A Gentleman and His Jockey by JM Cartwright

A Gentleman and His Jockey by JM Cartwright
Publisher: Torquere Publishing
Genre: Historical, BDSM, GLBT
Length: 13 pages



Jockey Gem Hardaway has a race strategy that will not only carry him and Pilate to victory, it will also show that he's the best jockey at Templeton Yard. Lord Templeton, the Earl of Vickers, knows exactly what he wants to have happen at the racecourse. He demands Gem's obedience.

When an unruly horse intervenes, the Earl insists on a meeting of the minds. Gem is shocked to learn exactly what that entails.
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JM Cartwright's given us a mid-Victorian horserace where nothing has gone according to plan. From beginning to end, starting with a nasty bump to his mount from another racehorse, Gem Hardaway's expectations of triumph look to be running away from him. Of course the aristocratic owner of the stables takes exception to this, although how angry can he really be with second place? Gem's expectations of Lord Templeton don't quite go to plan either.

I enjoyed both the horserace, which was quite exciting, and the discussion of the race afterwards. Cartwright captures the feel of the period with language and actions – aristocrats could and did behave quite shockingly -- but thankfully this is tempered with consideration and mutual enjoyment. The ending is definitely happy for now, and we can imagine what will happen further into Gem's racing career.

A Gentleman and His Jockey began with a ficlet for a prompt picture, but the author very graciously caved in and wrote the rest of the story. 4 Marbles