Finding Talent (1)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six:

"Did you hear about the rodeo coming up?" my best friend Alyssa Lars, my best friend since seventh grade, asks me as she tucks a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear.

"No, not yet. When is it?" I ask. Alyssa is here to take a look at Jazz.

Her family breeds quarter horses like my parents did. She's an amazing barrel racer. Her and her chestnut mare, Midnight's Devil, clocked in their fastest time, 13 seconds, last year.

"Next week. Thursday to Monday I think. Midna and I are entering the barrel racing, of course, and the five year old halter class," she tells me, and passes me a stack of papers, "here, I brought over a bunch of entry forms for you."

"Oh thanks!" I say, and take them eagerly. "Want to come see my new horse?"

"The one with the special talent?" she laughs, "of course! Then I'll help you choose some events."

"Sounds good," I say, and jump up. I slide on my Ariat riding jacket, muck boots and open the door for Alyssa. She jumps outside.

"Thank you!" she says, and squashes her blue Lipica 1580 baseball cap farther on her head. I bought it for her, when I went to Lipica, Slovenia three years ago to visit the original breeding place of lippizanners. We walk over to the stable, and after she has said hi to the other horses, I call her over to Jazz's box.

"Here he is!" I open the stall door, and wave her in, then go in myself. I give his shiny neck a stroke, and smooth out his ebony coloured mane.

"Hello Jazz. Sadie has told me so much about you," Alyssa says to him, and gives gentle stroke on his delicate nose, "he's wonderful Sadie. Absolutely gorgeous!" she steps back, admiring him some more, "have you made any progress at all with his secret?"

"He is pretty nice, isn't he?" I say, sighing. If only I know his damn secret. It's been driving me crazy! Even keeping me up at night, "and I have made a little but of progress... so far I've figured out he's trained to voice aids, not hand or leg aids at all, whatsoever."

"That's strange," she muses, then nods in approval, "Very nice. Good strait legs, nice conformation, he holds his neck relaxed and low like a quarter horse should, his shoulders look strong, he's not sway-backed." she says, as she assesses him.

"Here that Jazzy? She approves," I drop my hand from his neck, and open the stall door, "come see one of his saddles."

"Why?" she asks, walking out, waving to Jazz.

"Cause.... it's interesting." I shrug, and lead her to the tack-room where the weird saddle is sitting on its rack, "Al told me this is his. I've never seen a saddle like it though. Have you?" Alyssa frowns for a moment, and lifts it up, getting a good look.

"Did you say this is Jazz's?" she asks, setting it back down on its rack. I take a seat on a bag of complete feed, and fiddle with a piece of hay I found on the ground.

"Yeah, so?" I say, tossing the hay onto the concrete floor of the tack room, and stand back up to run my hands over the smooth leather, and grab the wooden handles on the back for a second.

"Hold on. And you said that he doesn't respond to leg and hand aids? Only voice?" she grabs the handles as well.

"That's what I told you," I say. Why does she has to act so mysterious? "what do you know Alyssa?"

"I know what his "special talent" is," she says, and pauses for a second, "Sadie... Jazz is a trick horse!"

AN: And Jazz's secret is revealed!!! I know him being a trick horse isn't that big a deal... still it's something unusual. Kinda. Sorry the chapter is short. And sorry I took so long to update, I've been really busy traveling! Anyway, hope you liked it.

Vote, fan, comment, criticize!

-Bella:)