# Sundance - a story



## sparky (Dec 14, 2006)

This story is not finished yet. It changes from the girl's point of view to Sundances when, at the beginning of the chapter it says "Sundance's View". 

*Chapter 1 
The Auction* 

â€œWow,â€ Thought Meg. â€œThereâ€™s so many beautiful horses to choose from! Which will become mine?â€ Megan Elizabeth Jordan walked around the auction grounds, looking at all the horses, ponies, and foals. This was her first auction, and she was determined to get the perfect horse for herself. After all, how else would she spend all that money that was burning a hole in her pocket? â€œDad! Where are you?â€ Meg called. She saw a hand rise up in the bleaches from the stage, and then she knew they had a seat. So far, she had seen a cute little dun pony and a large bay horse, but those were the only two she saw as interesting. She decided to go over to the foal tent. â€œI love babies,â€ She thought. â€œMaybe Iâ€™ll buy one.â€ As she walked, she dreamed of owning the perfect foalâ€¦ it would be a light paint with splotches all over his bodyâ€¦ heâ€™d be a bit frisky, but not too crazyâ€¦ and most importantlyâ€¦ his name would be Sundance. Shaking herself free of this daydream, Meg found herself at the desk in front of the foal tent. â€œMay I help you?â€ The man asked. â€œWell, um, see, this is my first auction, and, um, I donâ€™t know, but do you sort the foals by breeds?â€ Meg stammered. â€œWhy, yes,â€ the man answered. â€œWhich breed are you looking for?â€ â€œPaints,â€ Meg answered. â€œPaints, please.â€ â€œOK then. Why donâ€™t you follow me? Iâ€™ll show you where they are.â€ 

Megan followed the man to the far end of the tent, where she saw so many darling paints, that she couldnâ€™t decide which to aim for at first! But then, she saw him. He stood a bit away from the herd, and he was PERFECT. He was just as she imagined in her daydream. Except he was a bit smaller and skinnier, but daddy would fatten him up. â€œGot your eye on the light pinto? Yup, heâ€™s a pretty one, and you should get a deal on him. Not many would buy a scrawny thing like him. You might evenâ€¦â€ The man went on and on, but Meg didnâ€™t hear him. She was too busy planning on this horse at her daddyâ€™s barn. 
Later, in the bleaches, Meg was sitting. Waiting. Waiting for her Sundance to come onstage. The man told her he was the very last of all of the foals. Meg could hardly sit still. She followed the bids on a palomino foal going up and up and upâ€¦ â€˜Till it finally stopped at $1500. â€œI hope Sundanceâ€™s doesnâ€™t go that high,â€ Meg thought. â€œIâ€™d have to borrow money from dad!â€ When Sundance finally got onstage, Meg was the first to bid. â€œ$150!â€ She called. All was silent for a moment. Then a â€œ$200!â€ From somewhere else in the crowd. It was from a boy, with a cowboy hat and jeans on. Meg immediately reacted with â€œ$215!â€ â€œ$220!â€ From the same boy. â€œ$225!â€ â€œ$250!â€ â€œ$350!â€ The boy was silent for a moment. He searched his pockets. â€œ$356.78!â€ He called. Meg shrugged and said â€œ$360!â€ Silence. The loud intercom speaker startled everyone and said â€œThree-sixty going onceâ€¦ and twiceâ€¦ andâ€¦SOLD! To the young lady with the blue horse T-Shirt!â€ Smiling happily, Meg went up with her father to claim their foal. 

*Chapter 2 
Bring Him Home, Daddy! *

Meg stood quietly beside her father while he claimed their foal. She thought about what had happened that day. The drive to the auction, the hour-long wait to decide what horse to bid for, the man at the foal tent leading her to the perfect horseâ€¦ and just then, she thought about the boy. That boy that bid on her horse. That boy that dug his pockets trying to scrape up enough change to GET her horse. And how she easily beat his highest price. â€œGosh,â€ Meg thought. â€œHe must think Iâ€™m a rich snob!â€ Just then, she saw the boy. He walked in, looking angry and frustrated and snappy. â€œIâ€™d better go say hi,â€ Meg thought. She didnâ€™t know why, but she HAD to meet this boy who had tried to make her horse his. Meg walked up to him. She cleared her throat. â€œExcuse me, but are you the boy who almost bought the light pinto colt?â€ She asked in her most professional manner. He turned and glared at her. â€œYOU? What right do YOU have to come barging up to me and asking me THAT? You know very well I am! And if youâ€™re just here to rub it in my face that I donâ€™t have as much money as you do to buy that colt, then Iâ€™m leaving NOW!â€ 
Then he showed his shyer side â€œThat was reeeeeally loud, wasnâ€™t it?â€ He asked. â€œYes, and I was just coming up to say hello, and thanks for bidding on him, I was afraid nobody else would, and that wouldâ€™ve made me feel really bad, but never mind, if I had known you were so mean, I wouldnâ€™t have even bothered!â€ Meg said defensively. â€œGood day!â€ 
â€œGood day!â€ The boy said in a nasal tone. But then, he rushed up to Meg and said â€œWhatâ€™s your name?â€ Meg smiled and told him to call her Meg. â€œI donâ€™t think I know your name, either,â€ she said. â€œWhat is it?â€ â€œChris,â€ he answered. â€œChris.â€ â€œWell, I gotta go, nice meeting you Chris!â€ â€œYou too, Meg!â€ Chris departed into the crowd. Meg then rushed up to her dad. â€œAlright Megan, who was that guy you were talking to?â€ Mr. Jordan said teasingly. â€œOh, come on, dad- he was the guy who bid on Sundance! Speaking of which, weâ€™d better go get him!!â€ 
Once at the foal tent, Meg and her dad went to the man Meg talked to. â€œSo, did you get your foal?â€ â€œYes, sir,â€ said Meg. â€œAnd weâ€™re here to take him home!â€ â€œOK then, follow me!â€ The man led them to where Sundance was tied. There, he gave them details about him. â€œHeâ€™s halter trained and you can tie him up. Heâ€™s OK in the trailer, so you donâ€™t have to worry about him bashing his head, he has never seen a saddle before, so be careful with that, and, heâ€™s sure to bring you happiness!â€ â€œThank you!â€ replied Meg, who was taking mental notes. â€œAnything else?â€ â€œNope, youâ€™re all set!â€ â€œThank you so much for your help. Had it not been for you, Meg might have picked a trained horse!â€ Mr. Jordan said, then laughing at his own joke. â€œItâ€™s not that funny,â€ The man said. â€œAnyway, here you are, now be gone!â€ he said handing them Sundanceâ€™s rope. Meg looked at her father in sheer delight, then took the lead and led Sundance out of the tent. 

*Chapter 3 
Sundanceâ€™s View *
I donâ€™t like this. Iâ€™ve been standing in this hot tent all day. What are they going to do to me? Will I ever get out of here? 
Now theyâ€™re leading me out. Theyâ€™ve already led everyone else out. Whatâ€™s happening? 
Itâ€™s very noisy outside. There are yummy smells of oats and cornâ€¦ and then yucky smells like burnt horse manure. 
A man is leading me up to a stage. I hear a big voice coming from a big box. I also hear two littler voices calling out numbers in the crowd. One of them stops. 
A girl is rushing from the crowd to the big box. She looks nice. 
Oh, no! Theyâ€™re leading me back to the tent! I frolic and try to break loose. Now the man is talking to me in a soothing tone. 
I am tied up in the tent. I see the girl that rushed into the box coming towards me with two men. 
One of the men is untying me. He gives my rope to the girl. 
The girl and one of the men take me to a big, black, hard rock with big shiny things on it. They lead me to one of them and open the back of a big white box that 3 of me could fit into. 
Now they are putting me into the white box. I go in easy, I know what this is. 
They lock the door behind me. The girl comes to reassure me, but I donâ€™t need any reassuring. 
They get into they shiny thing, and we are off!!! 

*Chapter 4 
The Ride Home* 
â€œYippee!â€ exclaimed Meg on the drive home. â€œHe got in easily! I think he likes me, dad! Donâ€™t you think heâ€™ll make the most beautiful horse EVER?â€ â€œYes, yes, Meg! He will be very pretty, but just know that you have to take care of him. He wonâ€™t stay that pretty unless he is well cared for.â€ â€œI know, dad! I live on a farm! I know how to take care of horses.â€ â€œAh, but Meg, your Sundance isnâ€™t a horse yet. Heâ€™s a foal! And foals have to be treated very carefully, so they donâ€™t get spooked or scared. You canâ€™t just put they saddle on. Heâ€™s got a couple weeks yet before we do that. Let him smell the brushes and rub them all over him before you use them. Donâ€™t be too rough with him, remember, heâ€™s just a baby!â€ â€œDad, heâ€™s 8 months old!â€ Meg exclaimed, looking at the papers with details about him and his birth. â€œYouâ€™re not listening to me, are you?â€ Mr. Jordan said with a chuckle. â€œOh, well. I did that when I had my first foalâ€¦ Just be careful with him, OK?â€ â€œOK, dad. Hey, look! Weâ€™re almost here!â€ Meg added. In a few minutes Meg and her father pulled up into Heavenâ€™s Hill Farms. Meg could hear the cows mooo-ing and the cats meow-ing and the dogs woof-ing and, best of all, the horses whinnying. She could smell leather and fur and hay all in one big jumbled mess. This place really was heaven. She pulled her senses back together and went to help her father unload Sundance, only to find it already done. â€œCan I work with him, daddy? The papers said he knows how to roundpen.â€ â€œI think heâ€™s had enough for today. Go turn him out into the field.â€ â€œAlright, come on Sundance, buddy, letâ€™s go meet the other horses!â€ Meg said as she led Sundance out into the field. â€œYouâ€™ll have fun.â€ She turned him out and went back to her dad. â€œWhat stall can he have?â€ She asked. â€œThe one closest to the outside,â€ her father answered. â€œHe needs fresh air.â€ With that, an exited Meg went to the house to make a name plate. 

*Chapter 5 
Sundanceâ€™s View *
I stood in the big white box for awhile, until it stopped moving. I smell horses and cows and all sorts of things that I donâ€™t know. 
The man is taking me out of the trailer. I whinny loudly and the other horses in the field answer me. â€œItâ€™s all right,â€ they say. â€œThe people here are kind.â€ 
Here I learn that the girlâ€™s name is Meg and the man is her father. I also learn that my name is Sundance. 
The girl, Meg, is putting me into the field. I run around a bit, and then I go to the other horses. â€œHi,â€ I say. â€œWhat are your names? Mine is Sundance.â€ A pretty, young palomino mare tossing her mane says her name is Taffy, short for Taffata Golden Princess. Another pretty young mare, this one a sorrel, says her name is Sassy, just Sassy. A big pregnant mare says her name is Skye. The appaloosa with no tailâ€™s name is Dirt. A paint like me has a pretty name: Candy. A tall brown horse with a bit of white in his black mane and tail says his name is JJ. A black-and-white stallion in the other field says his name is Shadow, and that heâ€™s Taffyâ€™s boyfriend. A gray-and-white appaloosa named Fancy says she hates Shadow. And finally, two matching Clydesdales say their names are Bonnie and Clyde and that they pull the carriage. 
I thank the horses and we all start grazing. I always stand beside Taffy. 
I stay in the field for a couple of days. 

*Chapter 6 
Sundanceâ€™s Workouts* 

Two days after she bought Sundance, Meg started working with him. At first all she did was groom him, letting him see and smell the brush before using it, and then she got him used to the fly spray, and got him in the roundpen for some work-outs. She used a small whip and got him used to her cracking it. At first all she did was a slow trot, but she worked him until he could do a fast lope at her command! Then came the hard part. Teaching him to turn. Megâ€™s best friend, Steph, who owned Taffy, came to help at this part. She also brought over Hannah, another one of Megâ€™s best friends, who owned Sassy. Hannah was stout, had short brown hair, and was going into the 7th Grade. Steph was tall, had long dark blonde hair, and was going into the 6th Grade. Meg was also going into the 6th Grade, with her tallness and chocolaty brown hair. 
â€œOK, what do you need help with?â€ they asked. â€œTeaching Sundance to turn. Iâ€™ve tried and tried, but heâ€™s not got the hang of it!â€ â€œHmmmmâ€¦â€ Steph said. â€œYou said he hangs around Taffy?â€ â€œRight,â€ Meg said. â€œMaybe if we get her out and let him see how she roundpens, heâ€™ll do better.â€ â€œCrazy idea, but it just might work,â€ said Hannah. â€œBut donâ€™t you think you should have your dad help you with this?â€ â€œNo! I want it to be a surprise for him, to see how well heâ€™s progressed in the past month.â€ â€œOK. Hannah, will you come with me to get my horse?â€ â€œSure!â€ answered Hannah. â€œYou two be careful! Bonnie and Clyde are a bit feisty today!â€ called Meg, stroking Sundanceâ€™s silky coat. Meg remembered that before she had Sundance, she had been jealous of Hannah and Stephâ€™s beautiful horses, while she, the daughter of the owner of the barn, had squat. She sighed. After she got Sundance, everything changed! Hannah and Steph got their horses out less often, just to help her with Sundance. And right then and there, she decided that she had the best friends in the world! 
Once Steph and Hannah got up to the roundpen with Taffy, Meg hugged them both and thanked them. They thought that was awfully funny! 
â€œOK, you can go ahead and roundpen her. Iâ€™m going to leave Sundance in there. Heâ€™ll probably follow her.â€ But he didnâ€™t. Instead, Sundance stood in the middle and watched her. Steph turned her several times so Sundance would know what to do. When Meg went up to roundpen Sundance, he did great. â€œThank you, guys! I couldnâ€™t have done it without you!â€ â€œNo prob!â€ â€œAny time!â€ they said. â€œHey, can we help you groom him?â€ asked Hannah. â€œOh, no, you guys go get out your horses and ride. Youâ€™ve already done more than your share of helping me today!â€ Meg said. â€œAre you sure?â€ asked Steph. â€œYeah, I mean, I bet you want to ride Shadow today,â€ said Hannah, referring to Megâ€™s usual riding horse. â€œCâ€™mon, Meg, you could use a break!â€ â€œOK, but just groom him and then just put him in his stall, alright?â€ â€œOK!â€ â€œWill do!â€ Steph and Hannah answered. And thatâ€™s what they did, with Sundance eyeing them suspiciously. 

*Chapter 7 
Sundanceâ€™s View *

Meg is now taking me out of the field with my pretty purple halter. She ties me up at a post. â€œI am not afraid, I know what this is,â€ I tell myself. She lets me sniff a hard thing with soft bristles underneath. Then she rubs is all over my body. It gets dirt off of my coat, leaving me soft and shiny. She calls the thing a â€˜brushâ€™. Thatâ€™s all she does for a couple of days. 
Now Meg picks up my feet as well as using the â€˜brushâ€™. 
Now Meg takes me into a round wooden ring with soft sand inside it. She waves a long, skinny pole with a string attached in the air. 
Today when Meg waves the pole, a loud CRACK sound comes and scares me! I run, I try to get away from the CRACK! 
I learn now that the crack is just a sound to make me go faster. I am no longer frightened by it. 
I learn to go faster and faster around the ring at Megâ€™s command. 
Now Meg keeps putting the pole in front of me and clicking and saying some words. I am confused! 
Today two other girls are here. Meg showed them what I can do, then put the pole in front of me. The girls talked. Then two of them left. They came back with Taffy! I whinnied to her, â€œHi!â€ They put her in the roundpen with me. One of the girls trotted her around and around. Then she put the pole in front of her. â€œTaffy,â€ I said. â€œWhat do you do?â€ â€œTurn around,â€ She answered. She quickly turned and headed the other direction whenever the girl stuck the pole in front of her. â€œOh, so thatâ€™s what you do!â€ I say. 
Once Taffy arched her neck in defeat, she stopped and said, â€œYour turn, kid.â€ And was led out of the ring. 
This time I know what to do. Meg starts me out at a trot, then puts the pole in front of me. I turn around. The girls clapped. I did it! 
Meg took me out of the ring and tied me up. Taffy was at a different post. 
The girls talked a bit, then Meg went out into the field with a big black halter. The two new girls groomed me and put me in my stall. From there, I see Meg riding atop of Shadow! 
I am heartbroken. I thought Meg love ME most. Then I thought about a poem a horse had once told me: Poor, poor lad, why canâ€™t you see; She can love others, but still love thee. Maybe she just loved Shadow, but she adored me!


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## live2ride_ride2live (Mar 11, 2007)

*I love your story.......*

hi Sparky-is your story over or is there going to be a part 2?I love it! It reminds me of when I got my 1st horse (Casper R.I.P.) at an auction-except my horse was a fairly old run down Grey arab.....Any ways I wanna read part 2!


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## englishcowgrl (Jan 24, 2007)

nice..really good


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