Stallions and Studs: Reining In Rio

Chapter 2

Reining In Rio

By Terry O’Reilly

“Well, what did you think of him?” Rio Cody asked as he pulled up a chair and joined the owners and staff for dinner in the Chuck Wagon Restaurant on the Stallions and Studs gay dude ranch.

“He’s really well muscled,” Wade Connors said.

“Who is?” asked Charlie Bradley, Wade’s partner, who arrived at the table just after Rio.

“Yeah,” Mack MacIntyre agreed, ignoring Charlie’s question. “Deep chest and nice full butt.”

“Is he going to be a guest here at the ranch? New guy on staff?” Charlie asked as he sat down.

“Bet he rides real sweet,” Lex said.

“He does, he does indeed, real smooth,” Rio agreed.

Charlie looked around the group. “Who the hell are you guys talking about?”

“Bidin’ My Time,” Rio said.

“Bidin’ My Time?” Charlie questioned, looking and sounding confused.

The cowboys laughed.

“What?” Charlie asked, looking around at the men.

“Leave it to my tenderfoot boyfriend. Thinks we’re talkin’ about a man.” Wade put an arm around Charlie’s waist and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Bidin’ My Time is a horse.”

“A horse?”

Charlie still looked perplexed.

“Don’t you let these yahoos put ya down,” Seth Buchanan said, coming to Charlie’s defense. “You had no way a knowin’ we were discussin’ a horse Rio brought in today.”

“I’m glad y’all liked him,” Rio said. “I think I’m gonna buy him.”

That afternoon, Rio had shown off the stallion he was thinking of buying to Mack and Seth. Wade, Sonny Hammill, Trent Boxwood, and Lex Cunningham, who all worked the riding programs at the ranch, had also been present. The horse was a three-year-old gray Quarter Horse stallion.

“What ya gonna do with him?” Trent asked. “Ya got three rodeo horses now.”

“He’s a registered quarter. I’m gonna train him up and show him on the Quarter Horse circuit this winter down in Texas.”

“They don’t do rodeo on the Quarter Horse circuit,” Seth said.

“What ya gonna do, show him Western Pleasure? What fun is that? Ridin’ around the pen at the speed of a snail?” Lex asked.

“I’m gonna train him as a reiner,” Rio said enthusiastically.

“A reiner? What do you know about reinin’ horses?” Wade asked.

“Nothin’.” Rio shrugged. “But I know horses and how to train ‘em. That reinin’ stuff sure looks fun to me. I can get what I need to know off the Internet. Can’t be all that different then trainin’ a cuttin’ horse or barrel racer. “

“What’s reining?” Charlie asked.

“Reinin’ is a series of patterns where you lope circles at different speeds, change directions on a dime, and do slidin’ stops, spins, and such,” Rio said. “Takes a lot of skill for both the rider and the horse. Ain’t no Sunday ride in the park!”

Trent added his two cents. “I heard them Quarter Horse folks is real snooty. Like their s**t don’t stink. Think their way a ridin’ is gospel. They ain’t very social with outsiders.”

“Hold on there, boys,” Mack said. “Don’t go judgin’ what ya don’t know for certain. I’m sure folks outside the rodeo circuit think we’re a bit stuck on ourselves as well.”

Most of the staff of Stallions and Studs rode rodeo during the off season. In fact Lex and Trent were fresh off the circuit.

“Well, anyway, I ain’t goin’ to the Quarter Horse shows to socialize,” Rio added. “I’m goin’ to compete.”

“Rio not goin’ to socialize?” Wade teased with a laugh. “That’s like saying I’m gonna turn this cow out on pasture but it won’t be grazin.”

The group joined Wade’s laughter.

“Screw you,” Rio said good-naturedly. “I can keep ma c**k in ma pants if I put a mind to it.”

“It’s just ya don’t put your mind to it that often,” Lex added.

Just then, Cookie arrived at the table, aided by one of the staff with trays loaded with food. The cowboys’ conversations turned to other topics as they dug into their meal.

* * * *

The next day, Rio was riding Bidin’ My Time in the lesson arena. Lex was at the fence, right foot on the bottom rung, watching. Rio was loping in circles, one fast, one slow. After working on the exercise for several minutes in both directions he rode over to where Lex stood.

“Well, what do ya think?”

“Pretty nice mover, agile, quick. He’d make a nice cuttin’ horse for sure,” Lex replied.

“That he would. Maybe I’ll train him to do both. I think he’s got the mind for it. They do cuttin’ on the Quarter circuit.”

“Why don’t you skip the reignin’ and just do the cuttin’ then, if it’s ridin’ Quarter Horse is what you’re interested in?”

Rio reached down and patted the stallion. “I been cuttin’ cows all ma life I need me a challenge, somethin’ I never done before.”

“Stickin’ with one man’s somethin’ you never done before. That’d be a challenge for ya,” Lex said.

Rio shook his head and smiled. “You don’t give up do ya? You and Trent been together, what? Just a little over a year? Still on that honeymoon are ya? And all fired sure that a life attached at the hip to one man is the only way to go?”

Lex blushed, lowered his head, and pushed the dirt around with the toe of his boot.

“I guess I do get a little preachy about life with one guy.”

“Yeah ya do,” Rio said.

“But me and Trent—it sure is good. You’re our friend. Ya helped bring us together. I guess I just want ya to have what we have.”

“I appreciate your concern. But I’m doin’ just fine the way I am.” Rio swung down off the horse and led him to the gate.

Lex walked over and opened the gate for them. They walked back to the barn.

“What did you say his name was again?” Lex asked.

“Bidin’ My Time,” Rio replied. “I ain’t gived him a barn name yet.”

“Well, Bidin’ My Time sure fits. Just like you—bidin’ your time about finding a good man to settle down with.”

Rio shot him a look.

“Sorry. What are ya gonna call him?”

“Hadn’t thought much about it. I’ll wait until he’s mine.”

“When’ll that be?”

Rio led the horse into the wash stall, took off his bridle, put on a halter, and attached the crossties. “Tomorrow. The owner’s coming around ten.”

Sonny came out of the tack room. “Hi, guys. Sure is one nice stud.”

“Who ya talkin’ about? Me, or ma horse?” Rio asked as he took the saddle from the stallion’s back.

“What do you think?” Sonny shot back with a grin. “Here, let me take that for ya.” He took the saddle and headed back into the tack room.

“You and Sonny seem to be gettin’ on okay,” Lex said.

“Like I said, ya never give up do ya?” Rio laughed and smacked Lex on the back of the head, pushing the man’s hat forward.

* * * *

Mack and Seth sat on the wide porch of the dude ranch’s hotel, The Bunkhouse. At their feet lay their two large labs, Caesar and Cleopatra.

Rio came up from the stable and sat with them. He checked his watch.

“That feller from Boise that owns the horse comin’ today?” Seth asked.

“Yep. And he’s a bit late.” Rio consulted his watch once again.

Just then, the dogs rose as one and trotted off toward the side of the hotel.

“Must be someone drivin’ in now,” Mack said.

Rio got up as a black Silverado pulled around to the front of The Bunkhouse. The truck door opened and a tall, slender man looking to be in his mid-fifties got out.

Rio walked off the porch and up to the man, just as Caesar and Cleopatra, the latter carrying a stick in her mouth, came to offer their official welcome to Stallions and Studs.

The man bent down and ruffed both their heads and obliged Cleopatra with a toss of her stick, which she promptly retrieved.

“Nice to see you again, Rio,” the man said.

Mack and Seth joined Rio and the dogs.

Rio made the introductions. “Mr. Dawson, this is Mack MacIntyre and his partner, Seth Buchanan. They’re ma bosses. They own this place.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Dawson said, shaking each man’s hand in turn. “Nice place you have here. I’ve heard a lot about it.”

“All good I hope,” Seth said.

“Well, mostly. But folks do talk about the nature of the ranch, this being Idaho. Personally, I have no problem with it but there are those…well let’s just leave it at that.” Dawson turned to Rio. “Seems like you like Tinker pretty well?”

“Tinker?” Seth asked.

“Tinker’s the barn name I gave the stallion,” Dawson said with a smile.

The three cowboys exchanged glances.

“Ah…yeah. I liked him pretty good,” Rio said.

“Go on in and you two can finish your business in the lounge off the lobby. We don’t open for a couple more weeks so ya’ll not be disturbed,” Mack said.

Mack, Seth, and the dogs retired back to the porch while Rio and Dawson went inside. They made their way to the spacious guest lounge and took seats at a large, roughhewn wooden table.

Dawson opened his briefcase, took out some papers, and laid them on the table. “This is Tinker’s registration, here’s the vet’s health certificate verifying his soundness, and this is the transfer of ownership form.”

Rio took the papers one at a time and looked them over. “Sure is a bit more complicated than buyin’ a grade horse.”

Dawson smiled. “There are a lot of good unregistered horses out there but if you want to show at Quarter Horse shows you have to have papers to prove your horse really is a Quarter. With grades you can never be sure of the breeding. Folk’s will swear they’re pure Quarter Horse but you can’t be certain.”

Rio sighed. “Okay, what do I gotta do?”

“Look over his registration and verify that the horse I’m selling you matches his description on the form. Then sign the vet certificate indicating you accept his report and wave any claim against me for undisclosed preexisting conditions. After that, you can give me a check and we fill out the transfer papers.”

Rio looked at the papers. He read them carefully. He signed the soundness waiver. He’d had the ranch’s vet check over the horse and his findings concurred with those of Dawson’s veterinarian.

“Everthin’ looks fine,” Rio said. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled check. “I gave Seth the cash and he made out a check from the ranch. That okay?”

“That’s fine.” Dawson took the check, flattened it, and filled out a bill of sale. He handed that and the transfer form back to Rio. “Just fill this out. I’ll sign and we’ll send it to AQHA with his registration. You’ll get it back in about two weeks. Your name will be at the bottom as Tinker’s new owner.”

Rio began to fill out the form then stopped and looked up at Dawson. “It says to put down your AQHA member number. I don’t have one.”

“That’s not a problem. You just fill out this membership form.” Dawson reached in his briefcase and pulled out yet another paper. “Send it in with the other papers along with the fifty-five dollar membership fee. They’ll issue you a member number and fill it in on the transfer form.”

Rio was beginning to wonder if owning a Quarter Horse was worth all this hassle.

“I’ll have to get Seth to make me out another check. I don’t have no checkin’ account.”

“That’s fine. I’ll leave his registration with you and you can send it and the transfer form in whenever you want to. Can I see Tinker one last time before I go? Tinker was a pretty special foal.”

“Sure.”

The two men came out of the hotel and nodded to Seth and Mack, who were still sitting on the porch with the dogs.

“We’re goin’ to the stable. Mr. Dawson wants to say goodbye to his horse,” Rio said. “And, I’m gonna need me another check for the Quarter Horse Association. I guess I gotta be a member.”

“That’s fine,” Seth said. “We can take care of that later.”

Rio and Dawson walked off the porch. Caesar and Cleopatra got up and followed them.

As they walked along, Rio pointed out the various facilities. Dawson seemed to be very impressed with the quality of the dude ranch. Rio wondered what Dawson would think if he were here when the guests arrived—especially when they passed the pool area where clothing was optional.