Pilar went to the barn, where Jorge was rubbing Prince down, and laughed when she saw the look on Jorge’s face.
“Nice job out there, girl!” he said, laughing as well. “You had me and your mom scared during that tumble.”
Pilar smiled and gave Prince a kiss. “He saved me,” she said honestly. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Then she escorted the horse out to the courtyard, at the center of the ranch. She was grinning from ear to ear, overwhelmed with pride at their accomplishment, and basking in the cheers of the crowd.
Victor, who was standing front and center, started the ceremony as soon as she arrived. “Well, everyone, that was quite a race. Very exciting, and luckily no one was seriously hurt in that tumble in the turn.” He nodded to a group of men to his right, who were grumbling and rubbing their arms and legs. May of them had cuts and bruises visible on their faces, and Pilar recognized the jockeys who’d been involved in the accident.
“The Vargas ranch would like to congratulate the winner of our first ever official race, and we hope there will be more in the future. She is an outstanding young rider with a big future ahead of her, who came a long way to be here with her gracious family from the Arroyo Ranch, far to the north. Por favor, everyone, give a big congratulations to Pilar Arroyo and her amazing horse, Prince!”
The crowd cheered and clapped for what seemed like several minutes, and Pilar even saw a couple of small girls waving to her from the porch. They reminded her of what she’d looked like as a little girl, and how she’d once watched the riders in the pastures. She waved back at them, laughing when they giggled between them, embarrassed that their hero had acknowledged their presence.
Meanwhile, Victor continued. “Our first prize is, as I mentioned earlier, a box that contains ten gold coins, passed down in our family for a couple of generations. We hope that the luck these coins have brought to our family continues with your family.”
He presented the box to Pilar and she reached out and said, “Gracias. Muchas gracias.”
She was surprised by the weight of the box as she took it, and had to give Prince’s reins to Jorge, as she needed both hands to hold the box.
“And now,” Victor continued, “the grand prize. Pilar, you can have your pick of any horse on this ranch.”
The crowd cheered again at that.
Pilar responded in a firm and strong voice, with a big smile. “I would like to give that honor and choice to my beautiful mother, Elizabeth.” Elizabeth turned to Pilar in surprise, and blushed. “She has been my best friend all my life, and I owe everything to her. She raised us by herself since my father died many years ago, and I trust her to make the best choice. She and Jorge have taught me everything about horses, and I know that they can find a horse to benefit the future of Rancho Arroyo.”
“What a great gift you have given your mother. Based on what I have seen so far, in regard to your mother’s judgment and experience with horses, I am sure she will make the best decision.” Again the crowd cheered, while Jorge and Elizabeth put their arms around Pilar and hugged her.
“Now, everyone, my sisters have prepared a great meal, and we appreciate all the gifts of food and drink brought from all the ranches. Let’s enjoy this meal and celebrate my dad’s birthday, along with Pilar and her amazing family.”
The crowd erupted again in cheers, and everyone dispersed to the big tables, covered in fancy cloths, and food and drink and sweets, under the big shade trees.
“I will be there in a few moments,” Pilar said to her mom and Jorge. “I want to takes Prince back to his stall and give him a treat.”
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