"WATER BOTTLE RUN"
“Up next we have a cowgirl who traveled to us from Fredonia,
New York! Is there anyone here from New
York to support this lovely gal?” and the crowd answered with a lot of shouting
and whistling. We are only about three
hours from the New York line, so die hard rodeo fans travel to see their
friends and favorite contestants compete. “Next in to wrap the cans is Lori
Conti, she’s on an old sorrel-y horse. I can see her in the alley way.”
As I turn left into the alley, I realize that I need to work
hard to get my gelding in the correct body position to achieve a right lead
departure. I use my left leg, bent at
the knee to cue his hind quarters over, he takes a step forward and his hip is
now cantered to the right. I put my
right foot forward, directly on the cinch and lay it against my horse, a cue to
help him to remember to keep his shoulder up.
We take another step down the alley towards the arena. As soon as the barrel comes in to sight, I’m
ready to smooch to Caz which is his cue to GO!
He will be all set to depart in the right lead saving precious time as
we turn the right barrel first. Both of
us peer down the blind alley waiting for the first barrel to come into view.
It bothers me when cowboys sit on the fencing along the
alley, it distracts me and my horse. I
really don’t like it when they are crouched down working on their gear in the
corner either, they look like a monster ready to pounce to my nervous-nelly horse. Today there are three cowboys scattered
around this long blind alley. I wonder
which one dropped their partially full spring water bottle. It’s right where my horse’s right hind foot
is going to step next.
Oh no! My horse is going to step on that water
bottle and get it stuck to his hoof. It
will wrap right around it from left to right and clinch itself there for my
entire barrel run. Oh, shoot! That cowboy is going to be so thirsty. I wish I knew who it belonged to; I could go get
him another bottle. I have some under the couch in our 2012 Bison 8414 horse
trailer. I wonder which barrel will be
the hardest to turn with a water bottle clinched to his right hind hoof. I'll bet that if the arena is as hard as it looks, the first turn might be
where the water bottle…
The water bottle. I see it on the ground in the alley as Caz
and I run out. Oh, I guess it must not
have gotten stuck on his hoof.
“Her time ladies and gentlemen is a 14.79, and that just won’t
cut it! No money for this New York State Cowgirl. So give her a big round of applause because she still has to pay her truck and
trailer payments, diesel fuel, entry fees and to feed her big sorrel
gelding. You’ll be giving her the only
pay off she receives tonight, folks!” and once again the crowd answers with
cheering.
I don’t mind consolation cheering.
I wonder if that cowboy will get his water bottle back.