Black Spider

Black  Spider !

By Tom Leftwich

Copyright © 2015   By  Author :

Tom Leftwich

All rights reserved.

ISBN  978-1-365-23200-8

LuLu  Publisher ID 19031204

Printed in the United States of America.

Introduction:

This is my attempt at providing a true to life love story which illustrates the friendships , loves and compassions that I can still appreciate in today’s hectic life styles . Thankfully these characteristics can  be found among my friends for each other, their families, and for the animals they love. I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did the writing.

Forward:

This novel gives you a realistic look into the magic, excitement and just plain luck that is all part of a Champion Contestant’s Rodeo life. It also includes the normal everyday lives of these same Championship Winning Contestants whose bad choices, failures and problems are no different than those in any other profession. If rodeo performance  skills are lost, there are other opportunities for work and a satisfactory life in other occupations.  Standing out in stark and cruel contrast to human lives though, is the terminal nature of Rodeo Rough Stock and it’s predestined end when it’s performance is no longer satisfactory. There is very little chance for rehabilitation in another capacity for Bucking horses. A Slaughter House or a bullet is waiting. This story centers around the broken hearts and broken lives of two Rodeo Contestants that were  former sweethearts. They are reacquainted and their romance rekindled through their attachment and love for an old crippled Champion Bucking Horse. Black Spider!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to good friends, Mike and Susie Roberts ,  Out of the Box Ministries Pastors of the Cowboy Church in Red Bluff, Ca. Their support and encouragement inspired me to write this story. as an illustration of a new life made possible through  love and friendship .

Table of Contents

Chapter 1  Calgary Stampede

Chapter 2   Tucson Ranch

Chapter 3  Slaughter House Rescue

Chapter 4 Heart Attack

Chapter 5   Spider Elopes

Chapter 6   Oh My God! Colic

Chapter 7   Red Angus Bull

Chapter 8   Cattle Rustler

Chapter 9   Rodeo Job

Chapter 10 Big Wedding Plans

Chapter 11 The Bo Argument

Chapter 12 No Wedding

Chapter 13 Fort Bend Rodeo

Chapter 14 Texas White Lightening

Chapter 15 A.J., Bet and Tv

Chapter 16 Spider’s Buckboard

Chapter 17 The Lawyer

Chapter 18  Will You Marry Me

Epilogue:

Chapter  1 The Calgary Stampede

Jim Dorcey World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider. Yeah that’s what the Belt buckle said . Damn ! he said to himself , How many long years ago was that? He couldn’t remember.  Couldn’t a been that many. Hell I’m only forty years old. There’s still plenty cowboys making a living at my age Rodeo riding ! Jim knew he was lying to himself, but What the heck? he said out loud. I just took first money in that Austin Roundup at the Fair Ground. Yeah, I know it was mostly amateur, but $700 is good money for two rides. Jim was talking to himself as he drove north. His old bones had taken a beating and he hurt most every where, but the thrill and the adrenalin high from busting outta the chute on a bull or a bronc just couldn’t be beat by anything else.

One more Rodeo. Just one more and I’ll hang it up. These words were familiar. How many times had he made that statement? He couldn’t even remember. Now he had a plan though. He was headed up into Canada for the Great Calgary Stampede. They were offering $10,000 dollars to anyone that could make a qualified  ride on Black Spider the Champion Saddle Bronc of four years running and still undefeated. It was rare to find a Stallion in the rough stock herd, but Black Spider was an exception and because of his ability and reputation he was worth the extra cost of stabling. Jim wasn’t too sure about that undefeated claim, but there hadn’t been anyone saying it wasn’t so. He had too many dealings with crooked Rough Stock Contractors and unfortunately, he had some bad memories in dealing with the Collins outfit that owned Black Spider.

Jim had a big score to settle with ol’Spider. Three times he’d tried him when he was included in the Saddle Bronc draw and three times he’d lost the battle. On  his last wild ride, disqualified for touching his saddle with his free hand. Spider had a wild spin and a tremendous rearing high dive reversing direction that was almost impossible to ride. His arguing with the officials was no good. To Jim’s knowledge , he was the only rider that ever made the full eight seconds without getting thrown. His last attempt in Denver had cost him dearly though. Spider had evaded the pick up man taking Jim right into the fence slamming his knee and breaking a bone. Jim lost the rest of the season nursing a broken leg. Yeah! He had a score to settle with ol’ Spider and he thought he had figured out a way to beat the ol’son. He’d have to cheat a little but with a little luck and the spectator crowd behind him , he just might pull it off. It was worth a try!

Two days later and here he is at the big Stampede Park and located a room at the Days Inn just a short way down the road. Most of the Cowboys not in the high earning bracket grabbed the cheaper rooms like he did. The Calgary Stampede was an annual event that lasted for ten days with tournament style Rodeo competition. Jim was gonna risk half of his last rodeo earnings in an attempt to ride Spider, and win that $10,000. Spider’s reputation had grown to almost supernatural abilities. An undefeated saddle bronc was unheard of.

Jim suspected that AJ Collins, the stock contractor and owner of Spider was being very careful as to whom he accepted to try riding in the Rodeos. One good eight second ride and there goes that $10,000; not to mention an end to  a crowd drawing, good paying, unbeaten Champion. AJ had quickly retired Spider and made a good payday at all of the big shows with his big prize money. As a Stallion, Spider was not included in any of the Rodeo stock . He was a star attraction and was only ridden for performance. Almost every special event around the country used his reputation to draw a crowd. Many politicians in the Western states recognized his star drawing power and included Rodeo skill demonstrations as a drawing card for their Rallies. A featured performance of Black Spider was always included.

All kinds of amateurs were willing to pay up the $350 for attempting Ol’Spider  just for the thrill. The Stampede had him scheduled for five rides during the ten day event and Jim had been accepted as Jimmy Dorcey amateur performer. Jim knew that no one in the current list of riders would recognize him by that name. Around the circuit he had always been known as Buck Dorcey. Jim’s attempted ride was scheduled for the big afternoon show on July 4th. There would be an oversized noisy crowd and he knew if he made the ride regardless of any slight infraction , they would have to award him the big money prize. His biggest concern was , Would his plan work and was he still a good enough rider to pull it off?

It had been three long years since he’d had that leg injured and rodeo luck had really deserted him  the last two years. Some of the entry fees were too much for his pocket book and he couldn’t seem to get good horses in the draw. What he didn’t acknowledge was the fact that his showmanship ability and Devil may care riding techniques that always brought high scores had faded with age and injury. Judges saw him as an average performer and scored him accordingly. He forgot a cardinal rule for Saddle Broncs. Always put on a money ride even when you draw a dog, and don’t let your performance show your disappointment in your horse.

Jim figured that this might be his last chance for a good Rodeo payday for this year. If he didn’t make it, then  truck driving or farm laborer work was where he was headed. He had Bills to pay. 

A hundred times he went over in his mind how to defeat ol’Spider. He had studied this horse  a number of times in films and many rodeos . He always performed the same route because  it worked !, So ol’Spider had pretty well trained himself . Three leaps to the left outta the box and a high jump clearing the ground and  rearing nearly vertical as he made a tremendous leap then a quick jack knife, burying his head almost in the dirt as he hit the ground. This tremendous jarring  hit usually threw his rider forward over the saddle swells and in a perfect position for ol‘Spider to spin right and dump his rider.

Twice before Jim had eaten arena dirt in just that manner. Most of the riders didn’t get that far. They feared his high dangerous life threatening rearing and possibly falling over backwards. They were usually on the ground  just outta the gate. Jim had determined that most riders lost the fight before they left the chute.

His plan was really pretty simple. First he’d allow himself an extra few inches on that bucking rein so he didn’t get jerked forward when Spider put his head in the dirt and secondly he had sharpened his right spur to sharp points and hopefully he could surprise Spider with some really painful work on that right shoulder when he made his high dive causing the horse to continue his spin left. Jim was betting his bank roll and future on making a ride on Black Spider. Hopefully those sharp spurs wouldn’t draw enough blood to be noticeable and he could get his payday before AJ figured out what had happened.

Four days into the Stampede and Jim was a nervous wreck. A rank amateur cowboy from Toronto had almost made a ride on Spider. Thankfully ol’Spider had not disappointed. His high dive and spin had sent his rider flying at the six second mark. Jim knew that if he could weather that rearing bounce and dive, his spurs would hopefully put Spider into a full left spin which would easily eat up the remaining two seconds.

Jim’s excitement level was increasing. Today was his turn and he went to take a look at Spider in his private Stallion stall. Jim was thinking out loud and said, Ol’ Son you shore don’t look like much, but I know how much dynamite is packed in that devil black hide of yours! Spider turned a quick head and looked Jim straight in the eye. Jim was startled by the horse’s action and felt a sense of guilt as he looked Spider over.

Yes , it was Black Spider all right. He carried that C6 brand on his left hip. Jim felt a kinda weird friendship for the horse and a little guilty about what he planned to try and defeat him. Telling himself, Hell! He laid you up for pretty much a whole season and twice cost you top money. It’s your turn now Jim! That $10,000 will pay off that little spread of yours and allow you to get away from totally killing yourself in Rodeos.

Ten years earlier when Jim was in the money , he had bought a small ranch in the foothills north of Tucson, Arizona. Almost every dollar he could make had been put into paying off his mortgage.  He still owed $4400 , but if he won that big prize money; his worries were over. He could settle back and raise a few cows, pick up a part time job, and only visit the rodeos as a spectator.

He realized that any kind of injury like his broken leg of three years ago would ruin him  and cost him his Ranch. He’d been lucky at that time and was far enough ahead in payments to hold his Ranch. Today was different. He was two months overdue . $4400 dollars wasn’t a whole lot of money and he knew he could sell his equity and come out OK, but he’d looked long and hard to find just the right place and he didn’t want to lose what he considered his home.

Thank  God ! He was thinking , I don’t have a family to worry about. Had a number of girl friends over the years but never been tied down. Came close to asking a number of times, but thanks to luck, came away single. Now all I gotta worry about is this forty year old broken down bronc rider.

Jim was musing these thoughts over as he joined the group of cowboy contestants in the chute area. He had dyed his hair and beard to appear younger and purposely bought bright rookie looking shirts and boots. Anyone would take him for a  real wanna be Bronc rider. His outfit was perfect for AJ’s crew. Jim figured that he was just what the doctor ordered for a 4th of July exhibition of ol’Spider cart wheeling a fancy dressed Cowboy into the dirt.

While he was waiting