Embittered Competitor: Day 4

Word Count: 24,002

Summary of Events:
Chapter 7:
Steele went for a walk of the rodeo grounds and then got talking with Evan-Lewis and Annabella Reidy about a variety of topics. After awhile Spencer came over and talked for a bit with them — although Steele wished that Spencer wouldn't have entered the conversation.
Chapter 8:
Terri talked a bit with steer wrestler Kim Newby about Steele and then headed to get photos of the beginning of the rodeo. However, on her way there she thought she heard someone dropping some kind of tool in or near Steele's trailer. Steele came back from having supper with some of his friends and went to watch a bit of the rodeo. One of the bronc riders got hung up and Steele managed to undo the girth on the rigging which helped the cowboy free himself. Terri was then watching the calf roping as Steele got a good run — he was really in his element — and Spencer did not bad. Spencer also did a backflip from a squat at the challenge of the rodeo clown. When they were driving the extra calves out at the end of the tie-down roping one came over to Terri and wouldn't leave so Steele had to scoop it up and take it out. Afterwards Steele iced his shoulder again — as he'd used his sore arm to lift the calf — and then chatted a little bit with G.D. Hagen.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Three ropers later Terri was given the opportunity to find out. Spencer rode his gelding, who pranced like a dressage horse, into the little compartment, turned him around, and backed him into the corner. The barrier was pulled out across the opening and hooked into place. The calf was ready.
After a few moments of tense anticipation and silence the doors clanged open and the calf shot out, a few moments later the barrier flew away as Spencer's gelding charged through it in hot pursuit of the calf. The rope sailed around the calf's neck and stopped its speedy escape.
Spencer powered over to the dark calf and threw it down to tie its legs. When he'd finished he threw his hands up in the air with such force he fell backwards. Quite a few people laughed.
"You should'a been standing," the clown said. "Then it would've worked. I don't know that you can do a backflip from a squat."
Terri couldn't help laughing at that line. That was definitely a good one.
Spencer stood up and looked at the clown as if he was accepting a challenge. Squatting down once again, Spencer looked at the clown again.
"What? You're gonna try it?" the clown asked incredulously.
Spencer gave a single nod. Terri got her camera ready and started it in video — there was no way she wasn't filming this. To everyone's utter amazement Spencer did it. A backflip from a squatting position.
"Well then," the clown said. "I guess I've been proved wrong."
Spencer gave a large, pleased nod before returning to his gelding and getting into place. As the next ropers went Terri watched out the corner of her eye as the clown tried to backflip — he wasn't very successful — after awhile he gave up."