01x10 - Born To Run

[bunniefuu]

Previously on 'Heartland':

Can I have another one?

What's the deal with you, guys?

What, he didn't tell you?

I was married to his daughter.

You're Amy and Lou's dad?

Soraya, right?

Yeah, hi.

Hey, I'm Ben.

I know. I've heard a lot about you.

This whole time I've been here, nobody said a word about Lou or Amy having a father.

I just figured he was dead or something.

Well, he might as well have been.

Oh, my God, Mom, it's Nick Harwell.

Who's Nick Harwell?

Only the hottest jumper on the circuit.

Oh, my God.

What? lt's Nick Harwell.

MALLORY: Hello, I'm here.

Where is everybody?

Amy? Ty?

I can't believe they left without me.

Well, I didn't even know they still existed.

I mean, I figured a Mustang was just a car.

Well, a herd of them came too far down the mountain.

A couple of them already got sh*t.

Why would anybody do that?

Cattle ranchers think they're a waste of grass.

My dad and Ray want to ship them back up to the mountains, so at least they'll be safe for the winter.

What are they doing?

I don't know.

We never let a horse go until we've made absolutely certain...

...that its temperament is suited to its new owner.

You said your daughter's 1 2 years old?

I have at least one horse that might work.

We have a 1 2-year-old neighbor, and she's riding one of our horses...

...that she's completely compatible with.

Oh, yeah, Copper is absolutely perfect for her.

Calm, gentle, broken in. I'm sure we can match your daughter up with one of our horses.

LOU: We've just...

Lou?

Yes, yes, we can definitely work something out. I'm on the phone.

So, great, see you tomorrow, then.

LOU: Perfect.

Hey, check out that one.

That's a stallion. You see those markings?

That's a classic Appaloosa Mustang.

Hey. This is private property.

We're just here to see the Mustangs. ls Ray around? Or Tim Fleming?

You see them? 'Cause I don't.

Well, then, who are you, guys?

I work for Ray. Now get outta here.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Hey. Ty.

You got a problem, man?

Huh?

Ty. No. Forget about it.

Next time.

You better pray there ain't no next time.

Ty.

Let's go.

Yeah, Ty. Do what your little girlfriend tells you.

Please, Ty.

Give me half a dozen.

Make sure they got some meat on them this time.

♪ And at the break of day♪
♪ You sank into your dream♪
♪ You dreamer♪
♪ You dreamer♪
♪ You dreamer♪

Hey, I know you don't take...

...just anyone on, Nick.

But I really need somebody...

...with your reputation...

...to push me and Red here...

...to the next level. ls this the horse...

...that was in the accident...

...when Marion Fleming d*ed?

Yeah. Spartan. I've heard Amy's brought him...

...a long way since then.

Excuse me? I thought this was about my horse.

Hey, Ben, I'm doing this...

...as a favor to your aunt.

So lose the attitude, okay?

Nick. What are...?

I haven't seen you in ages.

Yeah. I was thinking something...

...along those lines...

...when Lisa Stillman called me up...

...and asked me to coach her nephew.

Oh, lucky you.

Yeah.

I saw Spartan at a few shows.

A year or so ago.

Didn't matter who was riding him, he always took the fences nice and clean.

That's a special talent.

And I was thinking if...

Well, if Amy's not interested...

...in showing him, I know some people who'd pay good money for an honest horse like that.

Oh, Amy would never sell him.

But, just out of curiosity, how much money?

Well, um, you know, that depends.

The way I do business, it's not just about buying and selling. lt's about establishing a relationship, you know, not a one time deal, something ongoing.

Uh, that is an interesting approach.

Do you want to have lunch with me?

We can talk about it. I'm working with Ben tomorrow. Maybe the next day?

Yeah, I guess.

Sure. Okay.

Hey, Lou.

Hey, Nick.

Hope I'm not interrupting anything.

No, no, I was just leaving. I'll see you later, Lou.

[ Clears throat ]

That was some, uh, nice timing there, Mr. Cardinal.

You didn't plan that, did you?

Planned what?

Unbelievable.

You should be glad you weren't there, Mallory.

There were these creepy guys with a livestock trailer.

Ty almost got into a fight with one of them.

No, I didn't.

Mustangs? Creepy guys? Fist fights? What makes me happy I didn't come?

One of them said he worked for Ray.

Mmmm, that figures.

Ray's gonna keep them penned up for a couple of days.

So I can get the DNA tested, see if they really are Mustangs.

What else would they be?

Well, they could be domestic horses gone wild.

But real Mustangs aren't just feral horses.

Their bloodlines date all the way back to the Conquistadors, and they were originally brought to Alberta...

...by the Blackfoot lndians in the 1 630s.

What? I wrote an essay on them in grade eleven.

Well, that's why I'm gonna test them. lf they really are Mustangs, they're one step closer to being a protected species.

You should come, Jack. I could use the help.

Mind if I bring Ty along?

I figure your dad's gonna be there, and I'm gonna need someone to break up the fight.

That was a joke.

Wild horses couldn't keep me away.

That was a joke too.

Hey, Nick was asking about Spartan today.

What about Spartan?

I don't know if this is the right time, but I'd like to discuss the Copper situation.

What are you talking about, Mallory? There is no Copper situation.

Anyway, he was saying...

...he had some clients who were seriously interested--...

...lnterested in what? Buying him?

Yes, actually.

Well, I'm not selling.

I know, Amy. I'm just saying that you should really think about showing him.

And when do you think I'll have time for that? Hmm? I've got school, the other horses. I have no time to train.

All right, whatever.

I should do my homework.

I hate your sister.

Sometimes I'm not so thrilled with her either.

The Fall Finale Entry? I thought you were doing homework.

I was working on homework, Mallory.

So, did Lou say anything to you about Copper?

Why would she?

So the word re-homing never came up?

No one is re-homing Copper, okay?

Lou never said anything to me about it, not once.

She never said anything to me either.

You're just being paranoid. I've got to do the night check on the horses.

Why are you in my room? And why are you wearing my bathrobe?

Who's paranoid now? I'm sleeping over.

Don't worry. My mom and dad said I could.

I can't believe my grandpa's actually going up to Ray's, after what happened with my dad last time.

I guess the pull of wild horses is stronger than any grudge...

...he might be holding.

Yeah, it's funny. l, uh, I wrote that paper.

'The Living Heritage of the West.'

And I've lived here for most of my life, but I've never actually seen a Mustang.

When I was a kid, my grandpa, he swore me to secrecy, but he took me to his special place, and, uh, I saw a whole herd.

Oh, I'd like to see that. I mean, I don't know, maybe one day.

So. There is a part of you that still likes horses?

Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to protect.

Have a good night.

Good night.

Hm...

Everybody says Spartan used to be a pretty good jumper.

Used to be. I've seen the ribbons on your wall, Amy.

But there's room for a couple more.

You know, if it was just him and me, I would be fine.

But it's Lou, it's Nick. lt's everybody who knows about the accident, who knows he's not just a horse, he's the horse my mom d*ed trying to save.

Yeah.

I guess it's a lot harder to get a horse over one of those jumps...

...when he's carrying so much baggage.

But if anyone can do it, you can.

Yes.

Can you put that up for me?

Come on.

I got it.

No, don't bother. I'm done for the day.

Come on. At least, one more try.

TY: You gotta end on a good note, right?

AMY: I've gotta go to school.

Hey. Did you move my jumps?

I look out my window, and I see all my jumps have been moved.

Well, if it's such a big deal, move them back.

Well, you heard her. Move them back.

I mean, talk about a wake up call.

When I saw you were looking at the entry form for the Fall Finale, I had an epiphany.

I should enter Copper too.

Well, Copper isn't really a jumping horse, he's never been trained.

And he's not my horse. That's what you really mean, isn't it?

Come on, we're gonna be late for the bus. lsn't Lou driving us?

No, she's got some people coming to look at horses.

Which horses?

Just give it a rest. Get ready.

Wait. What about your stuff?

Where are you going? I'm not going to school.

Why not? I'm taking a mental health day.

Can I help you? I'm looking for Lou Fleming.

Oh, is this Copper?

How did you know that?

Well, Lou told me about him.

You know, I've got a daughter just about your age, who would die for a horse like this.

Well, she might have to.

I mean, he's a very difficult horse. Pig-headed. Bad-tempered.

Basically, unridable.

Well, he certainly seems calm enough to me.

Now maybe.

I definitely wouldn't wanna be in a stall with him...

...when his meds wear off.

Lou assured me--

She's depressed. She's desperate.

I mean, so many horses, so little time.

And when a well-meaning horse lover like you calls...

Uh, you know, I think it's probably better if I talked to her myself.

She's not here. She's out of town. On 'vacation'.

Hm...

You know, I gotta say, Jack, I kind of respect you, coming up here to help Ray, with your history and everything.

The only history I give a damn about is those Mustangs.

My plan -- and this'll be your plan too --...

...is we're just gonna watch, strictly as observers. I'm down with the plan. I'm down with you being down with the plan.

Not going to let your friend Tim get my goat, not this time.

Hey, Mallory, have you seen...?

I can see you there.

Have you seen Mrs. Wiley?

Who?

No. Oh, she left.

What did you say to her?

Nothing. Hardly nothing. Why?

Aren't you supposed to be in school?

All the important stuff's already over. Recess, Gym, Art.

Now all that's left is science and math.

Mrs. Wiley? Hi. lt's Lou.

Yeah, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

How about four o'clock this afternoon?

Okay, thanks for your patience.

We're gonna start by separating the mares from the studs, then funnel them into the squeeze chute.

Hey, what happened to the rest of them?

The last time I was here, there was a lot more.

You sure about that?

Yeah. There was an Appaloosa stallion.

Amy said it looked just like a Mustang.

Well, I'm betting a lot of these horses are Mustangs.

What do you think, Jack?

The configuration's wrong.

You gotta widen that alleyway there, or you're never going to get them in without a fight.

Well, that's the way Tim wanted it.

There's your second problem right there.

Tim Fleming is basically a weekend wrangler.

You got a cuttin' horse ready to go?

Yes, I do.

You still down with the plan, Jack?

Peanut butter, crackers, juice boxes, cell phone.

Not that anyone cares enough about me to call.

Last but not least, toilet paper. lf Lou wants to re-home you, she's gonna have to find you first.

So, what can I tell you?

Nick came to see Red, and he was totally psyched.

That's so awesome.

I have to come watch you train. lsn't that awesome, Amy?

Totally.

What's the matter with you? Why are you being so negative?

Ben getting coached by Nick is huge.

Nick? Nick Harwell? He only works with top level riders.

That's why he's coaching Ben.

Oh, it's about time.

At the show last week you did so well, it's crazy you didn't get a ribbon.

Yeah, I know. I mean, that last fence, the rail wasn't even in the cup.

Red barely touched it, and it came down.

The jump crew was so obviously incompetent.

I couldn't believe you didn't complain to the judge.

Yeah, well, that's why I've gotta work with Nick.

I mean, the guy's connected.

Stuff like that doesn't happen to his people.

Yeah, but, Ben, I mean, no matter what you do, I'm still going to b*at your ass at the Fall Finale.

Speaking of which, Amy, I saw the entry list.

I didn't see your name on it.

I thought you'd be riding that washed up show-jumper...

...you've got sitting in your back field.

Why don't you ask Nick how washed up my horse is?

He's the one who wants to buy him.

But, hey, what does he know about show jumping, right?

Yeah, I'm telling you, they've been down there for weeks.

Yeah, we'll pick up another dozen and get 'em all down to you tonight.

All right.

Going the wrong way there, little girl.

Come on.

Jack Bartlett, on one of my cuttin' horses.

Never thought I'd see the day.

I figured this had to be one of yours.

You never did have much luck picking horses.

So, you came all the way up here just to insult me?

[ Laughs ]

Well, the way I see it, it's a two-man operation, so we'll work as a team.

Oh, like the old days? Yeah, so you're the boss?

Got that right. And the intervening years will be temporarily forgotten. I'll cut the horse from the herd, you drive it down the chute.

Okay, Jack.

Aim for the middle.

Nicely done.

Support him with your inside leg, so he doesn't fall in at the corner.

Yeah, Ben.

Since when did you become a big show jumping fan?

What? Just because I don't go on and on about it like you do.

Or since you met Nick?

Oh, come on, Amy. He's just like... bonus.

Okay, let the horse catch his breath.

Not bad, this kid. I'm surprised he doesn't do better at competitions.

What do you think, Amy?

Um, I don't know, it could be nerves.

You don't sound convinced.

What's the deal, Amy? You've seen him ride a million times.

Yeah. Without moving the jumps or changing the course.

Hey, Ben.

Yeah?

We're gonna reverse the course.

Want you to pop over these two fences, going away from home.

Uh, that way?

I don't get it. What's the point?

Just gonna shake things up a bit.

All right.

He took off too early.

That time, he went too deep.

Your sister's right. He can't see a distance. lf he doesn't learn that, he's got no real future as a jumper.

Are you talking about Red?

No. That horse is fine. I'm talking about Ben.

Okay, here they come.

Come on.

Come on, now.

Got it. Okay, let her go.

Got her.

Hey, Wes. What the heck took you so long?

Someone forgot to pave the damn road.

Yeah, well, load 'em up.

Okay, boss, whatever you say.

Hey, that's the guy. When I came up here with Amy...

Hold her steady, would you?

I got a really bad vibe off him.

Come on.

A whole lotta bull just to set 'em free again.

Yeah, 60 cents a pound. That's all they're worth.

Go on.

Okay, let it go.

That's it, boy.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Dammit, Jack. What's your boy doing?

Open that gate.

Come on, man.

That's enough, now.

I said, enough.

Get off me, old man.

Your first punch better be good, son. lt's the only one you're gonna get.

Jack, you good?

Yeah, I'm good.

You better get Ty outta here.

Ty, get in the truck.

Don't even think about it.

Wes. Let it go.

I don't know what's wrong with him.

Maybe he's a little stiff in his hocks.

Uh, what are you doing?

Going back to basics.

What? Poles on the ground? Funny, Nick.

I want to see where the problem is, so bring Red to the base of the poles.

You gotta be kidding me.

No.

Nick, what am I doing here, man, pony rides? I'm trying to help you, man.

I don't need your so-called help.

Well, he may not be much of a jumper, but at least he can make an exit. lt's okay, boy, it's okay. lt's okay. lt's okay.

Horses.

Come on. lt's okay.

Hey, I saw you talking to Nick. What did you tell him?

Nothing.

Oh, yeah? Well, that nothing screwed up everything.

I wasn't gonna say anything, but he kept asking. I'm paying him to be my coach, and he's talking to you, like...

When I was watching you, I realized...

...why you got so mad when we moved your jumps.

Yeah. My jumps. You moved them. Big mystery.

Look, you want to make yourself feel good...

...by going over a course with no mistakes? Fine.

That's the way I train, Amy. lt's not gonna do you any good.

As soon as you get to a show, the course is different.

You know what the problem is anyway? I've been riding this horse for three years now, and he's not getting any better.

You're talking about Red?

Yeah. Actually, you know what, Amy? Maybe you did me a favor.

'Cause I've maxed out on this horse.

Give me your helmet.

What are you doing?

Put that jump up a couple of notches.

What?

Just do it.

Yeah. Fine.

That one too.

There's nothing wrong with this horse.

Come on.

[ Horses neigh ]

Horses?

This is a feed lot.

This is where they put cows before they k*ll them.

Yeah, and again, I'm so sorry about the inconvenience.

Oh, well, you know little girls and their horses--

Well, it's not actually her horse, but I'm sure in her mind it's just a technicality.

[ Cell phone rings ]

Do you mind?

Sorry.

Mallory? Where are you?

At the end of White Road. Lou, there's all these horses.

Slow down. Tell me what's going on.

You have to come. Something bad's going on.

I said, slow down.

Just come. Just come. I mean it.

LOU: I can't believe she ran away.

I can't believe none of us noticed.

I never said anything about re-homing.

Well, you must have said something.

I was talking to Mrs. Wiley, telling her we had the perfect horse...

...for a 1 2-year-old girl.

Mallory was right there. She must have thought I meant Copper.

Anybody here?

Ben.

Hey.

So? Where's Nick?

Uh, he left. Well, actually, I pulled the plug.

You're kidding? Look at you.

Walking out of a clinic with Nick Harwell?

Tell me all about it.

There's nothing much to tell, other than it really sucked.

People pay thousands of dollars...

Yeah. And that's why he is a total fraud.

I mean, the guy has no idea what he's doing.

He actually asked Amy for advice.

That's unbelievable. I mean, I've seen you ride, Ben. lf you asked me for my advice, I'd say there's absolutely nothing wrong with you.

Maybe it's your horse. Or your trainer. Or Amy Fleming.

So, where is everybody?

I don't know.

We're alone?

Yeah, I guess. Looks like it.

You know, at night this pathetic little barn doesn't look so bad.

What are you talking about, Ash?

Compared to the barns at Briar Ridge, this place is like, uh, a big shed. lt's kinda cosy.

Ah, yeah, I guess.

And romantic.

I wouldn't go that far.

I would.

What took you guys so long? I've been waiting for ever.

This is crazy. What are we doing here?

Oh, my God. These horses have no food or water.

That's the stallion. The one from up in the mountains.

These are the Mustangs.

Where the heck is everybody? Nothing's been done.

No feed. No water.

Yeah, well, that's my job. lt's kinda hard to do when you're not here.

Would it k*ll somebody to pass a broom...

...around here once in a while? lt's my job, Jack, okay?

Maybe I made a mistake thinking you might appreciate getting out, doing something a little different.

Look, I appreciate it. I'm sorry I wrecked your day, Jack.

You might want to think about working on that temper of yours too.

My temper? I'm not the one hitting that horse, Jack.

Not your horse. Not your problem.

Yes, it is my problem.

When someone's b*ating on someone innocent, that makes it my problem, and I'm not gonna put up with it.

I have a feeling we're not talking about horses here.

Yeah, well, people like that get what's coming to them.

And you're just the guy to give it to them, are you?

Some kind of one man posse.

Or a loose cannon with impulse control issues.

Depends which one of my social workers you want to talk to.

Well, do your social workers cover your back too?

'Cause let me tell you something, that was strictly a one time deal.

Jack...

...I appreciate it. lt's not very often people stick up for me. Okay?

[ Phone rings ]

Hello?

Grandpa. You have to come quick. Over at the end of Whites Road.

We've found these Mustangs. And it doesn't look good, okay?

We're on our way.

We gotta go.

What's going on? I'll tell you on the way.

I thought you said we were alone.

Oh, man, I just said what you wanted me to say.

I like your attitude.

[ Horses neigh ]

Why would somebody just dump these horses here? I've heard about this before.

They're just gathering them here...

...until they get enough to make it worthwhile...

...to ship them to the slaughterhouse.

A slaughterhouse. But you told me they were Mustangs.

Yeah, exactly, it just makes it easier.

I mean, they are not owned by anyone.

So they're impossible to trace.

What's that? lt looks like a livestock trailer.

Mallory, get in the truck.

You're not going to let them take them, are you?

Now.

Amy, maybe we should get in the truck too.

There's not a lot we can do here.

Get the gate.

But all the horses will run away.

That's the point. Now, just get the gate.

AMY: Come on. Come on.

Come on, let's go.

AMY: Come on, come on.

I got it.

Come on. Let's go.

What's the matter? Why aren't they leaving?

Mallory. Just turn off the headlights.

Come on.

Come on, let's go.

Come on. Come on, get out of here.

Run.

That's enough, Amy. Let's go.

Amy. Look out.

What the hell are you doing?

Oh, look. Ty's little girlfriend.

These horses don't belong to you.

Let her go.

LOU: Leave her alone.

Hey.

Ty. Look out.

Come here.

Nobody move.

Or the next one's got my name on it.

Your name. Just don't move.

You know, I can't believe you lied to Mrs. Wiley.

On the plus side, she didn't believe it either.

You actually thought I was going to re-home Copper?

He's your horse. You can do whatever you want with him.

Well, to tell you the truth, I have been thinking about what we should do with him.

And I'd might be willing to work out a deal with you, based on sweat equity.

I do enough sweating around here.

This way, your sweat could be an investment in the future.

So, you're saying, I work my butt off, like I already do, and in return...?

We'd be equal partners. 50/50.

So you couldn't re-home your 50% without my 50%?

Uh, yeah, something like that.

Sweet.

Which 50% is mine? Heads or tails?

Why don't we flip on it?

No way. Knowing my luck, I'll get the bum end of the deal.

Hey, heads, I win. Tails, you lose.

Heads, I win. Better start shoveling.

And then Lou goes for the shotgun.

Yeah, well, luckily I remembered you keep one in your truck.

Most ranchers do.

Well, you really spooked those horses.

I heard that a couple of them made it halfway to Calgary...

...before they were rounded up.

Yeah, must have been, 'Nobody moves or the next one's got my name on it.'

Or 'No, no, your name...'
Or somebody's name.

You know, Lou, uh, I was thinking of heading up to the mountains.

You want to come along?

What, now? l, uh, kinda had this other thing I'm supposed to do.

One time offer. I'll be waiting in the truck. Oh, and dress warm.

Hey, Nick.

Yeah, it's Lou.

You know what? Actually, I can't make it today.

Yeah. No, another time, I promise. Okay, bye.

Hey, Soraya.

Hey. I didn't expect to see you here, after last night.

Everyone's talking about it. You guys are total heroes.

Yeah, well... I have something to tell you.

Um, last night, when we got home, Ben had left. Red, his stuff. lt was all packed up and gone.

I know.

How?

Um, Ashley.

'Good news. Smiley face.

Ben, heart, heart, heart, has left the poverty barn, frowny face, and has gone back to Fairfield, smiley face, so he can train with me, heart, heart, smiley face.'

I should have listened to you.

And I'm glad that he's with Ashley...

...because, you know, now she can dump his ass and mess him up.

At least she's good for something, right?

'LOL.'

The lab guy says...

...the DNA matches up with samples they have...

...from old Spanish bloodlines.

Wow.

Amazing.

So, uh, where are these Mustangs?

This way, Lou.

You don't expect them to be standing on the side of the road, do you?

Oh, come on, Scott.

Well, the road doesn't go past here. And it's quite a trek on foot.

Come on, boy.

Oh, what the hell.

Hey, Ty. l, ah, heard about what happened.

I should've known that guy was bad news from the day he signed on.

Hi, Amy.

Hi, Dad.

I was just telling Ty here that l, well, I fired that guy... Wes.

He didn't take it too good.

Figure that's the least of his problems.

Jack called the cops on him.

Well, I don't know if he broke any laws, but he's on their radar.

So I was wondering...

...if you might have some time for your old man this week?

Um, I'm kind of busy.

Ah.

Maybe you could come out to the ranch, though.

Saturday?

Okay. I'll see you Saturday.

At the ranch.

Yeah, yeah.

You're still pretty good on a horse.

A guy I once knew said it was just like riding a bicycle.

You never forget?

Unfortunately. That's my problem.

Oh, look right there.

Hey... Thank you. For everything.