April Story Contest

One In A Million
By: Jamison
Age: 10

“Sarah, wake up”
I ignored my Dad, he was always doing this.
“You won’t get Moonlight’s foal then,” My father sighed turning away with a cheeky grin.
The word ‘Moonlight’ and ‘foal’ made me open my eyes and stare at my father.
“What?” I said checking I didn’t have anything stuck in my ear.
“Moonlight’s had her foal!” Dad answered laughing.
“I’m coming foal!!” I yelled running down stairs.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 “She’s beautiful,” I whispered looking at my new filly who was trying to stand up and making her way over to Moonlight, dad’s winning dressage horse. I couldn’t believe this filly was going to be mine!
“I can see you riding this beauty, her neck arched. She’ll look beautiful out in the dressage area. I’ll get your dressage clothes soon,” Dad smiled at me. I smiled back at him, but on the inside I wasn’t happy. I wanted to ride her differently.
“What will we name her?” Dad asked.
“Hmmm what about…..Midnight?” I asked looking at her dark coat.
“The colour suits it but why Midnight? Couldn’t you have thought of something better than that?”  Dad looked at me shaking his head.
“Moonlight and Midnight!” I rolled my eyes.
  “Too common and it isn’t something good for a dressage horse,” Dad disagreed.
“Let’s just stick with ‘Filly’ at the moment,” I said stifling a yawn.
“Go off to bed. I’ll wake you up at eight and you can have brekkie and watch over ‘Filly’ OK?” Dad hugged me tight.
“OK,” I answered making my way towards the house.
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Months later ‘Filly’ didn’t have a real name and was growing fast. Soon the training would have to begin and the name would have to be ‘Rosie’ the name Dad called all horse’s that didn’t have a name. So I needed to think of one and fast.
I woke up one morning with a name in my head. I rushed down stairs to the table where Mum and Dad were making pancakes but I stopped in the hallway to eavesdrop.
“That ‘Filly’ will be a winner! Sarah will have ribbons stuck up her walls top to bottom!” Dad smiled. He laughed with pleasure before taking a long drink of his coffee.
“Yes, we’ll be the family with the best bred horses,’” Mum answered.
“Yes, we will,” Dad smiled.
There was an awful silence as I pressed against the wall, not daring to look. The silence broke. That’s when I broke too.
“One in a Million won’t be a Dressage horse! She’ll hate it! She was born to race. Not become snobby and dance around like a pixie! She wants to race!” I yelled sitting down and taking the pancakes that Mum was pushing towards me.
“Whatever happened to ‘Thanks for the pancakes mother dearest’?” Mum asked.
Dad looked taken back.
“One in a- what?” Dad looked at me puzzled.
I ignored my parent’s comments and continued on what I thought was important.
 “She won’t like it at all! Have you seen how she runs out there? She’s full bred Thoroughbred if you haven’t noticed and for your information I will not have ribbons on my wall because I won’t ride her like that!” I yelled.
Dad looked at me taken back again. I knew I’d hurt him.
“I’m sorry Dad but all you want me to do is dressage, dressage and even more dressage,” I said softly.
“She has got a good point Grant. All you have been doing is nagging her….” Mum whispered.
“Alright Amelia you’re right. I have been nagging her. What do you want to do Sarah?” Dad finally gave up.
“My twenty first birthday, I can start racing her” I breathed.
“Yes, yes. Fine by me” Dad agreed.
“What?” I asked.
“I said: Fine by me,” Dad laughed. I screamed and threw myself into Dad’s arms. I was seventeen now, so only a few years still I could race! I screamed again and ran outside.
“Sarah!?” Dad called. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Dad.
“Yes?” I asked.
“What did you call ‘Filly’?” He asked me.
My voice trembled as I announced my Racehorse’s name.
“One in a Million”
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’re not going to win this you know,” The guy next to me snorted as he pulled back on his horse’s reins so hard the Chestnut had to jerk his head up.
“How do you know?” I snapped back.
“What? You’re twenty one and I’m thirty, how do you get the idea you’re gonna win?” The guy just laughed.
“Just watch it ‘Danielle’!” I had a sudden outburst.
“How do you know my name?” ‘Danielle’ asked in horror.
“Who wouldn’t know the jockey with the girl name?” I asked with a sting of nastiness in my voice. ‘Danielle’ went quiet.
“I still think you will lose,” ‘Danielle’ snorted “My name is ‘Daniel’ not ‘Danielle’”
“Oh beg your pardon! How could I be so rude? Oh yeah! I don’t care!” I laughed.
“I won, not last time but-” ‘Danielle’ started.
 “Oh. Not the year before that or that one before that. When was the last time you won?”
I swung around and ‘Danielle’ just stared at a blonde pretty girl coming into the starting gates.
“Hi, I’m Becky and this is Bell of Victory, sorry about ‘Danielle’ he’s being a pain again. What’s your name?” The girl asked.
“Hi, I’m Sarah” I smiled.
“Sarah I think we will get along just fine…..” Becky smiled.
“It’s Daniel!” ‘Danielle’ shouted.
“Get ready…… Get set......” The man yelled out. All they horses’ started fidgeting.
BEEP!
The gates opened, Million rushed forward to the front and I slowed her down. She was going to get tired if she rushed at the start. It felt like I was flying as I got behind ‘Danielle’ and beside Becky. I counted down the distance  as the guy on the speaker babbled on. Soon I was up to the final home straight. I whispered ‘The word’ into Million’s ear as she rushed forward and started to overtake ‘Danielle’ and the Chestnut. ‘Danielle’ saw me and pulled on the reins like he did in the gate so the Chestnut jerked his head back in surprise and Daniel kicked him in the ribs. The Chestnut reared and ‘Danielle’ screeched. Then once he was on the ground again he started bucking and got behind and finally ‘Danielle’ flew off landing in the garden that was on the side of the track. Scared by the rear from the other horse, Bell of Victory started jumping around and slowed down. She raced forward then bucked, Becky screamed as one of her legs swung over the little saddle. She was dangling off the side like she was vaulting. Becky got her balance and got back into position as Million and I took the front and Becky got back into place. The last meters came and Becky overtook all the horses so we were riding side by side. Becky and I whispered to our horse’s and stared through our goggles so our eyes hurt. I whispered ‘The Word’ into Million’s ear again and she had a burst of speed and overtook Becky and Bell of Victory -  we had a horse length in front of them and crossed the finish line with cheers and a screaming from the crowd.
“Sarah Hanson and One in a Million came in first place. Rebecca Pent and Bell of Victory came second and Kate Moan and Run like the Wind came in third” The loud speaker hollered.
“Yes, yes, YES! I did it!” I screamed.
Million slowed down into a trot and I waved to the crowds. My first race, my first win! Becky came second too! I hugged Million and walked into the winners’ circle as my Dad lead us with the trophy in my hands and a ribbon on my jockey shirt, and Million had flowers around her neck.
“Sarah Hanson, Rebecca Pent, Kate Moan and their horses’ will be running in the Melbourne Cup in eight months! Good luck!” The loud speaker crackled to life again.
I squealed and hugged Kate and Becky as we had a photo and I went over to Million.
“You really are One in a Million” I whispered to her.