Roping or Riding

Chapter:2

I parked next to another truck and got out. My ripped jeans were cool as the wind gave a slight breeze. The shirt I was wearing had a red eyed saddle bronc kicking up dirt as the person on it held on for his life. I got it last year at NFR when my dad had to take some broncs there. I walked up to the sign in and paid my entry fee to ride. I was given a back number and the nights I rode. I saw Fallon Taylor as she and Chayni Chamberlain walked by with their horses.

There were a group of men near the chutes. Must be the rough stock riders. I felt out of place as I walked back to my truck. I saw the Cooper brothers and Kollin VonAhn at their trailers. This is so cool! Yes they might be ropes, but Ace would totally flip if he could have came with me. Roping was a second sport to him and these guys were like idols to him. I was his team roping partner until I got tired of roping. I chuckled at that thought of him freaking out meeting them. I fixed my bedding before grabbing a blue Gatorade and sitting on the steps.

I saw a horse run down the gravel way in front of my truck. A woman ran after the horse. A few minutes later I saw the horse again and jumped up in front of him. He stopped and reared before placing all his hooves on the ground. I grabbed onto his halter to make sure he didn't run. The woman can running from somewhere. I held on until she clipped the lead to the halter. "Thanks for catching him." She said. "No problem." I said. "He's so much trouble if he's not stalled or tied up to the trailer." She said.

"Sounds like he's more behaved than most of the horses my parents own." I said. "Let me guess their wild?" She asked. "Well that's one way to put it. Their more of bred and raise broncs so they are supposed to be wild but are so used to humans that they won't do anything rational like kick, buck, or throw a tantrum." I said. "Oh so like feeding and grooming." She said. "Something like that. Their not halter broke at all. That's the only thing." I said. "Sounds more like the equine version of bucking bulls." She said. "Definitely." I said. "I'm Van." She said. "Dallas." I said. "As in the Dallas Cowboys?" She asked. "More like the city in general." I said. "Cool. Well I've got to get back to my trailer with this one." She said.

"Nice to meet you." I told her. "You too." She said. I went back to my step seat and continued with my drink. Tomorrow is day one. I watched as the slow pace continued. Cowboys and cowgirls walked by with their horses or with friends or buddies. Once my drink was done with I threw it away and sat there reading. "Looks like a new comer to the circuit." I look up seeing Chandler Bownds. I set my book down as he came over. "What sport do you do? Cause by the looks of it it ain't barrel racing or anything to do with calves and steers." He said. "Broncs." I said. "Both kinds or just one?" He asked. "Both." I answered. "Nice. Glad to have you on the circuit." He said before continuing on. I watched as he walked off.

So glad I didn't bring my best friend he would have dragged me around to meet all of the rough stock riders. Thinking of Ace made me want to call him. He's been working at the feed store in town for a while, well the duration of high school even though he's almost a year older than me. He should be off work by now so I should just FaceTime him and walk around to see if he sees any idols that I should stop by and see. Yup definitely going to do that. I called him on FaceTime. He picked it up immediately.

"Hey Dally how's the rodeo so far?" He asked.

"Pretty well got here the day before it gets underway so yeah." I said.

"Please tell me you met a few of them." He said.

"I saw several but didn't stop to talk. Chandler Bownds welcomed me to the circuit after I was caught reading my book." I said.

"Wait Chandler Bownds talked to you?" He asked.

"Yeah. I just said he welcomed me." I said.