waved to his friend and went back inside to wrap his tail carefully before it got all tangled and out of shape.

__________________________________________

Darius spent a few hours grooming his coat. He had just finished his final workout before the contest. The experienced bodybuilder looked at his body in the full-length mirror, and scrutinized his condition. Indeed, he'd never had a problem building sheer muscle size. His Clydesdale body was extremely muscular. He started adding more cardio to his workouts, so there was more definition than he'd ever had before. He knew that the other stallions weren't going to be nearly as ripped as he was. He lifted his right arm over and behind his large head, then flexed his abs. A clear set of six cobbled muscles showed through the tight skin. Darius had a bit of a bulge, just like many of the other Clydesdale stallions did, around their midsection. Try as he might, he couldn't see much definition in the lower abs. He didn't worry about that since it was nearly impossible for heavy drafts to get even half of the abs that he showed right now.

A wry grin spread across Darius' muzzle. "Hello pro card, here comes your newest stallion." Darius relaxed his toned midsection and then flexed a double biceps. Indeed the stallion had incredible biceps. They bunched up into huge mounds of solid muscle. Because of his new cardio and conditioning, a thick set of veins snaked over the thick muscle. There was some impressive definition there as well.

Darius smiled even wider, knowing that his biceps were usually more than enough to knock out the competition. But he had even more muscle to back up just his massive arms. The next pose that he flashed in the mirror was a slow most muscular. The massive stallion thrust his huge arms down in front of his body. This movement made the thick chest muscles bulge hugely and small lines of sinew cross over and across the expanse of the thick muscle. Darius continued flexing those massive arms and chest, until he finally showed the full size and power of this pose. It was his signature pose. There was no other stallion that he'd ever competed against that could match up with his most-muscular pose. He looked back at himself in the mirror. He'd never been so confident and sure that he'd be getting the pro card tomorrow. Now it was just a matter of formality in being named the winner.

The huge stallion finished his posing practice shortly after that. He went into the shower room, and got himself ready to head home. Then he went to bed and slept soundly. He dreamt of winning the show.

____________________________________________

Chet arrived at the arena where the bodybuilding show was being held early in the morning. He went inside and got himself confirmed and fully registered, then he trotted off to the backstage room to get himself ready for the first rounds of judging. There were approximately 20 stallions in the contest today. More than half of them had already arrived. The atmosphere was exciting and nerve-wracking. Chet found a locker for his bag and his clothes. He took a look around and noticed the competition. His fears were confirmed now. He was indeed the smallest contestant. Even many of the contestants' helpers were bigger than him. Chet tried to just put that out of his mind.

Soon after, DJ and Furvus arrived and came right over to Chet. They both greeted the stallion warmly and smiled encouragingly at him. They, too, took a look around at the contestants. DJ grinned and then looked back at Chet. He knew Chet was really worried about the size factor.

"See, Chet? I told you that you'd be the best horse here. These stallions can't even come close to your conditioning. They can't show the muscle that you can." DJ looked to Furvus and nodded to him. Furvus took up the cue.

"DJ's right, Chet. Remember back to the other day. You are ready. Just go out there and do your best. Nothing can stop you." Both professional bodybuilder furs were tremendously confident in themselves, and they tried to help Chet find that in himself.

"Well, you guys are very kind for the encouragement. I'll do my best. At this point, there's nothing more that I can do for this contest. I know it's not life or death if I don't win this year. It would be a bit of a disappointment because I worked so hard and really did try my best to come to the show in my best shape. To be honest, if I don't win, then perhaps I shouldn't be a pro because there's really nothing more that I can do. I really just want to make you two proud and happy." DJ and Furvus looked at each other and then back to Chet.

"We couldn't be more proud of you. We know what it's like to work so hard for something. We've both done that as well. It's true that if you don't win, we won't be disappointed in you at all. The only thing we would be disappointed in is if you didn't give it your best effort. We know you have. Therefore, there's no chance of us being disappointed. So now that we've settled that, why don't you start getting yourself pumped up for the first rounds?" DJ spoke in his blunt manner once again, and snapped Chet back to the moment. He nodded and stepped over to the weights in the pump up room.

Furvus stayed with Chet to help him pump up. DJ went out to the officials to find out the instructions that he needed to know about the guest posing he was doing. Furvus and Chet started planning the pump up time. Furvus looked at Chet's physique with an eye for detail.

"Let's just focus on the larger muscle groups, Chet. That'll bring in the smaller muscles too, and it'll give you a nice overall pump. It'll help out with that sheen that you get so your muscles look super hard on stage."

"That could be a problem. Even though this has been set up for equines, there isn't a whole lot of weight in here for me to get a good pump." Chet looked a little nervously back at Furvus.

"That's not a problem, big guy. I'll help you out with the resistance. We just have to be careful that one of us doesn't actually try to overpower the other one. It has to balance out. We're not having a test of strength, but I will try to match up with you just enough to give the resistance to pump your muscles."

"Ok, we can give it a shot." Chet followed Furvus' lead. The muscular wolf grabbed the large towel from Chet's bag. He rolled it up into a rope-like length and handed Chet one end. Furvus and Chet pulled against each other slowly. Chet could really feel the muscles working and that gave him a little bit of reassurance. Furvus watched as Chet performed the pulls, and he matched Chet's strength equally.

In the middle of the set, the door blasted open and a blustery stallion entered the room. Furvus' hackles almost immediately rose on the back of his neck. He could just tell that this was a stallion who didn't play nice with others, especially in a competitive situation. He was already trying to push his weight around and he had just arrived. He quickly tried to focus back on Chet's pumping up. The big blustery stallion came over to Chet and tapped him on the shoulder firmly.

"Hey there pony. What's the matter? These pump up weights are too much for you to lift? They're supposed to be light, and they are to real stallions like me. You made a mistake by trying to make it among the big guys." Furvus growled low, not wanting to show Chet up, but definitely ready to come to his friend's defense if need be.

Chet stopped pulling against Furvus, and he turned around to look up at the massive Clydesdale. "Thanks for your concern. Yes, the weights were not quite suitable for me. Maybe you could help me pump up with the towel. I'm sure it wouldn't be too much of a problem for you, since you're such a huge stallion." Chet said with a little gleam in his eye, which somehow was missed by the big stud.

"Don't make me laugh, pony. I have my own routine. I was just trying to offer some advice for you so you could save face." Furvus looked innocently back at the huge stallion and offered him the other end of the towel. He definitely didn't want to miss this chance for Chet to show the bully what a mistake he'd just made.

"Please take over just for a bit. I really can't keep up with him. He's just too strong for me, but I'm sure that you'll give him more of a pump." Furvus offered.

"Well, a horse should be stronger than a wolf." Apparently Darius didn't follow any of the other bodybuilding divisions too closely. He didn't recognize Furvus. "I'll give you a break, just this once." He stepped in and took the towel in just one hand. He gripped the soft towel firmly and then started to grin. He pulled strongly against Chet, who grinned back just slightly. He followed the strong pull from the massive stallion, then he tugged firmly back toward him. Darius wasn't expecting that much strength and tumbled forward, falling against the lockers on the far wall. He was ok, but rattled a bit.

DJ came back into the pump up room just after the commotion, and he saw Chet holding the length of the towel. Chet was looking over at the big stallion. DJ walked over to Darius and looked down with a grin that suggested that he figured out what happened.

"Well, Darius. Good to see you here again. Why are you laying in a heap against the lockers here?"

"DJ!" Darius looked back a bit with surprise and looked past DJ back at Chet who stood with a little more confidence. "That lousy pony tripped me! He'll get his by the end of the show. Mark my words." Darius was convinced that there was no way Chet could have done that.

"Oh I don't think that you'll be doing anything you'll regret. You see, he's a friend of mine. I'm sure you've heard how protective I am of my friends' safety. Take the outcome of the contest at its face value. The winds of change are in the air for the equine division, my friend." DJ looked back with a satisfied smirk and headed back to talk with Chet.

"What did you two do to him? He's livid!"

"He came in and started pushing his weight around. Made my hackles rise, but I was a good wolf and let Chet deal with the bully the way he wanted to. Chet played the part of the weak pony perfectly. Took the big bully by surprise and rather easily outpulled him. I guess Chet pulled a bit too hard, and the Clydesdale lost his balance, and went tumbling over to the lockers over there." Furvus explained to DJ, who nodded and patted Chet on his shoulder.

"Part of the contest, my big buff stallion bro. It's just part of the routine when you've got this much on the line. Darius has been trying to get his pro card for three years now. He's basically the big stallion on campus here, and he's trying to use that intimidation to his advantage. I'm proud of you, Chet. You didn't fall for it."

"He's massive DJ." Chet was still trying to keep himself in an even mind-frame.

"Yes, he is. Remember back to the other day though, Chet? Your physique ... in the window reflection? The two of us are already professional bodybuilders. Do you remember how equally matched you were in your conditioning, in your excellent posing? You're a professional already. Now all that's left is that the judges need to see that. Go out there and show them." DJ smiled warmly. Chet blushed at first in his typical response. DJ simply waited until Chet stopped his blushing.

In the first two rounds of pre-judging, Chet was indeed the shortest stallion out on stage, but he took everyone by surprise when he was the one who was being compared to all of the other top contestants on a consistent basis. DJ and Furvus both sat in the audience and marveled at how composed Chet appeared in the first rounds.

"I'll bet he doesn't even realize how well he's doing, and how hard it is to do what he's doing. He doesn't look like there's any pressure." Furvus whispered to DJ. DJ nodded in reply, and both of the pro bodybuilding furs sat watching their friend really open some eyes in the sport.

At the end of the first two rounds, the contestants went back to the dressing room to put their finishing touches on their coats. DJ had left Furvus in the audience a little earlier because he was supposed to get ready for his guest posing.

Chet met DJ back in the pump up room just before DJ went out for his posing routine.

"Gods, DJ, you look awesome. Have a great routine, big fox bro." Chet sincerely wished the big muscle fox.

"Thanks Chet. There's no pressure for me, like there is for you, but you've handled this pressure perfectly. You looked so relaxed out there. You hit every pose. Have fun with your evening routine." DJ waved back to Chet and proceeded out to the stage. The crowd attending the evening show went wild seeing the pro bodybuilding fox. DJ's music began and he swung his arms up, showing his trademark biceps. Thick veins stretched the tight skin even tighter. The muscles bunched up into huge thick and shredded solid muscles. DJ flowed from his double biceps pose into the more artistic archer pose, straightening his right arm out so that his biceps formed a thick tube of chiseled muscle sitting on top of his right arm.

From that pose, DJ, seamlessly flowed into a front thigh and ab shot, folding those massive muscled arms up and behind his head, then thrusting his shredded thigh out in front, turning it slightly to emphasize the outer sweep of the muscle, and the full mass of his calves, before finally crunching his upper body tightly showing off some of the most incredibly ripped abs ever seen on stage. DJ flared his lats a little bit wider in this pose to show how narrow his waist is.

In the next moment, DJ spun around and unfolded his arms, lifting them both high overhead, showing impeccable detail all up and down his arms. Then, he clenched both fists and slowly brought both arms downward and below the level to show the unmatched definition in his back. In the same movement, he pushed his arms back up into level and flexed his biceps fully. The muscles now erupted into the full show of vascularity. The crowd literally exploded with applause seeing the pose. DJ had them in the palm of his hands when he started with his trademark double biceps pose. He smiled while facing the back of the stage because he knew that this was purely for the audience's enjoyment. Clearly, he was giving them what they wanted.

For the second-to-last pose, DJ places a pawed foot a little further behind, and lifted up the heel, flexing his mighty calf muscles. They grew into a huge mass of iron-hard muscle, with veins lining the tight skin. The muscle slid smoothly beneath the skin and fur coat of the muscle fox as he finally flexed it fully showing the sheer definition in the muscle. His hamstrings also formed long bulging cable-like sinew on the back of his thick muscular legs. Placing his hands gently on his tight waist, he looked back over his right shoulder with the playful toothy grin while he slowly spread those wide lats to their full width. Every muscle showed through even as the width was expanding. DJ held that pose a little bit longer, feeling the crowd really enjoying the show.

Finally, he turned back around and faced them. DJ slowly brought his shoulders up, shrugging almost. This simple movement made his shredded traps muscles bunch tighter and his delt muscles rippled with incredible definition. DJ still had that grin across his muzzle as he thrust his mighty arms downward and in front of his ripped body, making the striations spread through that thick chest. The final pose was so intense, and showed such incredible muscle detail everywhere on the fox's body that the entire audience rose from their seats and gave DJ a standing ovation for the guest posing display. DJ pumped his fist twice in the air and gave a warm bow of appreciation to the audience for their response. He bowed once more and then waved warmly to them before moving to the backstage area to cool down.

From the off-stage area, Chet was watching his muscular fox friend go through his posing. He marveled at how easily DJ moved on stage from pose to pose. He knew just how long to hold each pose for full effect. He was a consummate professional.

While Chet was preoccupied with watching DJ's guest posing, Darius wrapped his lips in a wry, devious grin. He quietly rummaged through Chet's bag and found his ipod. He searched it briefly, and happened across a rather humorous selection. Since Chet was so small, compared to the other equines in the contest, he'd play a little trick on the stallion. He chuckled. "Let's see who has the last laugh here, you tricky little pony." He proceeded to hand off the set ipod to the audio booth, giving them the instructions to play the song he chose for Chet's posing round.

It took many minutes before the crowd began to settle back down from the excitement of the guest posing. DJ went back to the backstage area and Chet ran over to give him a big hug.

"That was quite the inspiration there DJ. The crowd just loved it too. I guess you were right. Why shouldn't you show them some respect by coming in to a guest posing in quite good condition?"

"Thanks Chet. Now go out there and watch how they react to your show. They won't know what hit them when you get out there."

DJ got himself cooled out quickly and dressed again. He rejoined Furvus back in their seats in the audience.

"Do you know what Chet's music choice is for his posing routine?" Furvus asked DJ.

"Nope. All he told me was that he hoped it would be a nice surprise."

The first competitor was a massive stallion who was competing for his pro-card for the first time. He was clearly very nervous about posing in front of so many judgmental eyes. Nevertheless, his condition was very good. He showed a clear 6 pack of abs, even though he didn't have a great deal of control over his muscles yet. He was truly one of the more massive contestants, and had been drawn in comparisons against both Darius and Chet a number of times in the prejudging rounds earlier.

"Did you notice how much his body shook when he was holding the pose, Furvus? He's still learning how to show off the muscles to their full extent. He's over-flexing. I'm sure he'll start to get the hang of it for the next time he competes. He's really really huge though, don't you think, big wolf bro?" DJ smiled over at Furvus who simply nodded.

The next contestant was a stallion who was also very massive, but his conditioning was totally off. His diet was clearly not tuned for this show. The crowd applauded for his posing routine dutifully, though he was clearly disheartened that he didn't show up for the contest in shape.

The next horse was Darius himself. Since he had been at this qualifying event twice before, the announcer seemed to add a bit more enthusiasm when he announced Darius. The audience did erupt with applause when they saw the huge Clydesdale come out on stage. They could even here those massive hooves thunder on stage. He walked out with supreme confidence. His posing was decent, although his transitions weren't very clean between poses. He lost control of his abs several times and the bulging midsection showed quite prominently in the side poses. Darius, however, was so massive and well-built that the sheer size of his chest was mind-blowing to most in the audience. Even DJ and Furvus had to admit that the stallion had incredible development. His condition was far sharper than he'd ever been in any shows that DJ remembered him being in before too.

"Chet might actually have a run for his money. Darius is in the best shape of his career so far. He's got the most chiseled 6 pack I've seen on a heavy horse like him." Furvus looked back at DJ and shook his head a little bit with a wry grin.

"I'm sure that the judges have never really seen the whole package like Chet's. He's not just totally ripped, DJ. He's got some great muscle size too." DJ nodded back and started to smile.

"I know that he does. I'm just saying that this is Darius's third time around for his pro card. The judges know this as well. They may be willing to overlook the newcomer and finally reward Darius for how much improvement he's made. It's too bad that sometimes politics gets in the way of a simple sport."

Back on stage, Darius hit his astounding most-muscular pose and left the crowd standing in awe. The house erupted with applause for the big stallion. He pumped his fists in the air triumphantly and strutted off stage with a wicked grin.

Chet came out a few contestants later than Darius. The crowd grew silent. Chet stood in the middle of the stage in his yellow posers. He waited for his music to cue. Suddenly "Stayin' Alive" from the Chipmunks blared through the speakers of the arena. Chet was ready to hit his first pose before the music started. He had tensed his arms and hit the first biceps pose on the beat. He held the pose as the definition of his muscles showed through clearly. The audience was shocked by the music choice. Chet, too, was shocked, but he tried to just go with the music, making up a new posing routine on the spot.

On an appropriate beat, Chet flowed into a front ab/thigh pose. The audience stared awe-struck at the muscles as they shredded before their eyes. Chiseled cross-striations sliced through the inner and outer teardrop heads of the thick massive quads. Chet did like DJ did earlier and twisted his knee slightly, making the thickness of his quads seem even larger. The calf muscles bulged to incredible thickness and definition. He finished the pose by crunching his upper body forward slightly, making his absolutely ripped 10-pack abs show through. The audience erupted with insane applause when they noticed Chet's definition. Chet felt the applause and forgot about the wrong song being played. He left the pose and pumped his mighty fist in the air to the beat of the song. The audience started singing the song as Chet continued posing.

He turned to the side, and unlike Darius earlier, Chet's muscle control was impeccable. He held his abs in tightly, and pulled his back arm around behind his back, gripping his front arm. He thrust the front arm downward and flexed with incredible hardness. His triceps muscles showed the most shredded horseshoe-shaped muscle on stage so far this evening. Thick veins snaked in over and between the shredded muscles of Chet's arms. His thick, ripped deltoid muscles showed through their thickness as well. He rolled his front shoulder slightly forward and showed the lines of deeply-etched striations rip through the thick pec muscles as well.

Still the crowd pumped their hands in the air, loving the show. Chet flowed effortlessly into a lunging pose where he twisted his upper body to the rear. His back arm hung down, as he flexed and clenched the fist, making his forearms bulge and writhe with thick cabled muscle. The triceps muscles bulged on that rear arm. Chet's thick muscular back rippled and showed just a hint of his width in this pose, but still the clear V-shape was evident in this pose. He looked to his right arm and held it up. He slowly curled his biceps making the definition on his arm show through with incredible clarity. The biceps bunched into an incredible peak. Chet then twisted his wrist a little further and showed the audience the clear split in the muscle head, veins stretched the super tight skin tighter now as the peak rose a little higher. The audience hadn't yet stopped cheering on the newcomer and his odd song choice.

Chet stood back up effortlessly, and did a little twirl in the middle of the stage, only to end up facing the audience. He shrugged his massive shoulders a little higher and made those traps muscles rise with lines of definition etching the thick muscle clearly. In one slow movement, Chet forced his arms down in front. He flexed mightily and made his chest shred with deeply-etched striations everywhere. The lines spread from the bottom of the chest all the way to the collar bone. He let out a triumphant whinny which was even louder than the music filling the arena. The audience hooted back to the stallion on stage. Chet was breathing heavily after the energy of the poses. He stood with that clear sheen of sweat, which made his already rock hard muscles look even harder. He jumped up in the air and pumped his fists happily, bowing to the appreciative audience. They were all standing out there giving Chet a standing ovation. He bowed once again and waved, before trotting offstage with a tremendous sense of elation.

Both Furvus and DJ were standing there back at the locker area. Chet looked at them both and shook his head.

"I .... I don't know what to say guys. I'm sorry." Chet was a little bit embarrassed.

"Sorry? For what? That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen, Chet." Furvus came over and gave Chet an incredible muscle hug, lifting the exhausted stallion off his hooves carefully. Then he set him back down on his hooves after a few moments.

"Furvus is right Chet. That was incredible indeed. You really owned the crowd there. They loved you. One thing I have to ask though. Why did you choose that song? I mean, that really could have worked against you."

"That wasn't my song, DJ. Someone must have switched it. My song was something quite different. I'll still keep that a secret for the next show though. I nearly lost it when I heard that song come up. But then I figured I had nothing to lose, so I tried to just have fun with it. When I hit my abs shot, and the crowd started to applaud, I started to feel better."

"That ... wasn't your song that you planned your posing routine around? You made up the routine on the spot?" Furvus' eyes widened at the thought of the muscular stallion making up a great routine on the spot. "Wow, Chet. You really are a pro! Props to you, super stallion. You did a fantastic job. I had no idea that you made up the routine on the spot."

"Neither did I, Chet. You managed to convince both of us seasoned pros. Obviously the audience just ate it up too. Congrats!" DJ gave Chet a big muscle hug and lifted the big stallion off the ground again like Furvus had. He set Chet back down gently again.

The evening routines finally wrapped up shortly after Chet's routine. All the contestants were called back out to the stage. In the pro-qualifiers for the equines, the audience was not treated to the highlight of a pose-down. It was more of a business-like atmosphere because the pro card mattered so much. The contestants just wanted to find out who won.

"Ladies and Gentlefurs, the judges have battled long and hard over their decision with this contest. Never before have we featured such a high quality line up of equine muscle. These studs all deserve the applause you have graciously given to them tonight. Thank you for being such a wonderful crowd." The announcer thanked the crowd honestly and Chet clapped his hands while standing on stage because he was truly thankful for the reaction he received.

"With that in mind, let's get to the results of this most spectacular show of stallion perfection. In third place: Flynn Crowe! Flynn earns himself an automatic return invitation to the pro-qualifier next year. He also earns a year-long sponsorship deal with MetaRx nutrition!" The audience applauded for Flynn's accomplishments. He graciously bowed to the audience and to the judges. Since this was Flynn's first time trying to qualify, he was sincerely pleased.

"In second place: Darius Eifel! Darius earns himself an automatic return invitation for qualification next year. He also earns a three-year sponsorship deal with MetaRx nutrition. Congratulations Darius. You've made serious improvements over last year when you came in third. Keep up the great work!" Darius fumed on stage, though he tried to seem appreciative. He forced a smile and accepted the second place grudgingly.

"In first place, and earning his professional bodybuilding card: Chester Equus!" The audience erupted massively with applause again and Chet literally fell to his knees in shock and amazement. "Chester has earned his pro card where he'll be able to earn prize money for contests that he enters and places in. He has also earned an endorsement deal for VulpoGear and MetaRx nutritional supplements. Congratulations Chester! You've shown the equine bodybuilders that the total package is indeed achievable." All the contestants slowly filed off stage to the back area. Chet headed to his locker and with his back turned, Darius came up from behind and shoved the shorter stallion into the locker door hard. Chet snorted and pushed back against the bigger horse.

"Newbies shouldn't be allowed to leap-frog over seasoned contestants. I don't care how ripped you are, chipmunk pony. You can't match my size. Good luck trying to make it as a pro. You're gonna drown, pony."

Furvus came up behind the bullying stallion and put his paws on the huge equine's shoulders, pulling him off Chet with amazing strength. Once again, Darius landed in a heap against the lockers looking up at the strong wolf.

"I don't think we've been introduced. Furvus Wolf here. I don't like it when furs bully my friends. If you've got a problem with them, you've got a problem with me." Furvus calmly explained.

"Officer Furvus? I ..." Darius didn't quite know how to continue. He'd already experienced Chet's strength earlier. He knew that DJ was a champion arm-wrestler, bodybuilder and strong-fur as well. Now he knew that Furvus was involved. It was best to cut his losses and leave in one piece.

"I thought so. You'd best be collecting you belongings and heading off." Furvus gripped his hands tightly, flexing his ripped muscles for emphasis.

"As I mentioned before, Darius. A wave of change is going to sweep across the equine bodybuilding division. Chet's conditioning will open up the division for a lot of other stallions who deserve to be considered. Have a nice day, and better luck next year. Keep working hard, and you might even make the trend that you've started come true. Third last year. Second this year. Next year can be your year." He grinned and flexed his ripped muscles for emphasis too. Darius got up clumsily and headed to his locker to gather his things. He left the arena and pondered his next move.

The three friends wrapped their muscular arms around each other in a group hug. A trio of professional bodybuilders now smiled.

"We couldn't be more proud of you, Chet. How do you feel about yourself now?"

Chet thought about it for a moment. "I suppose I overcame quite a bit of challenge tonight. I'm pleased that I made it through." Ever the modest stallion, Chet grinned warmly and DJ and Furvus rubbed Chet's forelock with a playful gesture.

They headed off to celebrate the victory by getting some food.