Mercy Came A Runnin'

10.

Mercy Came A Runnin'

I couldn't think of a more accurate name for that mare. I guess whoever named her that knew that she would live up to that name.

The week after my decision to keep barrel racing there was another barrel race at the fairgrounds.

Before I tell you guys about that night, you need to know some details before hand.

The way the arena is set up is pretty much awful for barrel racers. The alley way is not a good one. The only way I can describe it is as a T. The long part of the T being the alley into the arena, and then the cross part being the sides to go into the alley. Think of there being a fence around the outline of a T and you have the Waller county fairgrounds alleyway.

Alrighty, so here goes:

We loaded up the trailer around 6:00, as we needed to be at the race before 7:30 or else I'd lose my pre entries. I entered to run once in the youth, and then again later for the open. My numbers were 21 and 31.

My mom, dad, and I got there a little late due to my little brother insisting he needed to be dropped off at our grandparents house. Since we were late I had my parents drop me off at the gate so I could go pay up while they parked.

I walked down towards the announcers booth where you paid to run, and I noticed a bunch of kids I went to school with. It was strange, since not one of them were really the type to be at a barrel race.

I went over to this picnic type table and grabbed my entry forms and filled them out as fast as possible, as the line was so long to go pay up.

I waited in line, and paid my fees, and found out that I had actually won $62 at the previous race. Excited, I walked to the area where you parked, and called my mom to find out where they were.

Since I had an early number, I hurriedly saddled up Mercy and walked over to the warm up area. Again, I noticed several people from school that I'd never seen at a barrel race before. It made me a little nervous.

I quickly warmed up Mercy, she was acting like she was feeling good. A little more spunk to her than usual.

They got to the drag we were in, and we walked across the alley way to the little pen you're supposed to wait in before your run.

My heart was beating a million miles a minute. I was always nervous before I made a run. I walked Mercy in a few circles and talked to her, as I always did before our runs, saying "It's just me and you girl. We've got this."

The girl that ran before me came out of the alleyway, and was having trouble making her horse stop in time, and it took the turn ( going right on our little T) really fast and nearly fell off her horse.

The girl waiting in the pen with me said "man, this alley is a killer!" I agreed with her.

The announcer called my name.

"Ready for number 21, Caitlin Getschman."

I walked Mercy into the alley, turning left in a circle to reinforce she needed to pick up her left lead. As soon as I could see our first spot around our first barrel, I smooched and asked her to run.

I pushed her more than usual. I asked her to go much faster. I was more comfortable on her and I was ready to ask for the speed. She knew what she was supposed to do. We rounded the first, second and third barrels and hauled it going home.

In the alley I started to pull up on her, but she wouldn't stop. She was running hard. She turned the corner.

It all happened so fast. She started going down. I dropped my reins and she threw me about three or four feet in front of her, right in the center between the two metal fences.

I looked up and saw I was in the dirt.

I turned around and saw Mercy lying there behind me.

I crawled as fast as I could over to her. I immediately began crying.

"Mercy get up! Get up Mercy please! You're going to be okay I promise baby get up!" I spoke to her as I was trying to brush all the sand off of her face and neck. My tears fell onto her neck, turning the sand there into mud that was harder to wipe off.

I turned around and yelled "HELP SOMEONE HELP."

A man came running over to us. "What happened?" He asked.
"I don't know, I don't know." I told him.
"Okay it's okay we are gonna loosen her saddle it's okay." He told me. He jumped over her and started messing with her.

The next thing I knew, a woman pulled me away from Mercy. She started asking if I was okay. "Yes I'm okay I'm fine." I told her.

I just wanted to go back to Mercy.

My mom got there next. Then all these people I knew and then my dad. It was all so fast.

My dad started asking me all these stupid questions. What day it was. Where I was. What my name was. I was so mad at him for asking me. Why wouldn't they just let me go back to Mercy?

So many people were surrounding Mercy. But I wasn't one of them. I kept looking over at her. She wasn't moving. I was just praying she was okay. I wanted nothing more in that moment for my horse to just stand up. Why didn't she just get up?

A woman looked at my mom and did that little motion everyone does when something's really bad. I was so reluctant to believe Mercy was gone, I assumed she was just really bad.

That was when my mom and Jaymee let me out of that awful alleyway. We walked through the warm up area. Everyone was staring at me. That's when I realized how much sand was in my mouth. Then how much was on my face. How much was in my clothes. I never hated the feeling of sand more in my life, but I didn't do anything about it.

I also never felt so small.

All these girls up on their horses, and I wasn't. It felt awful.

They didn't know what to do with me. Then a tractor drove past us towards the alley and they immediately decided to rush me to someone's truck. On the way to the truck Sherri asked what was wrong. Nobody answered her. We just kept walking.

They put me in the truck and turned on the air and gave me some water. They kept asking if it was good, like I needed it. I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel the air conditioner blowing on my face or feel the water I was swallowing.

Nothing felt real.

The rest of the night doesn't need to be completely discussed.

They brought Mercy home and buried her in the back pasture underneath the huge tree that provides some shade over my riding area, where I practiced barrels.

All I could do was cry.

For days, that's the only thing I could do.

It didn't feel real. It all feels like it was a bad dream. How did my horse die but I end up completely unharmed?

Nothing felt real.