Stumpy’s neck, chewing on a piece of straw. When Jimmy saw Jody and Mary approaching the
ring, he turned and smirked at them.
“I guess you think you’re movie stars now,” he snorted.
Mary and Jody chose to ignore this statement by striding past Jimmy to the gate to await Willie’s instructions.
“You girls can go on in, but stay on the far side of the ring and be quiet around those other horses. Go ahead and mount up,
and walk on the rail and get Lady and Gypsy warmed up.”
“But, Willie, where are the other riders?” Jody asked, looking around as she tightened Lady’s cinch.
“They ain’t here yet,” Willie replied as if Jody should have known. “We got to get these horses warmed up and ready to ride
before they get here. Their call time ain’t ’til seven o’clock.”Willie replied.
“Seven o’clock? But that’s almost an hour away!” Mary grumbled.
“What’s the matter, didja have to get up too early?” Jimmy sneered from just outside the ring, where he had quickly placed
himself the moment Mary and Jody entered the gate.
“Don’t you have to go milk the cows or something?” Mary retorted, swinging her leg over Gypsy’s back.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. Some people have to do a little work around here.” Before Mary could open her mouth in reply,
he turned and was gone.
By the time the other riders arrived at the ring, Lady and Gypsy were thoroughly warmed up, and the crew had set up the camera
and other equipment, being very careful not to spook the horses. Augie, Hoppy, and Shalimar stood next to Twister and Willie,
lazily switching their tails at flies, ready for the first shot. The three actors, two girls and a boy, and Annie Mooney,
the alternate, bided their time outside the ring, awaiting Willie’s instruction. But before addressing the group, Willie approached
Mary and Jody, tugging on his earlobe once again.
“What now, Willie?” Jody asked. “You look worried about something.”
“Well, I’m just gettin’ an idea,” he said. The girls waited patiently to hear what the idea might be, but Willie said nothing.
Finally Mary spoke up.
“What kind of idea, Willie?”
“Well, I’m thinkin’ it might be best for the scene if you two girls rode these new horses and let a couple of the others ride
Lady and Gypsy,” he said.
Mary and Jody were dumbfounded for an instant, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
“Now, shut yer mouths, yer catchin’ flies,” Willie said, repeating one of Twister’s favorite phrases. “The point is, I know
for a fact that Lady and Gypsy will behave themselves, and I’m fairly certain these new horses will too. But I know you girls
could handle it if one of them decides to act up a little. I don’t know enough about these other riders to know if they could
handle any horse problems.”
Mary and Jody closed their mouths and looked at each other, suddenly feeling very proud that Willie had so much confidence
in them.
“Well, Willie, if you think that’s best, we can ride the new horses,” Mary volunteered.
“Oh, Willie, can I ride Shalimar?” Jody pleaded. “I think she likes me.”
“I’ll ride Hoppy!” Mary fairly shouted. In their excitement, they almost forgot to be upset about other riders handling Lady
and Gypsy.
“Well, that didn’t take much talkin’ into,” Willie mumbled to Twister. He didn’t mention the other reason for switching horses.
The movie scene called for riders taking their first few riding lessons on horses they hadn’t ridden before, and he thought
that Mary and Jody would look much too comfortable on their own ponies.
“Well, then, I reckon those two horses would be a good fit for you two,” Willie agreed. “Now let’s get started.” Willie and
Twister turned to the group by the rail. “You kids can come on in,” Twister instructed, “except Annie, if you don’t mind,
stay just outside the gate and listen.”
Annie, who was
ring, he turned and smirked at them.
“I guess you think you’re movie stars now,” he snorted.
Mary and Jody chose to ignore this statement by striding past Jimmy to the gate to await Willie’s instructions.
“You girls can go on in, but stay on the far side of the ring and be quiet around those other horses. Go ahead and mount up,
and walk on the rail and get Lady and Gypsy warmed up.”
“But, Willie, where are the other riders?” Jody asked, looking around as she tightened Lady’s cinch.
“They ain’t here yet,” Willie replied as if Jody should have known. “We got to get these horses warmed up and ready to ride
before they get here. Their call time ain’t ’til seven o’clock.”Willie replied.
“Seven o’clock? But that’s almost an hour away!” Mary grumbled.
“What’s the matter, didja have to get up too early?” Jimmy sneered from just outside the ring, where he had quickly placed
himself the moment Mary and Jody entered the gate.
“Don’t you have to go milk the cows or something?” Mary retorted, swinging her leg over Gypsy’s back.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. Some people have to do a little work around here.” Before Mary could open her mouth in reply,
he turned and was gone.
By the time the other riders arrived at the ring, Lady and Gypsy were thoroughly warmed up, and the crew had set up the camera
and other equipment, being very careful not to spook the horses. Augie, Hoppy, and Shalimar stood next to Twister and Willie,
lazily switching their tails at flies, ready for the first shot. The three actors, two girls and a boy, and Annie Mooney,
the alternate, bided their time outside the ring, awaiting Willie’s instruction. But before addressing the group, Willie approached
Mary and Jody, tugging on his earlobe once again.
“What now, Willie?” Jody asked. “You look worried about something.”
“Well, I’m just gettin’ an idea,” he said. The girls waited patiently to hear what the idea might be, but Willie said nothing.
Finally Mary spoke up.
“What kind of idea, Willie?”
“Well, I’m thinkin’ it might be best for the scene if you two girls rode these new horses and let a couple of the others ride
Lady and Gypsy,” he said.
Mary and Jody were dumbfounded for an instant, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
“Now, shut yer mouths, yer catchin’ flies,” Willie said, repeating one of Twister’s favorite phrases. “The point is, I know
for a fact that Lady and Gypsy will behave themselves, and I’m fairly certain these new horses will too. But I know you girls
could handle it if one of them decides to act up a little. I don’t know enough about these other riders to know if they could
handle any horse problems.”
Mary and Jody closed their mouths and looked at each other, suddenly feeling very proud that Willie had so much confidence
in them.
“Well, Willie, if you think that’s best, we can ride the new horses,” Mary volunteered.
“Oh, Willie, can I ride Shalimar?” Jody pleaded. “I think she likes me.”
“I’ll ride Hoppy!” Mary fairly shouted. In their excitement, they almost forgot to be upset about other riders handling Lady
and Gypsy.
“Well, that didn’t take much talkin’ into,” Willie mumbled to Twister. He didn’t mention the other reason for switching horses.
The movie scene called for riders taking their first few riding lessons on horses they hadn’t ridden before, and he thought
that Mary and Jody would look much too comfortable on their own ponies.
“Well, then, I reckon those two horses would be a good fit for you two,” Willie agreed. “Now let’s get started.” Willie and
Twister turned to the group by the rail. “You kids can come on in,” Twister instructed, “except Annie, if you don’t mind,
stay just outside the gate and listen.”
Annie, who was
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