Page 38 of Cole's Joy
“You get it. Anyway, I’ve already gone to Naomi with the idea of selling off the stock we currently have, and working with the rodeo to see if we couldn’t get into the business of raising rodeo stock. We have the room, and I’d like to have the horses in one area of the ranch, and the bulls in another.” He leaned forward and took both of her hands in his.
“Close your eyes.” When she did, he talked. “Think of a barn the size of the one over at Broken. The riding area where Laurie is learning to deal with her leg by riding horses. New Double has the space to build one like that, maybe bigger, and once it’s complete, I’d like to bring in both horses and their riders so they can train together in barrel racing, bronc riding, as well as bull riding. With the converted barns we have now, we have room to house sixty horses. We’ll have to build another barn to house the bulls, and that’s where Erin would come in.”
“To finance the new buildings?”
“Yes, I’m in the process of seeing how much it would cost to purchase these animals, and how much we could get for selling our current stock. My biggest problem right now is that we need help. Broken has all the men and women, and they come over and help when they can, but it’s not enough. They are mostly exercising the horses. I feel if we continue as we are, we arehurting the horses and they won’t be able to live up to their potential.”
“What plans do you have to get hired help?”
“No clue,” he said as he flopped back in his chair in frustration. “That’s what I’m working on, but I have no clue what to do about getting hired hands.”
Lois studied him and let her mind wander. It was almost five minutes before she spoke. “May I make a couple of suggestions?”
“Sure, I’m open to anything at this point.”
“First, remember I know nothing about horses or bulls. The only animal I am familiar with is Tim. I had Ralph, he was a Yorkie also, for twenty-two years. That is a long time for a dog of that breed, but that’s all I know. Now, with that being said, you don’t want to cut off your nose to spite your face.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You don’t want to sell off of your racehorses and have nothing to replace them with. You don’t want the stables to be empty. Are your current horses in all three barns?”
“No, they’re in two. Or one and a half. Each barn can hold twenty horses, and we have twenty-seven.”
“Okay, another question. You’d don’t expect to transition overnight do you?”
“That would be stupid.”
“I thought so, but what if you travel to some local rodeos and get the lay of the land? Listen, I don’t know if you’d be allowed back where they keep the horses, but maybe you can go back there, listen to the gossip, and see if there aren’t any rodeo riders that are down on their luck and need to get a job before they can go to the next rodeo. Those will be the men and women you’ll want to hire to work for the new, New Double. Build up your people that way. People that know horses, and though they might not be able to afford to go to the next rodeo, or follow them, but they still want to work with horses. Whileyou’re at it, see if anyone wants to sell a bull or a horse, or listen to see if someone is looking for a place to, I think the word I’m looking for here is board, someone looking for a place to board their horse over the winter, but that they can still come work with them.” She looked at him and frowned. “What’s with that expression?”
“For someone that proclaims they know nothing about horses, you seem to know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes. Clem knows more about the rodeo than I do, though.”
“But will Clem be in charge if you make the switch from racehorses to rodeo stock? Don’t you want to be in on the ground floor and know all the people. As a previous business owner, I liked sitting in on the interviews so I could get a feel for the people from day one. I’m sure you trust Clem with your life, but ifyouwent to the rodeo, thenyoucould see how these cowboys work with the animals. Do they take their personal frustrations out on the animals? Do they blame them, or do they treat them right, and blame themselves?”
“I see, and yes, I can see your point. That’s something I didn’t consider.”
“Like I said, I don’t know a lot, but I do know that there’s supposed to be the biggest rodeo of the year in November over in Nevada. That’s all I know about it, so that gives you three months to look for people. And Cole?”
“Yes?”
“I wouldn’t go to the big rodeos to look for your people. Go to the little ones where the cowboys are trying to make it in the big leagues, but for some reason, lack of funds, lack of talent, lack of drive, whatever, they can’t or don’t make it. Those will be the people you want. People that can still work in the business, but they’d be what you would consider working behind the scenes.”
Cole leaned forward, pulled her toward him, and planted a kiss on her. They didn’t break apart for several minutes, and he held her face in his hands when he stared at her.
“Thank you for your insight. Do you really want to help?”
“I would love to, but what can I do?”
“Not tonight, because we’re still on our date, but why not start looking up local rodeos. Or something within a day’s drive? I’d love for you to go with me, you might see something I don’t, or ask questions I don’t remember. However, before we go, we’ll have to go to Naomi and tell her what we’re planning, then go to Erin. Would you be willing to go to them with me?”
“I will, and it would be my pleasure to work behind the scenes in getting us to a rodeo. One thing you’ll have to remember to ask Naomi.”
“What’s that?”
“What will the pay be? Will she, or you, for that matter, accept both men and women? What if someone is in a wheelchair? Or has a physical challenge like the ladies of Broken?”
“If they know what the business end of a horse is, then they’re hired. I’ve talked to the other ladies over the past few months. They had no clue what they were doing when they were hired. Since they’d been used to taking orders from being in the military, they took orders and learned as they went.”
“There you go, I’m not saying everyone has to have a challenge, but you just broadened your hiring base. Now, the next question, what about accommodations for them to stay?”
