Sometimes there is more to a story, I’ll try to tell this one without rambling more than normal. We have been friends with the Encinias family (Jill, Eric, Nora, and Brody) for a very long time. Brody and Macklee have known each other their entire lives. Macklee has been begging to team rope for several years. We finally agreed, on two conditions. She had to use a horse we owned already, and she would have to quit team roping, if it started to mess with her breakaway roping. So, we loaded up Luke and headed to the Encinias’ to start team roping.

We bought Luke for Macklee when she was little. Macklee never did like him. He has so much speed, but he has no desire to use it. So, he became David’s ranch pony and one of his favorite horses, ever. Dalli rode him for her first couple of years of high school rodeo, in the barrels, poles and goats! Now we can add team roping to his resume. It appears he may have turned a steer or two? In the less than 3 months, Macklee and Luke have made a pretty good team, I think she even likes him a little now!

Next, was the search for a heeler, I asked around and couldn’t find one. However, Macklee and her friend Brody had it all planned out. He would be her heeler. There was only one small problem, convincing Jill and Eric. They teamed up and literally wore them down. We were all surprised when they really agreed! Jill had one condition of her own, they had to practice.

Brody’s mare Dally happens to be a real pill, biting and kicking when saddling her, overall awful ground manners. On more than one occasion there has been a little confusion when my Dalli has been at their house. Once my Dalli even overheard Jill discussing how awful Dally (the horse) was, not realizing she was talking about the horse! Friday afternoon, as we were hanging out in Artesia, Dally (the horse) began to colic. Up down, up down, it was mild at first and improved with minor treatment. Improvement was short lived and in the middle of the breakaway jackpot, the violent rolling began.

Many thanks to all the friends that helped however they could. Some made calls and found us more fluids and bigger iv tubing and ran to pick them up. The men folk told stories and kept us company. Others sent me Macklee’s breakaway videos. After all the fluids, she was no better. We gave her more pain meds and Jill and Eric decided to take her off the fairgrounds in case she didn’t make it through the night.

Dally did make it through the night! By the time the team roping came around she was back to normal. Macklee convinced Brody to saddle Luke for her prior to the team roping (this is very typical of a Cain girl!) and the rest is history! The team roping average buckle would have great by itself, but even sweeter with your friend, on a horse that had a very rough night! We are all a little superstitious and will hopefully not repeat the colic at the next rodeo, but we may keep the tradition of Brody saddling Luke?!