Scott, our son is a young man that was born 100 years too late…He
loves the “Cowboy Way” –
One of Scott’s favorite movies is Lonesome Dove –
He wanted a horse just like “Hell Bitch” in the movie.
Well, not the same disposition, but the same 
color….We
looked at the paperwork for the Warm Springs Correctional facility,
talked with Hank Curry, the Head Trainer, and narrowed our selection
down to three Mustangs…..
At the prison, we were admiring one of the horses we liked, and
a potential adopter said, “I like this horse. I don’t
care what it costs, I want this horse”…..So, we moved
on to the next horse on the list.
At the end of the day, Mister was our new family member. We were
not quite ready for him, so he stayed at the prison for an extra
30 days of training. When we picked up Mister, out walked this
rather tough looking inmate….he put Mister in the trailer,
and tears rolled down his face as he exited the trailer….We
realized these tough guys were able to find a “ soft spot”
in the hearts for the horses they worked with.
Mister taught our son to ride. Scott was learning, and of course
Mister was learning at the same time. It wasn’t always a
smooth ride, but both learned and grew better for their relationship
with each other. A bond was formed between a young man and his
horse.
Our son doesn’t drink, do drugs, likes country music, is
a loyal friend, has high moral standards, and is a gentleman with
girls. While this is the makeup of a great man, in High School,
these qualities don’t make you the “Cool Kid”
- With his horse, he found a place where he fit in. Our son found
he was already traveling down a lifes path called “The Cowboy
Way.”
Scott and Mister entered in several classes at both the Reno Mustang
Show and the Bishop Mustang Show. Between the two shows, our “boys”
received ribbons from first place through 6th place. These were
the first two shows either of them had ever been in. Again, Mister
taught our son a lesson in 
competing.
At the Reno Wild Horse and Burro Show, Scott showed Mister cows
for the first time. Mister had FUN with the cows….Scott
and Mister took a third place later that day in the sorting event.
At the Bishop Mustang show, there was a class that Scott had signed
up for, Western Riding”. When he got a copy of the pattern
and saw many, many lead changes, he asked me to pull him from
the event…Scott had no idea how to do a flying lead change.
Several other riders gathered around our son to help him learn
how to do the flying lead changes. One person looked at Scott
and said, “You will never remember all this stuff, just
shift your weight in the saddle, and sometimes the horse will
change his lead.” So, Scott and Mister went into the class………Mister
looked like a little kid skipping – he did the most animated
lead changes we had ever seen. Scott and Mister took their one
and only 1st place. When they announced Scotts number, I thought
he was going to fall off his saddle.
Two weeks later, we lost our beloved Mister to colic. Mister’s
last job was teaching us all how to say goodbye to a beloved friend….We
carry his spirit with us everyday.
Bart, Cindy and Scott Lawrence
