"The Mid Day Sun"

by

Greg Kelsey

This action packed western piece comes straight from a scene Greg participated in while doctoring cattle several summers ago on his father-in-law's cattle permit in Southwestern Colorado.

 When the cattle ship in from lower elevations and warmer weather of Mexico or Texas to the much cooler early summer permits in the Rockies they often fall sick and require a little tending to. Once the cattle are loose on the permits the doctoring has to be done cowboy style - by old fashioned pasture roping.

On this particular day, one of Greg's buddies, Dason Kremer, had headed a steer and had it hanging on the end of his rope when his horse, Baldie, decided he wasn't up for any amount of sweet bedside manner. Baldie was a Top Moon III colt, bred for the track and had a lot of fire.  He went to bucking, as he was known to do. He looked like he was tied off to an anchor as he hung in the air with that steer tied on behind him. The steer hunkered down, not up to much fun, dragging his rear in the dirt with each jump Baldie made. Baldie didn't give in either, and worked every once of stretch out of that rope. He kept bucking counterclockwise, in the rope, putting the tension on Dason and raking him off the left side.

There are a few things Dason knows well, and how to ride it one of them. He was practically born on a horse.  Well, he weathered the storm ole Baldie sent his way with seldom seen finesse. He never lost his left stirrup or his dally, for that matter. The scene was branded into Greg's memory.  He still recounts the story and remembers how Dason handled it all just right.