O-Mok-See

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP" My alarm clock went off at 6:37am. I yawned and got into the shower. I finish conditioning my hair and reach for m blue and silver razor. I shaved my legs and got out of the shower and grabbed me pre-picked out clothes. After about 10 minutesI was dressed and heading out the door. I grabbed my bridal, saddle, and brushes, and I threw them into the white trailer sitting by the barn. I quickly ran into the feild with Cisco's lime green halter in my right hand, and put the halter on him. I put him in the 1st stall of the 3 horse trailer. Next thing you know, I'm taking off up the paved driveway. I pull into the fairgrounds with my window down and I over hear Denise say on the mike "You may enter the warm up arena." I pull my white truck into the closest parking spot and turn off the roaring engine. I grab Cisco's halter, remove him from the trailer, tie him up, and saddle him as fast as I possibly could.

I trotted Cisco down into the warm up arena. I had time for about 1 lap then we had to leave so the judges could set up the arena. After about 10-12 minutes later the speaker turns on with a high pitched screetch "LETS O-MOK-SEE!" "Makenzie Peterson is on deck, Emma Martin is i nthe hole, and Molly Rawls be thinking about it." I look at all of them and wish them good luck. Makenzie comes back with a 18.975. A new record for her. Emma comes back with a 17.012 a new Island County record. Now Molly Rawls s on deck and I am in the hole. Texas barrels is my second favirote event besides flags which is next. YAY!! Molly comes back with a 17.101 which is really good! I'm next and my heart is pounding harder than a heavy hammer hitting a little silver tom-boy nail on a black top roof! I enter the arena with a smile on my tan face. I canter 3 semi-small circles to the left to test his natural diving-in turns. "You have a green light" Dan says into the black and silver microphone. I go to the gate with my heart pounding, blood rushing, and all the muscles in my body tighten. I grab the reins with my right hand and hang onto the horn with my left hand. I was hanging onto the horn so tight that my hand was turning pale. I reach my hand to the left of his neck, squeeze my legs as tight as volleyball spandex and pull him to the first berrel. The ground goes silent.

All I could hear was Cisco's large feet hitting the ground as loud as thunder in Montana on a stormy day. I start to take the turn. Leaning in toward the barrel, chasing him with my inside foot. I barley squeeze his wide rear end around the barrel. He nicked the barrel while taking off for the second barrel, not enough to knock it over but enough to make one end go about .3 centimeters off the grey sand in the warm, and semi-cold arena. I start to go at a little bit more steady speed to the second barrel. I can already feel him start to dive in. I push my left leg into him tell him that I know what he is going to do and he better not, when I get to the barrel I remember what Sonya told me "Give him a big pocket, he is a big boy!" I give him a big pocket and bent his body aroung the barrel... YES! I though to myself. His worst turn and I made it look prefect! On to the third barrel, know its his best turn so I let him go as fast as he wanted. He gained enough speed to make my cheeks fly back like when you go on a 139 mph roller coaster down hill. Not litteraly but thats what it felt like. When I got to the third barrel Cisco was fully pumped up with energy. He started to lean in. I let him do it to because I trust him. I was about 2/3 the way around the barrel when his front foot kicked the blue barrel. I ignored the mistake and moved on with my beautiful run. I ran home with my medium brown reins all the way up on top of his pinned back light-brown ears. We got to the gate and Cisco started to turn left, which is good because that is what he was supposed to do. As he was attempting to stop I looked back only to find the blue barrel rocking from side to side. The feeling in my stomache was like the feeling when you have a free throw in basketball and when you shoot the ball it rolls around the rim and you dont know if the ball in going through the net or out back onto the cold floor. It was like that, but only worse. Cisco finally stoped as the crowd and I watched in amazment, everyone was standing up with their hands in front of their eyes blocking the sun. WHOA!!! YA!!!! The crowd cheered when the blue barrel took my side and stayed standing. "Cortney's back with a 17.009! A NEW O-MOK-SEE RECORD!" I was walking out of the gate with my head held high and everyone cheering and claping for me. I walked him up to the trailer, tied him up, and gave him some hay and water. I went back down by the arena and got a hot dog and a pepsi from the Weenie Wagon. There food is the best. Flags is next and I can't wait.

After about 30-45 minutes the seniors and super-seniors were almost finished. When they had about 2 runs left I had to go back up to the trailer and saddle Cisco back up for flags. By the time I was walking Cisco down to the arena they were almost finished setting flags up. I got onto his back and warmed him up again. I trotted and kantered some circles to get him thinking about what he was going to do next. Flags involves two barrels, one at each end of the arena, and one flag in each barrel. You run to the first barrel from the starting line, grab the green flag, while running, and put it in the distant barrel. Then as you turn around the distant barrel you have to drop the green flag in the barrel, then grab the red flag. After that you have to stick the red flag into the first barrel and run home hopeing you have a good time. The mike turns on "Molly's on deck, Makenzie is in the hole, and Cortney be thinking about it. "Great." I thought. "I have to go third." I get Cisco focused and ready to run.


Continued \/

Molly and Makenzie both get back with great times. Any second they should be calling my name. "Cortney and Emma you may enter the arena." "Yes! Emma we get to go together!" I said to Emma we both just smiled. She walked in to lane one and i followed behind her and entered lane 2. I can smell the hott dogs on the grill and I can hear, from the crowd, people yelling, cheering, and screaming for Emma and me. "You have a green light," Dan said into the michrophone. We both are facing te gate and ready to turn around. "Ready," I said "GO!" Emma shouted happily. We both turned around and were running as fast as we could go, when I say me I mean the horses. Im just about to come up to he first flag. I grab the flag at a dead sprint. By now im almost to the second barrel. I look to my left to see how Emma is doing and she is right behind me. I am at the barrel. I droped the red flag in the blue/silver barrel, curve Cisco's body around the barrel and grab teh green flag. Now Im galloping back to the first barrel. Imhalf way there and Emma just grabbed the red flag. What happened between when I grabbed and green flag and now? I have no idea. Emma grabs the green flag and is on her way home. Im bout one milisecond away from te first barrel. "Yes" I thought to myself. I stuck the flag right into the barrel better than anyone I have seen before. I came back with a 12.579 and right behind me came Emma with a 13.999. I walk Cisco out of the arena and waited for Emma to come and walk Foxy up to the trailer along with Cisco and I. I feed and water Cisco. "OMG EMMA. I hear syrins soming and I see an ambulance driving onto teh arena!" "EMMA, do you kno who was suposed to go after us?!?"