Wyatt Jack & the Great Race Horse

Cowboy Wyatt Jack & the Great Race Horse

By Aunt Meg

          On a dusty orange road in the middle of somewhere a tumble weed wobbled past a forest of cactus. Rows of saguaro cacti reach for the sky, they stand so still as people walk by.  Plants with spikes don’t seem very friendly, but they are helpful to so many! In this place full of un-huggable plants and dust, lives a great cowboy who everyone trusts.

          Cowboy Wyatt Jack is small, but brave! He saves stranded kittens and he stitches his grandmother new mittens. He waves to every person in town; he helps out when he sees someone looking down. When the wind blows and the dust swirls, Wyatt Jack saddles up his horse, Pearl; he races off to find lost animals from the farmers’ corrals. How can Cowboy Wyatt ride through the dust? How can anyone handle such extreme gusts?

          You see, Wyatt Jack is very, very small, he wears boots, chaps, and a hat that is very, very TALL! Whenever Wyatt races through thick desert storms he pulls his tall hat over his entire form!  When it all settles down and the dirt covers the town, all you will see of little Cowboy Jack is his horse and his hat coming racin’ back.

          All the cows in their barns, all the pigs are in their pens, and everyone can come outside again. “Thank you Cowboy Wyatt Jack,” the town members scream, “you and your horse make such a good team!”

          Wyatt hops down from his horse named Pearl, pulls his hat up from his rusted spurs to the top of his head in one big whirl! He smiled as the dust cloud from his hat disappeared, but then something caught his eye that seemed a bit weird.

          Passed a ten foot cactus, behind a shop that sells hats, and an arena where Cowboy Wyatt used to practice, there was a broken fence. This old pile of wood was always wobbly, but it was totally destroyed by the windstorm’s ferocity!

          “What was behind that fence?” asked a young girl. “The greatest horse that ever raced, no other horse alive could keep his pace.” Wyatt Jack knew what he needed to do. He turned to Pearl, and hopped on her back, and just like that he pulled down his hat! Wyatt called Pearl onward and off they went, down the dusty road, where the tumble weed wobbles, passed a wild turkey that gave a loud gobble, through the thick spikes which made him yell, “YIKES!” Pearl and Wyatt Jack searched to the horizon and back, with nothing to show, but an empty knap sack.

          Riding into the town, Wyatt Jack sat, shedding a tear on his horse’s back. “Where could he be?” Little Wyatt wondered, “Where would I go if I were a great race horse?”  He thought, and he wondered, until he grew tired. Then on the saddle he snuggled, falling to sleep, but still feeling troubled.

          Under the stars, in that dusty place, Wyatt Jack had a dream, he was in a race! He and Pearl had lined up to start, next to them was another horse ready to dart!  Music began to play, and a man stood high above holding a banner, soon he waved it in a serious manner! The horses were off, and Wyatt Jack was behind, he spurred Pearl onward, and forward she leaped, into the race on a course that seemed very steep!

          Down a red rock cliff, around a herd of sheep, up over a plateau, and into the deep. A tunnel was a head as Wyatt Jack raced on, it seemed like all the other horses had gone.  With a bit of coaxing, and a lot of kind words, Pearl was flying like a bird! Over the course, Wyatt looked down and he noticed something strange, the missing horse was leading across the range! Across the finish line one, two, three, Wyatt woke up and knew where his race horse would be!

          Around a bend, past a trickling spring, there was an old racetrack with a bell that used to ring. Wyatt walked up to the start gate, and what did he see? The famous racing horse, Gutsy! Cowboy Wyatt approached him, and whispered, “Hello, I saw you race here long, long ago.  You ran so fast no one could catch you, I now see why you came here when the wind blew.”  Gutsy wanted one last race, so Pearl and Wyatt took their place, once around the track and then back to the town! That will help Gutsy feel better, hands down!

          Once around the track the horses and Wyatt went, faster and faster, around each corner and stretch, Gutsy and Pearl were running neck and neck! Both horses crossed the finish line at the exact same time, Gutsy neighed and the track bell chimed! Back to town went Wyatt Jack, bring along Pearl and Gutsy. Again the townspeople came scampering out as the sun rose and the light glimmered off of Wyatt’s big hat, it was clear to see that Cowboy Jack had brought the famous horse back!

          “Thank you again, Cowboy Wyatt!” the Sheriff exclaimed, “I just wanted to help.” Cowboy Wyatt proclaimed. “Good things come from those who help, those who are kind, and those who don’t leave anyone behind.” What other adventures and missions lie instore for Cowboy Wyatt Jack?  As he rides into the sunset, completely covered in his tall, tall hat.