Her Name Is ' Country'

Chapter 1

A man walked around to the front of the barn, guiding a beautiful Appaloosa horse. A little five year old girl trailing not far behind. Dropping my hat, the man picked it up and set it on my head.

" Daddy, what is we doin?" I questioned. He stopped in the fresh green grass and turned. " Well, I got you a horse for a late birthday present." I jumped in a circle, clapping. Running over ad hugging his legs. " Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya!" I squealed. " Sierra, can you stay here with the reins and spend time with it; so I can get Rocket?"
" Yes, daddy." He put the reins in my hand and walked off to the barn.

" Hi boy! I am Sierra. You're pretty." He had a brown body with a black tail and mane. The tips of his ears were a silver-white. " Daddy said I have ta get ta know you. But you don't have no name!." I crossed my arms and tapped my lips with one finger. " Aha! I am gonna name you Shotgun! Hi Shotgun!" He snorted and bent his head to me. I giggled and stroked his muzzle.

Just then, a rumbling of a Jeep came down the dirt road.

As a truck pulled to a stop, a man climbed out. " Hi, Uncle Frank! What you doin here?" He walked to the back of his Jeep, where a trailer was hooked up. " Well girl, your daddy said you's gotta horse, but donno how ta ride. With riding experience, I asked if I could help and he said yeah." As he unloaded his white horse, he got her tacked up.
Daddy came back with a big black horse. He was very tall. So was Shotgun.

The lesson had begun. " Sierra, did you name him?" I looked into daddy's blue eyes. " Yes daddy. He seemed to like it too. He let me touch him after I said his name." Uncle Frank asked, " What'd you name 'im?" " Shotgun."
" Really? I wasn't expecting that. Anyway. Do you know how to get up? As in, how to mount properly?" I walked to the side of Shotgun. "Yes. I put my left foot," I lift my foot and wiggle it." And put it in this thing." I pointed to the stirrup. " And then I swing my right leg over! I saw daddy do it many times." I declared.

" This ' thing' is called the stirrup. Let me help you." Frank said. As he gave me a boost, I did exactly what I explained. " Mmm... The stirrups are a bit low." Daddy said. Fixing them, he explained the parts of the saddle and how to tack them.

Finally he gave me the reins. " These are how to make him go faster and slower." He then demonstrated how.

After a few practice runs, I got daring. " Can I try myself. With y'all watching?" They looked at each other. " How about this. There is the rodeo ring ain't far from here. If you can make it there with us by your side,ya can see what you can do."

"Okay!" Knowing that that was the best I was gonna get so we set off.

It was a longer trek than I thought. When we got there I was thirsty as crap. But I wanted to do this so badly that I pushed it aside. " Go ahead Sierra. Show us what you can do.

And I set off. Not knowing that it was gonna be the start of something special.