Bailey hopes to get into the circuit and ride. She calf ropes and team ropes. Her dad supports her the entire way. Of course the family business is bull riding but that's not what she wants to do..................
Quietly I made my bed before getting dressed. I put on my favorite pair of sound girl jeans and a pink tee that had ford written in cursive down the left side. I put on my 'rope like a girl' belt and carried my boots out of the room with my Stetson on my head.
Once outside I pulled my boots on and ran to my horse well until I got to the stable and had to walk. Jolly whinnied when he smelled me coming.
"Quiet boy." I told him as I neared his stall. I changed his water and gave him hay. Then I started brushing him while he ate his breakfast. "Dad she's up before I am." Someone said. I shook my head and continue to brush my boy.
He nickered when I found his soft spot. I brushed out his mane lastly. Once I was done I got the dirt and other stuff out of his hooves and polished his hooves. It was fifty minutes until breakfast so I climbed onto Jolly's back and started braiding his mane. It was one of my favorite pass times.
Boots coming this way made me look up from the last few braids. Kollin walked by then Luke. I finished braiding Jolly's mane and brushed out his tail before starting on it. I found the end of his tail bone and marked it with a ribbon.
Once I was done it was five minutes until breakfast. I kissed him goodbye then went to breakfast. When I got to the mess hall not many were there. It was eight sharp. Jesse already had his food so I got mine and joined him.
"I guess everyone is still in bed." He said. "I guess." I told him as I took a bite of eggs. He kind of looked hesitant. "Do you... always get up before six in the morning?" He asked. "Pretty much, well because there's so much needing to be done before lunch." I told him.
"So true." He replied. "So you wake up early just to be with your horse?" "And I'm guessing the same goes for you?" The rest of the campers slowly came in until eight thirty. I finished my breakfast and of course went back to Jolly.
I entered the stable and just laid my tack on his back. I got his ball and we went out to the arena. He needed to get some of his energy out and I wanted to play with him.
Once inside I had about thirty minutes to play with him. I put my tack next to the fence and got him to playing with me. We were in the middle of the ring. He ran off and frolicked as I turned around. He came up and nudged me. I turned around and stomped my foot. He took off and I turned around. He came back and nudged again before I turned and jumped.
He ran off again and I took off in the opposite direction. I looked back and there he was. He came up on my right side and I jumped onto his bareback. Freedom was all I felt. I spotted Jesse with his horse by the railing.
I rode over to him. "Is that how you like to spend time with your horse?" He asked. "On of the ways." I responded while sliding off. I walked with Jolly over to our tack. Quickly I saddled him up and put the bridle on his head.
Jesse brought his horse in the ring with us. "Did you braid his mane and tail?" He asked me. "Yeah. This morning before breakfast." I told him. He shook his head. "Your crazy." "I've been told by pro bull riders that I'm crazy." I told him.
He looked at me with a small smirk and scoffed. "What?" I asked. Now actually seeing resemblance in him and Kollin. "How bout we go on a trail ride later and get to know each other better?" He asked me.
"Sure. How does four sound? That's when calf roping is over." I said. "Sounds good. I've got steer wrestling until four this afternoon." He told me. I smiled and nodded. The group was there and we were all standing by our horses. Kollin and Luke came out into the ring on their horses.
"Today you will be roping with the partner we assigned you yesterday." Luke told us. Nationals was still on my mind. A lady from the office came out to the ring. "Can we borrow Bailey Willingham for a moment?" She asked.
They nodded. "Bailey." Jesse took my horse as I went up to the office. "You've got a phone call from a Silas Dreans. Know him?" She asked. "He was my roping partner." I told her.
Once we got to the office I was handed the phone. "Hello." "Hey B. Think you can make nationals in Rome?" "I'll have to ask what time?" "Four thirty is when it starts and you can bring a friend along." "Ok I'll see if I can and I'll call you back." "Kay I'll be waiting." "See ya later." I told him before hanging up. I went over to one of the secretaries. "Would it be alright if I went to a competition later?" I asked her.
"Which kind?" She asked. "Team rope. It will be the only one outside of camp." I told her. "If you take a friend with you you have to take two people that can take you both." She told me. "So it's a yes?" She nodded.
"Yes thank you thank you thank you!May I call the person back?" I asked her. She nodded again. I quickly dialed Silas's number and told him the news. He was excited.
I ran back to the arena happy and excited. Once there I got my horse from Jesse. "Why are you excited?" He asked. "I'm going to junior nationals in Rome!" I almost squealed. Our instructors turned their heads towards me.
"Wow a lot of excitement for a little girl." He said. "I'm not so little." I told him. "Well you got their attention." He said pointing at Luke and Kollin who were now walking over to us.
"What's the excitement about over here?" Kollin asked. "I'm needing someone to take me and my horse to Rome. School nationals are being held there this evening and I was aloud to go. Plus I could take a friend with me as long as two people went with us." I explained.
"Well then you are going to need to start practicing if your going tonight." Luke said. "So who's going to take me then?" I asked them. "We will take you." Both said at the same time. "Pick a friend and we leave at four." Luke said.
The boys looked at me. Alex especially looked at me. We roped the remainder of the time. Once the first half of bull riding was over I ran to the mess hall and got lunch. "So who you taking?" Alex asked as he sat down across from me. "Would you mind if I took my roping partner?" I asked him.
"Nope. I wouldn't mind at all." He told me. Jesse sat down next to me. "So would you like to go to a junior rodeo in Rome this evening instead of a trail ride?" I asked him. "Seriously?" "No joke." "Why not. I've got nothing better to do." He said.
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I finished off my last calf and Tuf Cooper one of our instructors said I could go clean up. Quickly I got a shower and dressed in my best western wear. Cowgirl tuff jeans and a pink wrangler wrancher pearl snap.
I got my belt and pulled on my boots. Luke loaded Jolly for me and Kollin put my tack, rope and glove in the trailer. Jesse was out by the trailer when I came running out.
