Rodeo King and the Senorita

While performing his Roman tandem jumping act, Pablo Morales of the Foster and Morales Wild West Show is killed when his harness breaks. Afterward, a rodeo performer in the show, Steve Lacey, who was lurking around Pablo's horses before the performance, informs Pablo's partner, Jack Foster, that Lacey is now a silent partner in the show. Lacey wants top billing for himself, so he is not pleased that Pablo's friend, Rex Allen, has been hired as the feature act for future shows. As soon as Rex arrives with Muscles Benton, who is also joining the show, dangerous incidents occur whenever Lacey is around. After Lacey sees Rex and his horse, Koko, perform tricks for Pablo's young daughter Juanita, he jealously claims he can do the same, but Koko balks when Lacey attempts to ride him. Angered, Lacey tries again during the night, this time with spurs, and causes Koko's leg to break during an unsuccessful jump. The veterinarian says Koko has a fifty-fifty chance for survival and needs careful attention. Rex and Muscles want to leave the show, but agree to stay when Foster tells them that, without a feature act, Juanita's financial future is in jeopardy, as she has inherited half-interest in the show. Juanita and her governess, Janet Wells, offer to care for Koko while they are away, and as the horse recuperates they listen to radio broadcasts of the show. During one performance, Rex's harness breaks in a manner suspiciously like Pablo's had, so Rex sends the broken harness to a chemical laboratory for analysis. In the meantime, Koko has healed, but when Rex sees how the grieving Juanita has become attached to the horse, he decides to let her keep him. Janet, however, insists that Foster pay Rex for the horse from Juanita's account. Foster hesitates, saying Juanita has only $2,000 in her account, but decides to write the check. Later, however, Foster takes Koko from Juanita and puts him in the show. When Rex and Muscles learn of this, they provoke a fistfight with Lacey and Foster, which gets them fired. Having learned from the chemical laboratory report that acid was applied to Rex's broken harness, Rex and Muscles realize that although it will be hard to prove, Lacey is responsible for both broken harnesses, and Pablo's death. Before they leave, they go to the stables to bid a final farewell to Koko and find Juanita, who has traveled miles alone in the rain to be with the horse. She remembers that the Roman trick horses were sold to the Richards Brothers Circus Company, and after they take Juanita home, Rex and Muscles visit Bill Richards. Bill still has Pablo's harness, as well as a pony with the same coloring as Koko, which Rex declares would be the perfect size for Juanita. Bill offers to give Rex the pony if he will do Pablo's Roman tandem jump as a publicity stunt for his company, and Rex agrees. Muscles then takes Pablo's harness to the local sheriff to apprise him of their suspicions, and remembering that Juanita had only $2,000 in her account, Rex suggests the sheriff conduct a secret audit of Foster's books. When Rex takes the pony to Juanita, he finds her sick with pneumonia contracted the night she spent in the rain. Her doctors believe that the emotional stress of losing Koko is inhibiting her return to health. The feverish Juanita worries that Lacey will ride Koko in the cross country variety race that will be held on the following Saturday. On the day of the race, Bill adds his company's entry to the race. He gets Foster to agree in public to let Rex ride Koko in the last leg of the relay, and if he wins, Bill will waive the prize money and take Koko. By cheating, Lacey keeps the lead for most of the race, but in the last leg of the relay, Rex and Koko pass him and win. At the finish line, the sheriff is waiting to arrest Foster and Lacey, but Foster shoots him and the two attempt a getaway. Rex pursues on horseback, and is soon joined by Muscles, who apprehends Foster. Rex manages to knock Lacey off his horse, and the two rivals fight it out, but Rex finally subdues Lacey. With Foster and Lacey in jail, Rex plans to manage the show until Juanita is old enough to take over. Rex again offers to give Koko to Juanita, but she has been training the pony, and thanks to Janet, has realized that Koko really wants to be with Rex.