Finding Talent (1)

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

I arrive at the rodeo ground's early the next day, unable to sit still. My stomach won't stop jumping, and my won't stop sweating. I try telling myself thats it's just another little event. Just one more event. But it's more than that. It's more than just one little event! It's trick riding! So many things could go wrong in the course of one ride. I could fall and break my neck. Jazz could spook at the crowd. Sure, I've ridden Jazz in the ring before where a few people have watched, but that's nothing compared to the amount of spectators who will be present at the actual event. Not to mention, I'll be riding against other girls and boys who have been doing this their whole life. I don't stand a chance.

No matter how hard I try to push away the thoughts of failure that plague my mind, I am unable and they stay cemented in my brain. When I arrive at the stable, it is empty and deserted. It looks like most of the horses haven't even been fed yet. I start off by giving Criss a little bit of hay, and then continue to toss each of my horses two flakes of yellow timothy hay each. Jazz however gets half a cup of complete feed since he'll be working harder than the others.

My event isn't for a while yet; it's the last one of the day. Already, I have a vague idea of what my day will be like. At some point around noon, I'm bringing all my horses except for Jazz home. There's a bit of work to be done around my ranch. No matter how well I take care of it, messes always seem to occur. Fences are always needing fixing, animals needing to be fed not to mention I need to get my hay field cut so I'll have enough hay in store for the winter. Oh yeah, and Blythe's offer to be Jay.

I've spent hours thinking about it. Jay has been my buddy for a long time. He was never my favorite horse, but he must be special since I didn't decide to sell him off right? Then when he coliced, it really got me thinking about losing him. So now, with my decision made, I pull out my phone and with shaking fingers I type in Blythe's number.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The phone rings several more times before going to voice mail. I leave a quick message. "Hey Blythe, it's Sadie Lawrence. I've come to a decision on your offer to sell Jay. I can't accept sorry. Call me when you get this and I'll explain everything!" Then I press end, and slip the slender cell back into my pocket.

Since the horses are fed, and I don't have much else to do around here, I decide to watch a few events. My feet guide me towards the rodeo arena, and I obligingly follow them. The wooden bleachers are pretty packed, but I manage to find a good seat. The current event is bull riding. My eyes dart over to the metal chutes where the bulls are held. The riders draw their bull out of a white cowboy hat. The judge announces each one as it is pulled. I recognize Alyssa's brother, Dylan, in the circle of cowboys. He has dark brown hair just like her, and is about the same build; tall and lanky.

Finally, when each rider has drawn his bull they exit the arena. Dylan is up first. His bull, a large black and white one with incredibly long horns snorts and kicks as it is herded into the chute. Unlike most of the other riders, Dylan wears a helmet instead of a traditional cowboy hat...last year he was thrown off, hit his head funny and was in a coma for three weeks. I guess he doesn't want to repeat the accident.

"Go Dylan!" I shout as he clambers onto the bull's broad back. He claps the rope tightly, and a grave expression is set on his face as the crowd counts down from three. At the buzzer, the shoot opens and the bull charges out, bucking like a seesaw. Dylan manages to hang tight for the required seconds before bailing off. At the end of his round, I check my watch. I've been here for about fifteen minutes. The horses should be done eating by now, so I'll bring them home a few hours early. Clambering to me feet, I weave through the crowds of people in the bleachers and try to avoid the masses of feet that so easily trip me.