Finding Talent (1)

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve:

I stand in my large basement. The ground is covered in multi-coloured yoga mats. Why? I need to learn gymnastics or something if I'm going to trick-ride Jazz. I took four years of it in school, grades 6, 7, 8, and 9. So I'm not terrible. Just terribly out of practice.

I start with a cartwheel, but I have remembered how to do that forever, so it's simple. Plus, I'm not going to cartwheel across Jazz's back. Next I do a teddy-bear stand, which morphs into a head-stand. This too, has stuck with me. I decide I should do a hand stand. THAT I'll need to learn. I vaguely remember how to do one against a wall. I stand a bodies length from the wall. Then, I run forward a step, put my hands a foot away from the wall, and flip over, so my body is pressing the wall, and I am doing a fake handstand.

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"Move on Jazz!" I command Jazz. I slip my feet in the leather loops, and stand up tall. It feels more normal now, and I am less shaky. We walk for a few laps, then I command him to jog, then lope. At the lope, I'm still wobbly, but I manage to stay put. After three laps of the lope, I get him to gallop. After one lap, I whoa him. This is all the training I'm willing to with him right now.

I want to gather my decorations, and make my signs for the stall doors. I head back down to the basement, and open an overly cluttered closet. A few things fall out. I push things out of my way, until I find the things I need. Six pieces of large poster board, glue, scissors, pencils, pens. Your average scrapbooking supplies.

I toss everything onto a yellow yoga mat, and sit down beside it. I'm going to make Trika's sign first. I select a pink piece of poster board (her halter is pink), and smooth it out in front of me. At the top, with a blue marker, I write "TRICKING THE WIND" in bubbly letters. Then I start to write about Trika...

"Trika is a feisty, stubborn quarter horse yearling. When she was born, her dam abandoned her, so I, Sadie, took her on...." I keep writing about her, until it's perfect. Then, I decorate the sides with flowers and horse shoes. At the bottom, I paste a photo I took of Trika three months ago. When her sign is to my satisfaction, I place it to the side, and rifle thought the poster boards, until I find a red one. I decide that the Colour of each sign will be the same Colour as the horse's halter. The horse I am doing next is Jay. With a green marker, I write "LAZY JAY" at the top in big block letters. Then I write about how Jay is amazing at cutting, his wonderful ground manners.

Finally, I have made a sign for each horse but Jazz. I rack my brain for something to write. This is finally what I come up with:

"Classical Fool, or Jazz, is an amazing quarter horse gelding. He excels in being a spectacular trick riding horse. I have owned him for only about a month, and he has become a fantastic friend. He has awesome gaits, and smooth transitions. Jazz does not respond to physical aids, only verbal.When I first bought him, I didn't know he was a trick-horse, so I had to figure it out myself. He is a great friend!"

It sounds kinda cheesy but I don't really know what else to put, so I put all the papers in a neat pile, and then go back to the closet and grab some decorations for the stalls. They are all in a tote, and I don't really know what they look like right now, but I take everything out to my truck, and load it up.

When I arrive at the rodeo grounds again, I head to the stalls. More if the stable is filled up with gorgeous horses. I go over to Trika's stall, and tape up her sign to the stall door with some scotch tape that i found in the tote. Quickly, I put up all the signs. Then, I reach into the tote, and pull out a bunch of streamers; purple, blue, yellow and green. I string them around the stalls. Soon they are all colourful, and I think that they look nice.

The stalls are finished being decorated about an hour later. I head back to the trailer, to unload the horses and bring them into their newly decorated stalls, when I remember I didn't even bring them.

"Crap." I mutter. A familiar voice startles me.

"Something the matter?" I whirl around, and see a guy on the back of a sorrel mare. Why does he look so familiar?

"Hold on..." I startle. "You're the guy from the feed store! The one who caught me singing!"

"Yep, that's me," he laughs. "so, what's up?"

"I, uh, kinda forgot to bring my horses." I say, embarrassed. He grins.

"I'm Ryan," he introduces himself, then indicates to his horse. "And this is Cris."

"Yeah, I saw her earlier. Her stall is right next to my five." I say, and blow into Cris's delicate nostrils.

"Those are all your stalls?" he asks, and shifts in the saddle. "You must be Sadie Lawrence then."

"Yeah, that's me." I nod.

"Well, Sadie, I have to go. My dad's waiting for me in the cutting ring with a dozen Herefords, so I'll have to talk to you another time." Ryan says.

"Oh, OK. Yeah, I should go. Feed the horses." I stammer. "Nice meetin you!"

"See you around." He rides off, and I wish we could have talked some more.

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Authors Note: He's back ;) What do you think happens next? Vote, Fan and comment please!