Maricela Gutierrez

**Maricela Melena Gutierrez** is the daughter of the mayor of Miradero, and a classmate of the PAL. She is stuck up, snooty, and ladylike at the beginning but eventually warms to Lucky and the PAL despite their differences. She has a horse named Mystery.

## Appearance

She has red hair that she supports with a white head band and blue eyes.

## Personality

She delights in refined clothing and singing and usually detests horses, but soon she begins to like them after meeting Mystery.

## History

She lived in a large house directly across the street from the ramada.

Maricela hoped for to find a friend in Lucky when Lucky first moved back to Miradero, but Lucky found Maricela pretentious, and Maricela was disappointed by Lucky's attraction to horses–and her connection to Pru and Abigail, local girls Maricela deemed unrefined and unworthy of friendship.

Maricela and Lucky became friends when they were paired as booth partners for the school bazaar, but Lucky was turned off by Maricela's competitiveness and willingness to do anything–even cheat–to win Student of the Month.

Throughout the day of the fiesta, Maricela competed with Lucky for attention from the trick rider Javier (even trying to impress him with her fluency in Spanish), and after disposing of Lucky from the festivities by embarrassing her, then competed with Pru on the singing stage.

On the night of Turo's Harvest Hunt, Maricela announced (to the indifference of everyone else) that she had given up her pursuit of Javier's affections in favor of Lucky's cousin Julian. She joined the girls' team (suggesting a rename of the "PAL" to the "PALM" to include herself) but was more hindrance than help in winning the competition.

When Miradero was overcome with frontier flu, Maricela joined Lucky on a mission to discover the fate of a waylaid train that was supposed to deliver vital medicine. Maricela began to get along with Lucky, and even to develop a respect for, if not a fondness of, Junipero. Maricela saved Lucky's life by ringing the bell of the church to guide Lucky and Spirit back to town in the blizzard. They became closer friends after that.

Over the summer, while the PAL joined El Circo Dos Grillos, Maricela acquired a bicycle, and took a liking to Turo. With her bike, she became a nuisance to the PAL, following them everywhere, and again referring to them as the "PALM".

The following Halloween, Maricela assisted Turo in orchestrating a prank on the PAL in Miner's Grove. She impersonated the ghost of Sadie Crouthers, scaring Lucky and her friends, and all of them had a laugh.

On Season 8, she was also accepted to Tides Run Academy. But before following Lucky back to Miradero, she admits to Turo she likes him, and kisses him.

## Quotes

* "*Careful, or you'll end up covered in mud and smelling like a stable, although most of the kids in this town prefer it that way*."
* "*She was being polite*." [Lucky being questioned why petting the horses]
* "*They're dirty, smelly animals, and their horses aren't much better*." [Insulting Pru, Abigail, Boomerang, and Chica Linda]
* "*A hot fudge sundae with extra ice cream, extra fudge, extra nuts, and extra, extra whip cream. And five cherries. De-stemmed...Mmm! I'm going to need a second one*."
* "*Stupid outdoors*!"
* "*Now you will be my guests for all eternity*!"
* Maricela: "*My beautiful hair*!"

Snips: "*My beautiful ice cream*!" [Said multiple times (twice).]

* "*I, Maricela Melena Gutierrez...am purple!*" (Maricela pranked for April Fool's Day.)
* "*But now that we've had our fun, never...ever...do that to me again*." (Maricela, terrifying.)

## Songs

Maricela sings a number of vocal warmups and songs, including "O Frontier, Thou Art My Father", "My Lady Left Me and Now I'm Blue", "Smile", and even her own spin on the chorus to "Riding Free".

## Trivia

* She once shared some similarities with Carmelita Spats from *A Series of Unfortunate Events.* Although, unlike Carmelita, Maricela shows many redeeming qualities (which Carmelita lacks completely) and has become a true friend towards the protagonists, along with redeeming completely by becoming the girls’ friend.
* Maricela's surname, Gutierrez, was given in books before it was finally referenced on the show, along with her middle name, in "Lucky and the Jam Jam".
* Maricela saved Lucky by ringing the church bell; Lucky saved Maricela by ringing her bicycle bell.
* Maricela shows interest in the Show Horses study course when presented the idea by Headmaster Perkins, mainly due to the fact that Mystery is a show horse.
* Maricela finally learns how to ride a horse in Riding Academy, which cements her place in the "PALMs".

## References

1. ↑ "Lucky and the Unbreakable Spirit"
2. ↑ "Lucky and the Competition Conundrum"
3. ↑ "Lucky and the Cowboy Next Door"
4. ↑ "Lucky and the Harvest Hunt"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Lucky and the Deadly Blizzard"
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Lucky and the Two-Wheeled Terror"
7. ↑ "Lucky and the Ghostly Gotcha!"
8. ↑ "Lucky and the New Frontier"
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Lucky and the Not-So-Secret Surprise"
10. ↑ "Lucky and the Patchwork Plan"
11. ↑ *Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins*
12. ↑ *Spirit Riding Free: Lucky and the Mustangs of Miradero*