"Cosima, welcome to Paris," a man with jet black hair, in his early 60s, greets the small girl as she hops out of the back of a cab.
"Mr. Cormier, it's nice to see you again," she smiles.
"Please, call me Pierre. And it is lovely to see you as well, my dear."
"It's so beautiful here," she exclaims, looking at the property, "I had no idea there was a Paris, Virginia."
"It was the only way I could convince my wife, Marie, to move to America from France, by telling her we'd always have Paris," he winks. "Come, let me show you to your residence." He grabs her suitcase and begins wheeling it towards a little house. "This guest cottage is all yours. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask. We want you to feel at home here."
They walk in and Cosima looks around, "Whoa, this is really nice, thank you."
"Oh, it's my pleasure. I know you had a long flight, would you like to see the stables now or do you need some time to rest?"
"Nah, I'm here for the filly, let's go meet her."
Cosima follows Pierre towards the fields around the side of the property. "This is our horse pen and then down on the lower field over there," he points to the large expanse of land, "we built a training track."
"That's awesome!"
They stroll around to the stables in the back and walk through a set of large wooden doors. There are four stalls on either side of the large space.
"Right now, we have 7 horses," Pierre announces. "This is our youngest, Tesla, then there's Newton, Archimedes, Darwin, Rosalind, Polonium, and finally our 3 year-old, and the horse you will be riding this season, Leda."
Cosima steps forward, eyes wide as she admires the light brown horse with white legs, white muzzle, and long blonde mane and tail. "She's a beauty!" Cosima marvels at the animal.
"Indeed she is," a voice calls out, causing Cosima and Pierre to turn towards the intruder.
"Felix, I'm glad you're here. Come meet Cosima. Cosima, this is our trainer, Felix Dawkins."
"Nice to meet you," Cosima holds out her hand towards the young man.
"Cosima Niehaus, well, you are nothing like I expected," Felix notes as he shakes her hand, looking her up and down.
Just then Pierre's cellphone rings, "I need to take this. Felix please introduce Cosima and Leda and get her acclimated. Cosima, I will see you up at the house for dinner at 7:30." He answers his phone as he exits the stable.
"What were you expecting?" Cosima asks.
"Certainly not dreads, though it's a welcome sight after the horrid bob of that uber-bitch, Rachel."
"Ah, yes, Rachel Duncan. She's got quite the reputation."
"Yes, and not just among humans, Leda hated her."
"No way, this horse looks too sweet to hate anyone."
"I take it you haven't been ridden by Rachel Duncan," Felix deadpans causing Cosima to laugh.
"No, can't say that I have. So can I meet this lovely lady?" Cosima gestures towards the horse.
"Certainly. Here," Felix hands Cosima a carrot.
"Thanks, but I don't want to ruin my appetite before dinner."
"Oh, a wiseass I see." Felix grins, "you just might fit in here. Offer it to Leda."
Cosima enters the stall slowly, holding the carrot in front of her. "Hey, girl, you hungry?"
Leda turns her head towards Cosima and starts to nibble on the carrot. Cosima brings her free hand up to gently pet Leda on the strip of white fur that runs from her forehead, between her eyes, and down to her nose. When Leda finishes the carrot, she brings her muzzle up to Cosima's cheek, giving her face a quick rub.
"Well, I'd say she likes you already. There's only a few people she ever touches like that."
"You mean it's not cause I just fed her?"
"No. Rachel fed her a couple times, but she never did that afterwards. In fact, she kinda bit her once."
"You're kidding?"
Felix shakes his head, "I think that may have solidified Rachel's decision to leave Cormier and join Dyad Stables as their jockey when the offer came in. Nobody was sorry to see her go, especially Leda. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"
Leda nods her head and nickers in response.
"She really does seem to understand everything," Cosima remarks. "She must have a good trainer."
"I do spend a lot of time with this lady. Been with her ever since she was just learning to walk and now she runs like a champ."
"You think she's good enough to win some races?" Cosima asks.
"I think she's certainly got potential, but, ultimately, I think that will depend on you."
"No pressure, huh?" Cosima laughs.
"No pressure whatsoever," Felix smirks. "I hope you're ready to work, I usually get started with her around 6am and training for you begins at 7. We don't quit until 5, when this girl needs her dinner and beauty rest."
"Long days," Cosima remarks.
"Is that going to be a problem?"
"No, not at all, I'm here to bring home some wins. Whatever it takes."
"That's the spirit. Well, I smell like I went for a hay roll, which, between you and I, I did, so I better go get showered before supper. Sunday night dinners are very important around here. I'll see you at the house in an hour."
Felix heads off to his cottage while Cosima says goodnight to Leda and makes her way back to her place. She showers and changes into a pretty knee length red dress, then makes her way to the main house. She knocks on the door and a blonde woman answers.
"You must be Cosima, it is so nice to finally meet you," she embraces her guest. "I'm Marie Cormier."
"Madame Cormier, it's very nice to meet you."
"Just Marie is fine. Come in. Please have a seat at the dining table, Felix just got here." Marie leads Cosima to the table where Felix and Pierre are chatting. They stand up as Cosima enters and wait till she's seated to follow suit.
"So, Cosima, please tell us about yourself. How did you get into horse racing?" Marie asks as they begin eating
"I've loved horses since I was about 6 years old. My father used to tease me about my height and say I'd make an excellent jockey one day. Around my senior year of high school, I visited a race track and got to talking to some of the owners. One of them said he was looking for a training jockey, just someone to break the horses and get them used to running with someone on their back. After a few months, he was impressed enough with my progress that he upped me to full jockey status. I've been racing pretty exclusively on the California circuit ever since."
"Yes, Pierre mentioned seeing you at Santa Anita and being very impressed with you. He came home and told me all about the jockey who went from last to second on a horse that nobody expected to even show."
"Yeah, Gold Rush was a great horse. I knew he had it in him despite the long shot everyone else thought he was. Now he's living the stud life."
"And here you are in Virginia about to run in the biggest races in the country. Are you ready for that?" Felix wonders.
"It's what I've dreamed of for a long time. I'm so thankful to have this opportunity. I will try my best not to let you all down."
"Cosima, don't worry about letting us down, we know Leda isn't the biggest and the strongest horse out there. Her brother, Castor, who's with Rendition Racing, is a beast. And there are many other horses like him that are expected to dominate the field this season, including Neolution, who Rachel Duncan will be riding, and Rachel is a determined little thing. Just train with Leda, get her as good as you can, and then go out there and do your best."
"Wow, Pierre, that's not the typical attitude I'd expect from an owner."
"Oh, please, pay him no mind, Cosima," Felix interrupts. "Pierre wants a winner more than anything, he's just too polite to push you. That's why I'm here. I'm not training that girl so she can come in last."
"Oh, hush, Felix," Marie slaps his arm, "don't pressure the girl on her first night here."
Cosima laughs, "It's cool, trust me, I'm not here to lose. Hey, can I ask you something I've been wondering since you introduced me to the horses?"
"Sure, what would you like to know," Pierre asks.
"What's with all the science names?"
"Delphine," Felix answers with a roll of his eyes.
"Who's Delphine?"
"Delphine is our daughter," Marie responds. "Pierre has let her name all our horses since she was able to speak. Which is why the first horse she ever named was called Doudou."
"It's not what you think," Pierre interjects.
"What does it mean?" Cosima chuckles.
"It's a treasured childhood item, like a teddy bear or a security blanket. Delphine's favorite item as a baby was a stuffed horse. And she'd always ask for it by saying Doudou. So when she was three and Pierre introduced her to the newest foal and said she could name it, she insisted on Doudou."
"That's adorable. And what brought about the science names?"
"She's a bloody nerd," Felix groans.
"Don't listen to him, he and Delphine have had an antagonistic relationship for ages. She's very much into the sciences and is studying to be a veterinarian at Cornell," Marie says with pride.
"Cornell, very nice. So where did the name Leda come from?"
"Mythology," Pierre replies. "Leda was the result of a rare twin birth. Delphine was home from college the day Leda's mother gave birth. She had just taken a Greek Mythology course and had joked that if the twins were boys they should be named Castor and Pollux. When they were born and one was female, she decided to stick with the mythological theme and call her Leda, who was Castor and Pollux's mother. Virginia Coady, who was purchasing the 2nd born horse for Rendition Racing, overheard and liked the name Castor, so she used it for the twin."
"And now the siblings are about to become rivals on the track," Felix notes.
"Felix, how long have you been with the Cormiers?"
"I've lived here since I was 5. My mum, Siobhan, was their trainer for 15 years. Now she's back in England where she's breeding horses and I took over training duties nearly two years ago."
"You learned from the best," Marie smiles.
"Yes, I did," Felix agrees.
They chat some more as they enjoy dinner, then call it a night.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Marie, the food was incredible."
"You are very welcome, Cosima. Please don't hesitate to come by the house whenever you want, our fridge is always fully stocked."
"Thank you! Goodnight, Marie. Goodnight, Pierre."
"Bonne nuit, Cosima," Pierre smiles.
"So what's up with you and their daughter?" Cosima asks as she and Felix walk towards their cottages.
"Nothing, she's just annoying. She's a few years older than me and I think she liked being the only kid around and resented me coming here. She definitely did not like me playing with her dolls. I once painted her pink my little pony black and told her it was going through a goth phase. She threw a fit, kicked me in the shin, and told our mums that I was destructive and was not allowed anywhere near her toys."
"How old were you when that happened?"
"I was 8 and she was 11."
"And you two still don't get along?"
"Eh, we tolerate each other when we have to. Though I still don't think she's forgiven me for hitting on her boyfriend a few years ago. I was so sure he was secretly gay."
"You did not?" Cosima laughs.
"Oh, yes. I think I may have scared poor Paul away for life. They didn't make a very good couple anyway. She always had her nose in a book and I don't think he had ever even read a book in his life. Poor simple-minded, but hot, Paul. I'm not sure what they even talked about. There's no way he understood all her science blabbering. And I know she let her mind wander whenever he talked about working out. Well, this is where I leave you," Felix says as they arrive at Cosima's cottage. "Get some sleep and I will meet you at the stables at 7am."
Cosima enters her cottage and within 20 minutes is fast asleep.
At 6:45, the alarm on Cosima's phone starts blaring. She rolls over to look at it, sees the time, and shoots straight out of bed, "Shit, I must have hit snooze 3 times, at least." She quickly jumps in the shower, then throws on jeans, a flannel top, and her riding boots. She pops a slice of toast in her mouth as she rushes out the door and down to the stables.
"You're late," Felix announces as she runs in.
"Dude, I'm so sorry, time diff, and also, maybe sorta always kinda late, so kinda always sorry."
"You better stop apologizing and start showing up on time. Like I said last night, Pierre wants a winner, I want a winner, and if you want to be a winner, you need to get here on time and be prepared to work your arse off."
"I do want to win, Felix, seriously, I won't be late again."
"Good, then let's get started, shall we?" Felix saddles up Leda and leads her to the pen. "Up you go."
Cosima mounts the horse and Felix walks them around the enclosure, "You need to start talking to her, let her get used to the sound of your voice. Soothingly, though, we want her to feel comfortable with you."
"Hey, Leda, are you having a good morning? Did you enjoy your oat meal?" Cosima laughs at her own joke and Felix shakes his head. They continue like this for the next 5 hours before stopping for lunch and allowing Leda to rest.
"You see how her ears perked up the longer you were up there?" Felix asks as he hands Cosima a sandwich and they sit under a willow tree. "She was listening to you, becoming familiar with your cadence. She's accustomed to my English accent, Rachel's was posher and more formal and she didn't seem to care too much for that. She responds well to the Cormier's French accent, but American accents she hasn't really had that much positive exposure to. She really doesn't like Krystal's accent."
"Krystal?"
"She's Delphine's friend from boarding school. She's a great girl and we bonded when she would visit on school holidays, to Delphine's chagrin. She calls Delphine her bestie and me her best gay. Anyway, after high school, her father lost almost all their money in the stock market so she decided to move to Virginia and started working at a nail salon about an hour from here. She comes by from time to time and let's just say she has a very distinct Valley girl accent. I find it endearing, Leda not so much. Krystal so much as steps foot in the stables and opens her mouth and Leda squeals like you wouldn't believe. It's actually pretty funny. Krystal gets so offended. Sometimes I think Leda just does it to mess with her."
"That's hysterical. I think Leda and I are gonna get along just fine."
"I hope so, we're off to a solid start at least."
"What's the plan for this afternoon?"
"I think we'll start doing some workouts, see how you feel riding her and how she responds to your signals and commands."
After lunch, Felix runs Cosima and Leda through some exercises and gets them running around the pen. There's some miscommunication between Cosima and Leda, but Leda picks up Cosima's cues better by the end of the day.
"That was a great first day. Now get some rest and don't be late tomorrow."
"Aye, aye captain," Cosima salutes as she heads off the her cottage for the night. She spends some time chatting with her friend, Tony, a fellow jockey from California, and filling him in on her new job. She's super tired and is asleep by 10:30.
The next morning Cosima makes extra effort to get to the stable on time, "7:02," Felix groans as Cosima runs in.
"Dude, it's day two and I'm only 2 minutes late, my high school teachers would have been hella impressed."
Felix scoffs, "Come on, let's go saddle Leda up."
—
"Good, good," Felix calls out. "…okay canter… very nice… now gallop… a little faster… keep it up… alright."
Cosima and Leda come to a stop. "How was that?"
"Time-wise, it wasn't bad, but we need to do some more work on the lead change. As soon as she shows signs of fatigue on the left leg, you need to get her to switch to the right or she slows down too much and loses pace, it allows too much opportunity for her to be passed on the straightaway."
Cosima and Leda spend more time perfecting her lead change and have a good handle on it by the end of the day.
Over the course of the next couple weeks, Cosima manages to show up mostly on time, and she and Leda, under Felix's guidance, begin to build a trusted partnership.
On Friday, after another successful training day, Cosima hangs up Leda's saddle and gives the horse a gentle pat. "Goodnight, girl," Cosima says sweetly, "see you tomorrow."
"No, you won't," Felix asserts.
"What? Why not?"
"I think you deserve the weekend off."
"But we have Arkansas next Saturday."
"Darling, both you and Leda have been going non-stop since you got here, it's time to decompress, relax, and have some fun. But come Monday, it's back to the grind."
"Well, I have been reading up on the area and there are some places I was thinking of visiting."
"Then do it. Roam free."
"Cool, man, thanks!"
With a little skip in her step, Cosima heads out, pulling her cellphone from her pocket to review the list of places she made to visit. Just as she rounds the corner of the stables, her face collides with a pair of perky breasts which are protected only by a thin white tank top and black bra.
"Merde!"