NATCHEZ — Devin Sims spent nearly an hour in the sweltering heat working on his red Dodge Ram pickup truck Friday.

But as the Natchez resident closed the hood of his truck and wiped clean the Ram symbol embedded in the truck’s grill, Sims was more interested in riding horses than riding rams.

Sims, 21, was working with lifelong friend Tiyja Roger, 19, Friday when The Dart landed on George F. West Sr. Boulevard.

It was just a simple battery issue, but Sims couldn’t wait to get his truck up and running so he could head to the field around the corner where four of his six horses were grazing.

Sims and several family members have been riding horses and competing in rodeos for as long as he can remember.

Sims said his first time on a horse was when his father mounted Sims in his lap at 6 months old. Since then, Sims has yet to walk away from his four-legged companions.

Friday afternoon, Sims immediately walked toward his favorite horse Jay, which he has owned the longest. He took his time brushing the horse’s sandy brown mane and checking Jay’s hooves.

“We been through so much, when I first starting riding him, my dad tried to sell him for $400 and nobody wanted him,” Sims said. “But once people saw how good he was, everybody wanted him. I went to a rodeo in Alexandria, La., earlier this year and I turned down $10,000 for him.”

His love for Jay isn’t the only reason he turned down such a large amount of cash.

“I have a brother who rides Jay in rodeos, too, and I knew that if I sold the horse, he would stop competing, and I don’t want that to happen,” Sims said.

Sims knows first hand how important staying active in a sport or hobby can make a difference in a young boy’s life.

“Once you get out with the horses, it’s really calming, and it helps you stay out of trouble,” he said. “I could’ve went down a completely different path if it wasn’t for this.”

Roger said he has learned about the upside to horse riding as well.

“I’m not into the roping like he is,” Roger said. “But I will ride with him. He’s trying to get me into roping, but it’s just not my thing. It’s just something to do to relax.”

Because of Sims’ sentimental tie to calf roping, Sims said he does not compete in rodeos, though he participates in them.

“I participate in rodeos but it’s just for fun,” Sims said. “If you’re going just for the money, then you’re not truly into it. Rodeo used to be fun, but now the fun is coming out of it and people are making it strictly about competing.”

Regardless of competition or for leisurely fun, Sims said he couldn’t see himself staying off his horse for good.