Horsing Around
By: Emy
Prologue: Race Day
The air was filled with anticipation, tense and heavy. 11 horses filled the starting gates at Los Vegas Race Track; in gate 4 was the favorite, Hawk Dance, owned by Race the Wind Stables, and in gate 9 the long shot, Freedom for All, owned by Freedom Flies Stables. Suddenly the gates fly open and the long awaited start has come. The horses plunge out only the sandy track with a passion known only to a man fleeing for his life. Early in the race Hawk Dance pulls a good lead followed by Running Devil and Sweet Pea. Behind them keeping a good pace is Freedom for All, on the inside. They speed on jockeys thrashing the sides of their horses. All except one, the rider on Freedom for All, who is slowly gaining on the leader. With only a ½ furlong left, Freedom for All pulls ahead of Hawk Dance and continues to pull ahead until the finish line to win the race by 8 lengths. In the winners circle the heaving horse is awarded a wreath of roses and the jockey, who remains on her back is handed the cup. The groom leads them both off to the stables.
"Good race there Tala" He says.
"Thanks John, I knew she could do it though, she has a good heart" Tala Cale, the horse's jockey replied. She gently patted her horse's sweat streaked neck.
When they arrived at the barn, Tala, began to un-strap herself from the saddle, see the only thing about 17 year old Tala Cale that is out of the ordinary for a jockey, is she can't walk. At age 10 a riding accident left her paralyzed from the waist down, but even that wasn't enough to keep her from riding. She carefully slipped down off her horse and into her chair when a surly, beefy looking man strode into the barn.
"I don't know what you did out there, you stupid cripple, but I know that I'll get you for it, you keep making me and my stables look like fools, and you won't get away with it!" He yelled at Tala.
"I didn't do anything except ride my horse Matt, and you know it, just because you beat your horses to death is no reason to come complaining to me" She rebuked
" You better watch yourself Tala Cale or maybe you won't be riding anymore." He threatened.
"Matt, you're angry about loosing the race, go cool off and we'll talk later ok?" Tala tried to soothe the livid man
Matt Shadore the owner of Race the Wind Stables stalked off in the direction from which he had come.
"Boy he was mad" John remarked
"He probably lost a lot of money on that colt of his, that's why I don't bet on my own horses" Tala replied, and then wheeled herself off to the locker rooms to change out of her silks.
When she returned her mother and father were there to greet her.
"Nice race today hun," Her dad said with a smile, but underneath his cheery looks, there was worry and concern, but for what?
"Yeah well Free ran like a dream, just like her dad," Tala replied, with some confusion.
"Tala, I'm afraid I have some bad news" her mother said with a grim look on her face "Jeff Robertson is dead, he lost a stirrup in the race after yours, and got trampled by the horses, I'm sorry honey, I know he was your friend."
"What?! You mean that he just "lost his stirrup" he's been riding for 8 years, you don't just "lose a stirrup" when you're a pro like him! There must have beensomething wrong with his tack, or his horse! Didn't they check?" Tala's anger and grief poured out in angry and loud words. Although Jeff wasn't the first rider that Tala knew that had died because of an accident on the track, he was one of her closet friends, and she knew that he would never let himself be hurt in a race.
"The have brought in some people who are experts in solving crimes and mysteries and what not, but they want to talk to you, and I thought that we should tell you and not some stranger you don't even know, I really sorry Tala," her mother replied trying to calm her grief stricken daughter.
"OK fine as long as they see that it's not some "freak accident" Jeff was one of the best riders in the game," Tala said, finally calming down.
Tala and her family came out of the barn to talk with the so-called experts about Jeff, and was met by an older man with curlyish gray hair. If he was surprised to see Tala he didn't show it. 'got to give him some credit for that' she thought. He extended his hand to Tala.
"Hello, I'm Gil Grissom, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you, uh"
"Tala, please call me Tala, I hate formalities Mr. Grissom" Tala replied.
"Well then let's skip them and get right to it." He said
Prologue: Race Day
The air was filled with anticipation, tense and heavy. 11 horses filled the starting gates at Los Vegas Race Track; in gate 4 was the favorite, Hawk Dance, owned by Race the Wind Stables, and in gate 9 the long shot, Freedom for All, owned by Freedom Flies Stables. Suddenly the gates fly open and the long awaited start has come. The horses plunge out only the sandy track with a passion known only to a man fleeing for his life. Early in the race Hawk Dance pulls a good lead followed by Running Devil and Sweet Pea. Behind them keeping a good pace is Freedom for All, on the inside. They speed on jockeys thrashing the sides of their horses. All except one, the rider on Freedom for All, who is slowly gaining on the leader. With only a ½ furlong left, Freedom for All pulls ahead of Hawk Dance and continues to pull ahead until the finish line to win the race by 8 lengths. In the winners circle the heaving horse is awarded a wreath of roses and the jockey, who remains on her back is handed the cup. The groom leads them both off to the stables.
"Good race there Tala" He says.
"Thanks John, I knew she could do it though, she has a good heart" Tala Cale, the horse's jockey replied. She gently patted her horse's sweat streaked neck.
When they arrived at the barn, Tala, began to un-strap herself from the saddle, see the only thing about 17 year old Tala Cale that is out of the ordinary for a jockey, is she can't walk. At age 10 a riding accident left her paralyzed from the waist down, but even that wasn't enough to keep her from riding. She carefully slipped down off her horse and into her chair when a surly, beefy looking man strode into the barn.
"I don't know what you did out there, you stupid cripple, but I know that I'll get you for it, you keep making me and my stables look like fools, and you won't get away with it!" He yelled at Tala.
"I didn't do anything except ride my horse Matt, and you know it, just because you beat your horses to death is no reason to come complaining to me" She rebuked
" You better watch yourself Tala Cale or maybe you won't be riding anymore." He threatened.
"Matt, you're angry about loosing the race, go cool off and we'll talk later ok?" Tala tried to soothe the livid man
Matt Shadore the owner of Race the Wind Stables stalked off in the direction from which he had come.
"Boy he was mad" John remarked
"He probably lost a lot of money on that colt of his, that's why I don't bet on my own horses" Tala replied, and then wheeled herself off to the locker rooms to change out of her silks.
When she returned her mother and father were there to greet her.
"Nice race today hun," Her dad said with a smile, but underneath his cheery looks, there was worry and concern, but for what?
"Yeah well Free ran like a dream, just like her dad," Tala replied, with some confusion.
"Tala, I'm afraid I have some bad news" her mother said with a grim look on her face "Jeff Robertson is dead, he lost a stirrup in the race after yours, and got trampled by the horses, I'm sorry honey, I know he was your friend."
"What?! You mean that he just "lost his stirrup" he's been riding for 8 years, you don't just "lose a stirrup" when you're a pro like him! There must have beensomething wrong with his tack, or his horse! Didn't they check?" Tala's anger and grief poured out in angry and loud words. Although Jeff wasn't the first rider that Tala knew that had died because of an accident on the track, he was one of her closet friends, and she knew that he would never let himself be hurt in a race.
"The have brought in some people who are experts in solving crimes and mysteries and what not, but they want to talk to you, and I thought that we should tell you and not some stranger you don't even know, I really sorry Tala," her mother replied trying to calm her grief stricken daughter.
"OK fine as long as they see that it's not some "freak accident" Jeff was one of the best riders in the game," Tala said, finally calming down.
Tala and her family came out of the barn to talk with the so-called experts about Jeff, and was met by an older man with curlyish gray hair. If he was surprised to see Tala he didn't show it. 'got to give him some credit for that' she thought. He extended his hand to Tala.
"Hello, I'm Gil Grissom, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you, uh"
"Tala, please call me Tala, I hate formalities Mr. Grissom" Tala replied.
"Well then let's skip them and get right to it." He said