Christmas is going to have a hard time outshining the Fourth of July weekend for Josh Jochim this year. The best present imaginable has already arrived.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Mandan Rodeo committee presented Josh with a horse of his own at the rodeo Friday night.

It wasn't a total surprise to the 9-year-old. Josh made the request about three months ago to Make-A-Wish Foundation representatives and has been eagerly awaiting his horse ever since.

Make-A-Wish organizers picked the Mandan Rodeo as the perfect time to give Josh his heart's desire. Earlier in the evening, a limo picked up Josh, mom Stephanie, dad Mark, and younger siblings John, Sara and Grace from their home in Flasher to take them to Mandan in style. Josh was outfitted in proper cowboy attire for the event, also courtesy of donations.

But the crowning moment by far - the horse named "Wish."

Josh's request was unusual, said Kevin Vannett, Make-A-Wish volunteer. Most kids ask for a vacation somewhere, but Josh had his heart set on a horse, the same kind as his dad's and grandpa's.

Stephanie Jochim said her son considered asking for a trip somewhere, but nothing stood out more than a horse of his own.

"He knew exactly what he wanted," she said.

Josh is frail from his struggle with leukemia, so he won't be able to ride his horse for about a year.

"He'll still be able to take care of it and bond with it," Jochim said.

Vannett hunted all around the state trying to find a horse to Josh's specifications: A gelding quarter horse, sorrel, 5 to 7 years old.

He called rodeos and horse clubs, got tips about horses for sale wherever he could. After about two months, he got a promising tip about a horse for sale in Washburn. When he called the owner, Amy Strecker, he found the horse in question was a buckskin mare. But when he described the kind of horse he was looking for, it rang a few bells for Strecker.

Her personal riding horse fit the description to the letter. It wasn't for sale, but Strecker reconsidered.

"I got to thinking about it," she said, "and said I'll let them know about mine."

She offered up her own horse, knocking $500 off the price.

"If it was my kid, I'd expect the same," Strecker said.

Vannett said the community had been generous in donating to Josh's wish. He estimated about $1,500 went to horse, gear and everything else.

Often you can tell about a family by how much the community wants to help out, Vannett said. Flasher already has had fund-raisers for Josh's medical expenses, but that didn't slow donations.

"They just opened their checkbooks again," Vannett said.

(Reach Laura Schreier at 355-8809 or lschreier@ndonline.com.)