Miranda Koop

Miranda Koop is Howard's girlfriend and a close friend of Katy and a barrel racer. She was portrayed by Kaylee DeFer.

History
Katherine "Katy" McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) has big dreams of administering her father's Wyoming horse ranch one day, but her father, Rob (Tim McGraw), has other plans. He is currently grooming her older brother, Howard (Ryan Kwanten), to take over the ranch and sends Katy away to an exclusive private school where she constantly feels like a misfit. Being a similar, independent spirit to Katy, Rob has a hard time understanding his daughter as she continually defies his authority to follow her own path. Miranda and Katy go to the same boarding school. Before they leave to go home for the summer Miranda gives Katy a bandanna and asks her if she can give it to Howard for her and Katy agress. Miranda then says that she thinks she will be seeing a lot of Katy this summer.



Later, Rob, Howard and Katy drive to give one of their quarter horses to the Koop family. While there, Howard gives the horse to Miranda. She comments on the bandana that she gave to Katy to give to to him, Katy then leaves to give the two of them some privacy while they flirt. Maranda asks if Howard told his parents that he wants to take the scholarship and he tells her that he is waiting for the right time, she than says when is there ever going to be a right time and asks why he does not tell them the truth. Howard says it's easier said then done but she mocks him by clucking like a chicken at him and he then throws a rag at her. He confides in her that he feels like his feet are running but he is not moving, She then tells him that she thinks that everybody writes a story in their heads that eventually becomes their life and that if you don't write it your self then somebody else writes it for them. He then says that it won't happen in his story, she then asks him if she is in her story. He leans in to kiss her but a worker comes in and they stop for a brief time and once he leaves, they resume kissing.



While their parents are out one day Howard convinces his sister to go swimming with her and while they are there, Miranda comes and jumps in with them and they swim playfully with each other. Miranda tells Katy that she saw Flicka at the rodeo while practicing barrel raceing and she tells Katy that she has never in her entire life been scared of horses but the horses she was with were dangerous and that you would really need to work hard to make horses that angry. Katy then concocts a plane to have Howard enter the race with her as his partner so that she can win the race and buy Flicka back with the prize money despite Howard's protests that this plan is too risky and dangorus. Miranda says that she is in and they get Howard to reluctantly in on the plane and they jokingly push him back into the lake they were swimmming in.



At the rodeo, Miranda competes in the barrel raceing event. She is doing good at first but she accidentally knocks over one of the barrels which disqualifies her. While Katy is dressing up like a male cowboy, Miranda tells Katy that she is scared but Katy says to her that she is not, Howard shows up and puts some dirt on Katy's face so that it looks like she has facial hair, Miranda then gives Katy a stick of gum. Howard and Katy (disguised as a cowboy) enter the competition that Flicka is being used in, hoping to get the horse back while getting ready Miranda tells Katy to kick some cowboy ass, and she then tells Howard, "Don't you dare get hurt." and kisses him. Not realizing who she is at first, the frightened mare runs from Katy until the girl calls her name. Rob, however, catches onto his daughter's plan and tries to intervene. Katy freezes at the sight of her father, but Howard boosts his sister onto the mare's back and lets the two escape. Back at the rodeo, Miranda reconciles with her parents and Howard reconciles with his and begins searching for Katy as a fierce thunderstorm moves in.

While caught in the thunderstorm trying to save Flicka (who was attacked by a mountain lion) Katy develops a fever but is brought home to recover. Katy's fever breaks and over the next couple of days, she begins to recover. When Katy wakes from the fever, she and Rob reconcile and he takes her to see Flicka, whom Katy is shocked to see is alive. Rob tells Katy that when she is all better he wants her to talk care of Flicka, Katy is confused because she was supposed to write her essay but Nell and Howard tell her that her father typed the essay and when she asks what the headmaster said thay said what anyone says to Rob "Yes sir." Rob also apologizes to Howard and gives his son his blessing. Thrilled, Howard begins preparing for college. As a family, they decide to not sell the ranch, making it both a working ranch and a refuge for wild mustangs. Miranda is not seen after the search for Katy in the mountains but since she is so close to the family she most likely knows the events.