Rider Of The Mustangs (Draft)

Ride 'Em Like You Stole 'Em

Chapter Nine: Ride 'Em Like You Stole 'Em

"We did good today." Mikaela grins as she shows off her new belt buckle. Kyla rolls her eyes and wiggles her second place ribbon in the air.

"Whiskey did really good for an old man." Kyla pats the old gelding's neck affectionately. "He wasn't as happy as when he's jumping, but he had some fun." The gelding snorts in agreement.

"I think he just gets bored and all we have to do is mix up his routine a little. Give his life a little bit more excitement." I shrug my shoulders as I strap on my half chaps once more. The leather strings hang off my legs and dangle all the way down.

"Hurry up! I want to see Alyssa eat dirt!" Skye whines from the gate. I roll my eyes at her enthusiasm before buckling up the last strap.

"Wear this baby." Mikaela reaches into my belt buckle box and pulls out a large silver one with a golden bucking horse on it. "Everyone will realize you're the bronc riding queen." She adds with a smirk.

"Yes, wear it!" Kyla grins as she grabs my leather belt and clips it on. I roll my eyes before slipping the leather belt through the loops of my jeans. "You look ready to kick ass." She comments as we make our way out of the camp.

At the fairgrounds we find the rodeo ring is crowded with everyone trying to find a seat on the stands. Fourteen girls gallop around the ring with flags flying above them and showing off their farms. Their ponies gallop around three times before leaving the ring with the girls grinning and waving.

"That was our contestants for rodeo queen 2014. Give it up for Anna, Sydney, Taylor, Cara, Lilly, Cassandra, Vicky, Rebecca, Sophie, Barbra, Delilah, Rachel, Tanya, and Ellie." The announcer is overtaken by the cheering of the crowd.

We head to the back of the ring where the cowboys are pulling out numbers for their broncs. I step into the line with Mikaela before me as Kyla and Skye go to find a seat or stand at the edge of the ring.

"Look! There's Alyssa now!" Mikaela points through the crowd. Alyssa struts through the crowd and steps into the line a few cowboys behind us.

"Hmm, I wonder if she's ever even been on a horse that thought about bucking." I muse as we slowly grow closer to the woman behind the table. She watches as each man pulls out a piece of paper and then writes down their name on a piece of paper beside their bronc.

Soon it's my turn and I find myself pulling out the number six. I look down as the woman writes my name down on a chart. A number six is followed by the bronc's name and then she writes down my name.

"Your horse is Slayer." She tells me. I move out of the line and head over to where the horses are kept. I immediately spot "Slayer" who happens to be a scrawny, steel grey gelding with a stripe running down his face.

"Mine is number eleven. Her name's Twist and she's over there." Mikaela points to a larger liver chestnut mare with a stripe and three cornets.

"Mine's number six and named Slayer." I point to the little steel grey. Mikaela looks at the little bugger before tilting her head back and laughing.

"He totally looks like a slayer!" She laughs. She even has to wipe away the tears of laughter after a few minutes. I roll my eyes at her and we make our way to the ring to watch the people before us go.

The first cowboy drops down onto his mount in the box and we watch as the horse immediately begins bucking and throwing itself around. The gate is thrown open and the bronc takes off around the ring with some wicked bucks and crow hops. The cowboy holds on with everything he's got, but it's not enough and he hits dirt at the six-second mark.