Valuable Lesson: Day 3

Word Count: 18,112

Summary of Events:

Kingston got bucked off again, although this time the horse chased him and bit his shoulder, hanging on for a long time and cutting him badly enough that he needed to go to the hospital. He missed out on his other ride that night, but was allowed to do it the following night, which he did, in spite of everyone else being quite concerned, even though the doctor had said he could do it. At the next rodeo Kingston chatted with his best friend Caldwell, who showed him the three broncs he and his dad had brought who'd never been ridden at a rodeo before, one of which Kingston really wanted to be the first to ride . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Come on, please, I want to be his first pro ride,” Kingston begged. “I already know he’s going to be a great horse. I want to be the first one.”

“You’re going to have to take it up with the officials,” Caldwell replied. “You know that.”

“He’s such a gorgeous horse,” Kingston said, looking at the handsome bay overo stallion, whose ears were pricked in their direction.

Admittedly, Kingston liked pinto horses — a breed of horses that had deliberately been created because somebody’d found a bi-coloured horse and decided they wanted more like it — and the fact that this stallion not only had a good temperament, but incredible talent in the arena only made him even more likeable.

“He is gorgeous,” Caldwell agreed. “But like I said, you’re going to have to take it up with the officials.”

A sudden fear came over Kingston. “I am right that he’s never been ridden in an actual rodeo yet, right?”

“Yes,” Caldwell replied. “Meadow and Lucy have been ridden. Dad wants to keep it to one rookie a night, and it’s just your timing that you get to be here on the night we saved for Nobleford. We didn’t change anything up because of how things happened with you, we were going to save him for last from the start.”

“Oh,” Kingston said, trembling with desire. “I have to be the one to ride him.”

Caldwell sighed. “What do you think Mr. Hackett?”

“It’s Clint to everyone Caldwell, you know that,” Kingston turned to see the veteran rodeo official approaching them.

“Yes sir,” Caldwell said.

“But what is my opinion being asked on?” Mr. Hackett asked.

“Our last rookie,” Caldwell replied. “Kingston wants to ride him badly.”

“I thought you were injured,” Mr. Hackett said.

“It’s just a bite, I got clearance,” Kingston said. “Please let me ride Nobleford.”

Mr. Hackett looked past Kingston to the stallion, who was mostly bay, with white dominating his face, three of his four legs — the left fore being the exception — and his sides, the patches of white jagged-edged and not passing over his back, although one got close enough to his tail to cause there to be a shock of white in among all the long, coarse, black hairs.

“The rules say you’ve got to draw the horse,” Mr. Hackett said.

“If someone else draws him can I trade with them?” Kingston asked. “Is there anything in the rules against that?”

Chuckling, Mr. Hackett looked at Kingston for a moment before shaking his head. “You really are desperate to ride him, aren’t you?”

“I want to be the first one, please,” Kingston begged.

“I’ll have to check the rules on the swap,” Mr. Hackett said. “But I’m just going to pray that you get him so you don’t have to get in trouble with the rules.”

“Thank you,” Kingston said. He looked back at the handsome stallion. Surely riding a rookie horse he already knew how to ride would help him get some points and money too.