Chapter 2
Saving Apollo
Ally took her seat beside her father in the auctioning room. Shed found four horses all suitable for rescuing but she knew the one that needed their help the most was the one that lay on the ground with no hope left.
“So what did you find today?” Her father enquired.
“I found a horse, he looked like a paint horse I think, but it was hard to tell because of all the mud. He needs our help.” Ally explained quickly, before telling her father about the list of other ponies and horses she’d found. Her father sat stroking his chin thoughtfully throughout her whole listings.
“Hmmm ok Puss, I guess we’ve chosen our lot for the day.”
They both sat back and watched the auctioning begin. Everything Ally had seen in the pens began to be led up once at a time. Some were tacked up while others were led through. The range of horses that came through to the showing was phenomenal. Some were very nervous while others stood with a posture of sadness.
Half an hour into the auctioning Ally and her father had purchased three of the four horses they were allowed to buy. Ally was waiting on the edge of her chair for the pinto to come through, when finally, someone led him in. It seemed like a massive effort for the horse to just limp halfway across the arena. Someone had thrown a western saddle on his bony back and he looked like if you applied pressure to him he’d fall over.
“That guy defiantly needs our help.” Her father murmured.
Ally nodded in agreement while watching him being led forcefully around the arena.
The bidding started at twenty dollars, and at first no one moved. Then a local man, Harvey Davidson, placed a bid of twenty five dollars. Harvey Davidson was a man known around here to buy cheap or unwanted horses for slaughter. Ally’s father overlapped the bid at forty five dollars and the auctioneer started mumbling his quick words. Harvey stared in shock at Ally and her father before shaking his head and sitting down.
“That old nag aint worth nothin’ but thirty at the most. Barely any meat on him anyways’.” He hollered to everyone. Many ranches nodded their heads in agreement, but with her mind and heart set on the white and brown horse she stared straight ahead and ignored them.
She watched the auctioneer as he asked for any final bids, before banging the wooden hammer hard on the table. The man who was leading Ally’s new horse around began to lead him out of the arena as the next horse to be auctioned was brought in.
Ally and her father stood up at the same time and began making their way down the stairs. As they got to the bottom Harvey blocked there way, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“You don’t want that brown and white horse. I need one more for the cattle trailer to come and pick them all up for a bargain price. So what ya’ll say we call it a day I’ll match you to your money so I get outta’ here early.”
Ally stared at him in disgust but before she could say anything her father cut in, “Thank you for the offer but I’m afraid we are going to have to decline Mr Davidson. Good day.”
Without another word Ally’s father pushed through passed the man and she followed quickly in his footsteps. They headed towards the livestock yards to the pen with their first rescue in it.
She grabbed the paper that had the horses’ details on it and read it aloud.
“12 year old bay quarter horse mare, broken in, girthy and green, 15.1 hh.”
Ally watched as her father approached the mare. The horse pinned her ears back but stood still. He stopped beside her shoulder and let her sniff his hand. When she let out a sigh and pricked her ears, her father slid a halter onto her before clucking and leading her out of the pen.
