Page 124 of Worth the Fall
I felt a rush of pride in my heart, flooding my body. Everyone here was cheering for my dad! I knew he was a good rider, but I didn’t know he was that good!
“He’s matched up tonight against theWidowmaker! A horse that has a reputation for tossing even the greatest cowboys down on their backs. Is Clay Ford ready? Is theWidowmakerready? Gate man, give him what he asked for!”
Daddy gave a single sharp nod to the gate, and it was thrown open.
I leaned forward, desperate not to miss a single second.
His hand was raised high, his feet up at the horse’s shoulders, and he was bouncing just in time with the jumps. It was a perfect ride, despite the horse bucking and spinning wilder than anything I’d ever seen.
I was practically leaning over the fence, cheering as loud as I could for my dad.
If he got a good score from this ride, we would all get to go to Vegas with him for the finals in December! I could hardly believe it. Even Mom had started talking about buying a new dress for it.
The announcer’s voice was a rhythmic boom, vibrating the metal of the fence I was perched on.
“He’s got him timed, Texas. Give him the boost he needs to finish this ride! Three…two…one…”
The whistle screamed.
“EIGHT SECONDS! Mark him high, judges. That is the ride of the weekend!”
I was cheering so hard my throat was starting to ache.
Daddy’s face looked up at the thousands of people screaming for him. He was soaking it all in, the biggest smile I’d ever seen growing on his face.
He turned back to look over his shoulder, looking for me.
I waved enthusiastically to catch his attention.
He reached down to pull his hand from the rigging.
“WOAH WATCH OUT!”
The horse didn’t stop when the whistle had blown. Just as Daddy’s hand was pulled from the rope, the horse planted its front legs and whipped its hindquarters in a violent, jagged spin.
I screamed.
Daddy was weightless.
He was tossed off the horse, landing like a sack of grain, flat on his back in the center of the arena.
“Daddy, get up!” I shrieked.
The horse slammed his legs down.
I heard the wet, sickening crunch as the hoof landed on his chest.
“Daddy!” I wailed.
The horse’s hoof drove directly into the blue pearl-snap shirt I had just told him looked good.
The stadium wasn’t just silent, it was hollow.
I was on the top of the fence.
The pickup men had finally caught hold of the wild horse and were dragging it back to the chutes.
I could hear the ambulance’s siren, the murmuring of the crowd, but I pushed it all away. I needed to get to my daddy.
