Thunder Day

My first contest entry, my first contest winner, it won first place! So many firsts...

Morning.
Thunder rolls,
though the sky is clear.
The ground begins pounding
like the heartbeat of elation,
or fear,
as tons of graceful muscle rush by.

Noontime.
A crowd waits impatiently
for a tinny voice to shout "And they're off!",
and a controlled stampede
strives for speed.

Afternoon,
and the sound of wooden wheels
rattling over gravel,
following a genteel pace
down a lane lined with whispering green.

Evening
in an old barn, warm with life's breath.
A thump on a wooden floor,
an explosive snort,
when a loving hand is placed beneath a soft nose.