12-year-old Alabama calf roper mourning after his beloved horses killed in storm

He’s 12 years old, a seventh grader at Handley Middle School in Roanoke, Alabama. Nine days ago, his life fell apart. Today, this preteen is trying to keep his head up, but he needs us so much. All while he drops his head to cry.This is the story of Mingo and Rusty.It was four years ago, and 8-year-old Cole Hodges was dreaming. The thing is, it wasn’t a dream — it was a dream come true. The third grader had been introduced a few years prior to the big, beautiful animals. Cole’s neighbors were the horse experts, and Cole took the lead of Jimbo and Marlo Fetner.Rusty seemed to be smiling as he looked down at the third grader. The 1-year-old colt was taking a liking to the young boy. Cole’s heart was melting as all of that saving by he and the family had delivered Rusty to him. The third grader just knew that he had a new best friend, a horse that he counted on being with him for over 30 years.Rusty the horse changed Cole Hodge’s life. Cole rose early in the morning before school to feed and brush his horse. He would leave Rusty with a kiss and promise his horse he’d be back soon. And when Cole found himself in the sport of calf roping, he found his calling. It was two years ago when Mingo arrived. Mingo was already 6 years old, but he’d be the horse that would do wonderful things. Cole’s life was a life of which he had never dreamed, as he loved his horses more than a 12-year-old kid could love. Cole and Mingo and Rusty were together hours a day — Cole would hurry home from school and practice calf roping for hours on end.It was months ago, and Cole was climbing the ranks of calf roping. From team roping to chute dogging to breakdowns, Cole found himself ranked second in the Alabama Junior High Rodeo Association. Exhausted from hard work and soft love, Cole would fall asleep at night as soon as his head hit the pillow. Mingo and Rusty would unwind at the barn at his neighbors, the Fetners.It was nine days ago, and a Sunday night storm was brewing. The wind and thunder and lightning arrived just after midnight. Cole squirmed in his bed as he heard the thunderclaps and fell back asleep when the storms passed. It was morning when Cole’s life changed.Marlo Fetner found Mingo and Rusty under the barn’s ceiling lying next to one another. Lightning had struck the barn hours before and traveled on to strike the horses. Mingo and Rusty were gone. Through his tears, Jimbo Fetner called Wayne and Kadie Hodges, who in turn told Cole.“Cole is devastated,” Kadie told me. “Mingo and Rusty were Cole’s world, and quite frankly, he has been a bit lost,” she added. "I worry about Cole because his entire being was those horses. Cole is back at school, but I have to wonder how he will move forward.” It’s been nine days since Cole’s life fell apart, and he’s trying his best to move on. He’s using some loaner horses from the Alabama Junior High Rodeo Association, but they are not the same. Horses are expensive — a reliable horse can cost about $30,000. Cole and his family are not quite sure where to turn next.Kadie says that Cole is trying to see a silver lining in the passing of Mingo and Rusty. The tragedy has reminded him to love everyone and everything around him, for in an instant, they can be gone. And while Cole is holding his head high, his days are spent thinking about two horses he didn’t know he could love so much. "My son is having a tough time, but he's trying to move on," Kadie told me.Maybe one day Cole will be a professional calf roper, a world champion — it’s something for Cole to dream about. His head hits the pillow after another long day. He knows that falling asleep will dull the pain while he dreams of a future full of trophies and love. Cole falls fast asleep.Heartache will return when the morning comes.