For the love of Rodeo

Chapter 5: Back in the Saddle

     It's been a week since I got home and I was ready to ride. I got up and made my bed before getting a quick shower without washing my hair. I brushed my hair and put on some boot cut jeans with jewels on the back pockets and jewels on the front making swirly patterns. I slipped on a hot pink girly girl original shirt and tucked it in before sliding my belt through my belt buckle loops.
     I straightened my buckle that I won in a Timely Ridge barrel run a year and a half ago. My other buckles were placed in a glass case on the side of my room holding my trophies and ribbons. The glass case had different medals, buckles, and tiaras.
     After braiding my hair into two French braids, I flipped them over my shoulders and picked out a black fleece hat with pink trim and a pink bow.
     I quickly ran down the stairs and snatched a piece of bacon and raced out the door grabbing my boots on the way with my mum scolding me to eat more than that. 
     I ran to the barn with my spurs clicking with each step. I met my brother in the barn brushing his horse Winchester and Sammy brushing my horse Apache. Sammy was a bull rider but if you put him on a horse, he wouldn't know what to do. I chuckled at that thought.
     "Whatcha laughin at sunshine?" Sammy asked with a smile when I walked over to him and took the brush out of his hand and continued Apaches grooming myself.
     "That it's funny you can't ride a horse but you're a pretty good bull rider." I smiled playfully at him.
     "How dare you!" He gasped dramatically and smacked my thigh with a dish towel he picked up off the stall door. I gasped in return threw my brush at him.
     "Act your age not your shoe size!" I shouted and stuck my tongue out.
     "Oh yeah that's real mature." He gave me a sideways look with a lopsided smile.
     "Stop with the flirty stuff and get your horse ready." My brother snapped clearly grossed out.
     "Me? Flirt? With him?" I said dramatically.
     "EW!" Sammy and I shouted at the same time before laughing. I became close with Sammy over the past week and I thought he was cute and totally boyfriend material but not for me.
I set my brushes back in the tack room after cleaning out Apache's hooves. I slid out my turquoise, dark blue, and purple saddle pad and placed it on him smoothing it out. The saddle I decided to use was a dark tan one with a brown seat and a round skirt. There were small silver studs placed all over the skirt and back and the saddle was a bear trap with a glittery saddle horn. I won the saddle when I was 15 on this horse so it only seemed fitting to use it now. It was my favorite.
I run my hand over the print that said Live, Love, Laugh, and Rodeo on one side and then on the other side the saddle print said We're Young, Dumb, but Fast. I smiled remembering when I got that printed.
I hoisted the Diamond Cross saddle on top of my horse and cinched it tight but not too tight. I measured it with 3 fingers before patting him on the neck and giving him a treat.
"I missed you baby." I whispered rubbing his forehead as he frantically searched my hand looking for more treats. "All gone." I laughed and he snorted before looking away from me. "I'm sorry baby."
"C'mon the barrels are already set up. You need to warm up not romance your horse." Xander said and I glared at him.
"Once again, my boots are on my feet. However, they can be hurled towards your head." I threatened and he threw his hands up in defense before climbing into his saddle. I heard him click and watched as Winchester started walking.
Not far behind him, I climb on Apache and fall into place walking around the arena at a safe distance behind Xander and Winchester.
I glanced behind myself and see Sammy fiddling on his phone. Before I looked away I saw his phone slip through his fingers and fall down the bleacher stands and since he was sitting in the middle, he was gonna climb under them. I heard him say something that sounded like curse words but I couldn't be sure.
I snorted and he glanced up at me while smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck. I shake my head and he just shrugs before hopping down to retrieve his phone.
After a single look around the covered arena, Xander and I asked our horses to trot by kissing or clicking. Apache passed Winchester at a long trot with ease and I stuck my tongue out at Xander.
"Slow poke." I tease and he grinned devilishly. I didn't like that.
"Oh really?" He said and clicked his heals into Winchester's sides. He took off quick but I knew the horse couldn't keep that quick speed. Apache didn't wait for my command before taking off after him. My boy loved to race and what can I say, I did to.
Winchester slowed down at the same time Apache and I soared past making Xander eat our dust. I slowed my horse down and allowed him to walk so he could cool down. He was in great shape and wasn't even breathing hard.
After our warm up, I did a slow run on barrels to get back into the groove before I did a faster one.
"16.9 that's fast you're getting good. Is that your fastest time yet?" Sammy asked and I smiled so big while walking my horse to cool him down.
"Really? That fast! We are getting good aren't we boy?" I patted my horse. That was my fastest time which was crazy since I haven't rode in awhile.
"Guess he was saving all that energy." Xander smiled before doing a fun run on Chester.
"22.9 kinda sad bro." Sammy said in a disappointed tone.
"Well his form is horrible and he doesn't know how to ask him to run." I laugh.
"Hey I rope and ride bulls and broncs. Don't attack me." He said with a frown.
"I wanna run Chester I haven't ridden him since he bucked you off and you were too scared to get back on." I laughed and handed Apache's reigns to Xander and took Chester's.
"I was not scared I was being safe." Xander complained but it was too late Sammy was already laughing.
I hoisted myself into the saddle and complained about the stirrups being too long until Sammy adjusted them.
"Sammy boy... thank you." I sighed dramatically and placed my hand on his shoulder. He bowed.
"My pleasure Miss Crown." I smiled and pretended to straighten my crown.
"Alright. Lesgo Winny." I said and turned him facing the pattern.
"Don't call him that." Xander complained and I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever. Git!" I shouted and clicked my heels into his sides. I leaned my body forward and used it to urge him forward. When we got to the first barrel I whistled and sat back, grabbed my saddle horn in one hand, and pulled him around with the other. I touched and slid my hand back into position and kissed him forward. I repeated the same process on the other 2 barrels before kicking and clicking to get him past the timers. I slowed him down after and cooled him off.
"Nice. Natural born talent. 17.9 not bad at all." Sammy said. "However he did seem to run outta energy on the home stretch."
"He did great." I patted him on the neck and got off.
After I got back on Apache, I spend the rest of the day practicing barrel racing and roping.
"Bulls and steers 'll be in tomorrow for the real fun." Xander said while we were unsaddling.
"Oh so I get to watch these two idiots play cowboy." I laughed while putting my saddle up. I grabbed my brushes and carry them to my horse to groom him.
After putting the horses up and feeding, we finally went inside for dinner and Xander took Sammy home after.
"G'night ma!" I called down the stairs before I freshened up and went to bed. Two weeks until the next high school rodeo. I was gonna be ready.
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Author's note:
     Hello my lovelies! I hope y'all are enjoying this so far. Pic above of my two boys who are used as Apache and Fable in this story and are Apache and Fable in my life. Apache is the paint up top and Fable is the white one on bottom.