* * * *
A few hours later, Rio sat astride Zeus, waiting for his number to be called. Zeke stood beside him, his hand resting lightly on Rio’s thigh. Earlier in the day Zeke had worked with Rio on Zeus’ spins and sliding stops in the crowded warm-up pen.
This was a green reiner class. Horses in this class were showing in their first year of competition. Although it was the horses that were green, the riders weren’t necessarily so. They were mostly veteran cowboys giving their young horses some experience. Rio felt pretty calm this time around, even though he was new to reining. With this being his second reining class and having Zeke by his side, Rio felt more confident than he had the previous day. Being a seasoned rodeo rider, the playing field was made even more equal for Rio and his
