Dixie

Twilight

Jasper

It was an elite racing farm, the place where Jasper and his friends lived. The coats of the lively young horses shone in the sunlight. Their slender frames rumbled across the racetrack, bound for greatness. Being more thoughtful than the other horses, Jasper knew life was better than good; it was absolute perfection.

And then came Brisk.

A creaky trailer came rolling along the road, spewing dust into the air. Through their bleary-eyed sneezes, Jasper, Dixie and Twilight saw a thin black horse plod onto their grazing field.

“What is HE doing HERE?” Dixie cried.

Jasper looked this new horse over. Dashes of white like messy paint dotted his body. Ribs and hips protruded. “Hello,” Brisk said shakily.

Twilight scraped the ground with hooves like daggers. “You don’t belong here!” he blared. He and Dixie retreated with a loping gallop.

Jasper considered the old horse for a moment. “Hi!” Jasper whinnied to the old thing. Then he bolted behind the others.

Whipping his head back around, he could see the old horse was chuckling.

The next day, Brisk trudged to the grazing fields where Jasper and the others were rolling in the grass - the jockeys had worked them hard that day. Brisk, watching on, offered, “Arch your backs a little more.”

Twilight, eyes narrowed, began to circle Brisk. “What do you know, Brisk? I bet you never ran a day in your life.”

“Brisk?” Dixie snickered. “More like Brisk the Broken!”

Twilight smacked into Brisk with his broad chest. Brisk crumpled heavily to the ground in a pained grunt. “Go be a cart horse somewhere else!”

Twilight rammed Jasper with his head, sending him flying towards the stables. Jasper looked back with sorrow at Brisk on his knees.

Brisk was isolated after that. He stood beside the owner of the stables watching Jasper and his stable mates.

“How can the owner possibly know Broken Brisk?” Twilight huffed. “He’s not destined for greatness; far past it actually. Look at how lame he’s walking!”

“We haven’t even seen him run yet. Maybe give him a chance?” Jasper snickered.

Twilight rolled his eyes, flicking Jasper with his tail. Jasper walked slowly to the starting line as his jockey pressed him forward.

"Bang!" The gun went off, and Jasper was blind to the world. He was not running. He had sprouted wings; he was flying! But he crashed back down to earth in the stables that evening.

“Brisk the Broken sure couldn’t take his eyes off you on the track today,” Dixie neighed. “I can see you hobbling along together!”

Jasper snickered, “Just give him a chance.” Ducking his head as a chorus of mocking whinnies sounded, he realized Brisk was worthless - nothing - in their eyes.