New chapter! And, just in case, if any of you do not know want the NFR is, it's the national finals rodeo in Vegas.

"HUSTLE!" kai screamed. Nya was running the barrel pattern in their arena.

The barrel pattern was basically running your horse in a clover-leaf pattern, two lefts and a right or two rights and a left. You try to run each of the barrels tight to get back as fast as you can to win. But if you knock a barrel over, a penalty of five seconds. Times were usually around sixteen seconds.

Nya blasted out of the gate on ballerina, and took a right. She went around the first barrel and dashed to the second. The horse bumped the barrel, but it stayed standing. Nya finished by running to the third barrel, but she took it too tight and knocked it over. Nya ran Ballerina back and turned to Zane, who had been leaning on the fence.

"My first barrel was perfect, but I took the second and third too tight. What was the time?" she said quickly.

Zane glanced at his watch. "17.657, plus five."

Nya sighed. "That's not good enough. I've got to keep training."

Jay walked up and leaned on the fence next to Zane. He laughed and looked up at nya.

"You're gonna have to wait for Lloyd." He smiled. Nya looked across the arena to see Lloyd kicking the heck out of Luigi, who payed no mind to it. They went at a quick trot around the first barrel and the same at the second and third. When they came back, Lloyd stopped by Zane.

"How fast were we?" he asked eagerly.

"16.274. You beat nya!" Zane smiled.

"Yes! See, nya, I told you we could kick your butt!" Lloyd cheered and trotted Luigi away.

When Lloyd was out of earshot, kai walked up to jay and Zane.

"How long was it really?" he asked.

"1 minute and 29 seconds, but he can cheat a little." Zane replied.

The three watched as nya ran the pattern again, but this time, it was flawless.

"Great job, nya!" jay called. He sighed and stared at her. Those beautiful eyes! He thought. And her hair flowing behind her. That is one hot cowgirl… Zane interrupted his thoughts.

"I've got to go; I've got some jumping to do. This winter got Titanium F-A-T. He needs to be exercised." Zane left and jay shifted too.

"I promised Lloyd that he could help me polish the silver on our good tack."

"Okay," kai called after him. He glanced at his watch, remembering that he had a lesson with some city kid that wanted to be a cowboy… fat chance… he thought. Well, I better get to work tacking Jackie. Kai left also, and headed to the barn.

When kai strolled in, he walked past Zane and Titanium. He nodded his head at them and kept walking.

Cole was roping a dummy calf when kai passed him. He sighed when cole got it right over the dummy's head. He walked past the tack-room, where Lloyd was blabbering on about something, and jay couldn't even get a word in .kai laughed and grabbed a stray lead-rope off of a hook and walked past Poco's stall.

"Hey, you." Kai rubbed her head and she rubbed her soft lips against his hand, looking for treats. Kai laughed and came up to Jackie's stall.

"Hi, silly girl." Kai reached out to stroke her flank. Jackie had somehow gotten underneath her jolly ball, her toy that hung in the stall. Kai traced her goose-shaped marking with his hand, like he had done many times. He looped the lead rope around the horse's neck and led her out of the stall.

"c'mon!" he clucked at her and she lumbered lazily alongside him. Kai tied her to a post and went to the tack-room for her saddle and bit. When Lloyd saw him lift them off of the racks, he jumped up.

"Can I help?" he said eagerly.

Kai rolled his eyes playfully and groaned loudly. "Do you have to?" he whined. Lloyd laughed and grabbed Jackie's bit.

"Let's go!" he giggled and ran off. Kai turned to jay.

"How do you handle him?" he asked.

Jay shrugged. "He's a handful, but a lot of fun." Kai left the tack room and put the tack next to Jackie on the ground. From where she was tied, there was a clear view of Zane practicing.

"Wow, he's good!" Lloyd cried as Zane and Titanium leaped flawlessly through the keyhole jump.

Kai stopped to watch too. Lloyd was right, Zane was good! The two stared as Zane finished with a triple oxer.

Zane turned to them when they started clapping. Zane pretended to be a highly distinguished rider, and pulled his face up into an arrogant sneer and waved with little flicks of his wrist.

Lloyd laughed, but then screamed, "LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!" he waved his arms frantically.

Zane yelled and Titanium reared up. You see, Titanium had a little spooking problem, and he freaked out at sudden movements. A little Walmart bag had floated by the horse's feet, spooking him.

Titanium bolted, and Zane, caught off guard, struggled to hold on. Titanium ran straight at a high jump and jumped it too late. The jump splintered, and Titanium and Zane fell to the ground. Dust hovered around them, blocking their view of the scene.

Lloyd made nothing but a little squeak sound, and kai turned to him.

"Stay right here with Jackie." He ordered. Lloyd nodded and clung to Jackie's shoulder.

Kai jumped the fence and ran across the small arena.

"damn-it…" he muttered as he sprinted across. When he neared the wreckage, he saw Zane sit up, sniffling.

"Zane! Oh my gosh, thank goodness you're okay." Kai leaned down next to him and Zane coughed. Zane crawled over to Titanium and rubbed him over.

"Damn-it, oh, damn-it!" Zane sobbed and leaned on top of his horse, who was struggling to breathe. Kai walked up, and sat down next to him and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Zane turned and sobbed on kai's shoulder.

"It's his legs, kai; both of the front ones- are broken!" Zane choked out.

Kai hugged Zane. "I'm- so sorry…" Zane just sobbed even louder.

Sorry, I said that this story was going to be silly, but I felt like I had to. Don't worry; Zane will be okay, but titanium- ehhhhhh, not so much…

p.s. I hated writing titanium's long name, but I couldn't find a suitable nickname. One ended up being a word that I'm not gonna say…