Cheyenne, 1952

“The calf broke clean from the chute and ran hard to the left. Adam's horse was already moving, the big bay quarterhorse he'd been riding all season, a horse that knew its business as well as any Adam had ever sat. The rope was in the air before Adam had time to think about it, which was the way it worked when it worked right. Thinking slowed you down. Danny had taught him that, in a dream on a warm afternoon in an orchard full of roses. The loop caught. Adam was off the horse and running before the calf hit the ground. His hands found the legs and the tie went on fast and tight, three wraps and a hooey. He threw his hands up, the clock stopped, and the crowd at Cheyenne Frontier Days came to its feet. Nine point two seconds. It was the fastest time of the day. It held up through the final round. When the scores were tallied that evening, Adam Connor had won the All-Around championship at the biggest rodeo in the world.”

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