Chico's Challenge by Jessie Haas

Author:Jessie Haas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: 2012-04-17T04:00:00+00:00

SIERRA! CHICO CHORTLED DEEP IN HIS THROAT. He missed her, living over here. Yes, he got ridden every day, but Misty didn’t pamper him the way Sierra did. She didn’t have the time.

Sierra didn’t seem to have time today, either. She brushed him and saddled up quickly. She seemed agitated; now Chico started to feel that way himself.

Going into the covered arena, the quick change from sunshine to shadow half blinded Chico for a moment. He could sense cattle, dark shapes loosely grouped at the far end. Sierra headed him toward them, and for a moment panic flared along Chico’s legs. Beasts?

His vision cleared. Only cows. He’d barely had a chance at cattle here; he danced slightly, and flicked his tail. Let’s—

“No.” Sierra walked him to one edge of the herd, turned him, made him stand. Another horse stood opposite, on the other side of the cattle. Three riders approached; the turn-back riders hung back, and the third, Randall, rode into the herd. The cattle stirred around his horse. Chico wanted to stir them, too, but Sierra wouldn’t let him move. He pawed the dirt; a couple of nearby cows showed the whites of their eyes and mixed themselves deeper into the group. Misty shouted something, and Sierra backed Chico away from them.

Randall’s horse was moving some cattle—slowly, at a walk, not the way Chico would have done it, but at least that horse was allowed to do something. Sierra let Chico move slightly forward now. They were helping Randall, but it could all go a whole lot faster—

Sierra turned her head to look at the herd. Chico felt her attention divide and weaken. The heifers paused between Randall and the turn-back riders, looking around, undecided. One swift move was all it would take—

Chico made the move! One lunge, and the heifers scattered in all directions. Chico took a gleeful bound after the nearest one, and Sierra caught him up short.

Randall turned angrily. “I can’t believe—”

“Clock’s ticking, Randall,” Misty called. “Act like you are in charge, no matter what. Sierra, keep Chico back. Wa-a-a-y back.”

Sierra turned him toward the herd. She was upset, Chico sensed. Well, so was he! All those cows got away! There was just one left. Randall and his horse went back and forth with it for a few seconds, then let it go. It trotted around the arena and dived back into the herd; Chico laid his ears back as it passed, but Sierra didn’t let him take one step toward it.

Randall played with another cow, and then the buzzer went off, and they all turned from the herd. Sierra rode Chico forward, too. The rest of the horses walked, but Chico couldn’t help prancing. All those cattle behind him, standing still. What a waste!

Randall turned to Sierra. To Chico, he sounded like Dean used to, when he was angry and trying to pretend he wasn’t.

“I guess he really is a bronco! I thought Misty was joking.”

Nobody else said anything until they were outside the arena. Then Misty beckoned to Sierra.

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