Nerves

Young jockey Rob Finn is at the start of his racing career, and so - but also, perhaps because he knows no fear - he gets horses that are problematic and weak on paper rather than successful. However, if he manages to win a few races, he will get the chance to ride for one of the best stables in the country. Then the crashes and series of defeats on horses that other riders are winning with are even worse. On the racetracks there are rumours that he has "lost his heart", i.e. that he has become scared. He almost starts to believe it himself... until he realizes that it can't all be a mere coincidence or his incompetence. Especially knowing he's not the first jockey to have something like this happen to him. But it's a long way from suspicion to proof, and every step on the road to the truth comes at a high price. Quote from the book cover: I followed Axminster's instructions to the letter, and as I approached the last fence on a level with two other competitors, I kicked my horse's heels as hard as I could. The horse spat out and passed the two in the air, so we jumped two lengths ahead of them. I heard their hooves hitting the obstacles and shamefully hoped that they had stumbled when they landed on the ground, thus losing precious time. True, the old hurdler really couldn't pick up speed. I leveled him and drove him straight to the goal post without ever having to use the whip. My main focus was to sit still and not disturb him. He held on bravely and was still leading by half a length as we crossed the line. It was a beautiful moment. "Well done," Axminster said matter-of-factly. The winners were nothing special to him. I unbuckled the girth, slipped the saddle over my arm and patted the horse on the neck. The owner was beaming with joy. "Well done, well done," he praised the horse, Axminster and me at the same time. "I never believed, James, that he could do it, though I took your advice and bet on him." I cast a glance at Axminster. He fixed his piercing blue gaze on me questioningly. "Do you want the job?" He asked me. "Permanently, as Pip's deputy?" DICK FRANCIS (1920-2010) became known as one of the best writers of detective stories, which he gave a distinctive character thanks to his detailed knowledge of the racing environment. He fought as a pilot during World War II and later won over 350 races as a successful jockey. He has put his life experience into forty-two novels, which have won him a plethora of awards, but above all the undying admiration of his readers. He published one book a year since 1962, and only stopped writing in 2000 after the death of his wife. In 2006 he started writing again with his younger son Felix. JAN NEDBAL (* 1990) is a Czech theatre and film actor. He was born in Děčín. After graduating from medical school, he moved to Prague, where he studied acting at DAMU (Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre). After finishing his studies he went to Norway, where he worked at the Transiteatret-Bergen theatre. Since 2018, he started appearing on TV screens in series or miniseries: Inspector Max, Dads on the move, Lynch, Spot, Nurses, Code Blue, Actor, Bozena. In 2019 he was engaged by the J. K. Tyler. He also appeared as a guest in the play The Curious Case of Mr Holmes at the Theatre on the Balustrade and in the plays Colonel Svec and The Magic Land at the National Theatre. As a musician he participated in the original production of Tamura at the Alfréd ve dvoře Theatre. In 2021 and 2022 he played the younger Jan Werich (in alternation with Vojtěch Kotek) in the production Werich, at the summer stage of the Kampa Museum. In 2022, the film The Last Race premiered, where he played the supporting role of Josef Feisteuer. In October 2023, the film Brothers, directed by Tomáš Mašín and starring Ctirad Mašín, will be released. Audiobook: Dick Francis: Nerves | Translation by Tomáš Korbař | Read by Jan Nedbal | Director, sound by Daniel Tůma | Mixing and mastering by Ivan Mikota | Music by Karpof Brothers | Recorded in KARPOFON studio (AudioStory) | CD graphics adapted from the book by Jana Rybová | Production by AudioStory | Supervision by Alena Brožová | Published by Euromedia Group, a. does - Témbr, in February 2024. The recording is based on the book: Nerve © Dick Francis, 1964 | Translation © Tomá