This past week was one of the most exciting weeks on the road thus far. CWW Feed Store in San Ysidro and all of their staff not only offered a perfect place for the ponies, Emma and me to rest, they also rocked my world.
Connie Collis, the store’s owner, opened her home to Emma and I treating us like family! The horses were fed like royalty as they rested for the entire week. I feel blessed to have ridden into San Ysidro and met Connie. She is a tremendous person.
Inside the CWW store is a wild exhibition of mounted animals from around the globe. Connie’s late husband, Dave Collis, hunted the best places in the world and now his trophies lie inside this intimate feed and tack store. Zebras, bears, and lions from countries like Tanzania, Mexico, and Canada fill two rooms.
”My husband was an adventurer and always found a way to do what he loved,” Connie told me.
During my time in San Ysidro I also had the opportunity to meet a Cowboy I will never forget! Charlie Greene is one of those characters you don’t meet very often. The former bull rider, who still fights bulls, farrier and horse trainer took me under his wing for the week. We drank beers, fed horses, team roped, exchanged stories, and even rode bulls at his bull riding school.
“There are a lot of kids around here who don’t have much to do. I like to teach them how to ride bulls because that rope can one day pay for their college education,” Charlie said.
Over the course of two days, Charlie worked with kids as young as 7-years-old at the “Totally Gnarley” school. The school is part of his “Hang Loose Bucking Bulls” company, which got its name from Charlie’s love for the ocean.
“When I worked in California, we would surf during our lunch break and then go back to shoeing horses,” said Charlie.
A lover of surfing myself, I really connected with Charlie and when he asked if I wanted to get on a bull I couldn’t say no. Having grown up around the rodeo, bull riding had been a dream of mine since I as long as I can remember, but fear had always kept me off of these beasts. Having just celebrated my 26 birthday, I thought this was the perfect opportunity.
Sliding on top of that first bull was probably one of the scariest moments of my life! You can feel him under you just waiting to blow out of that chute. As the cowboys pulled my rope tight, my heart went off like a machine gun. I wrapped the rope around my hand and closed my fist around it as tight as possible. Sliding up on top of the rope I got ready and after a deep breath I nodded my head. Next thing I knew I was riding this sucker down the arena! It was an unbelievable feeling. After about 4 seconds he made a turn and I bailed off hard.
“Nice ride! Your mechanics were perfect,” Charlie yelled from the chutes as I picked up my hat.
I felt like a million bucks! I was shaking and smiling like never before. The only thing left to do was to get back on. I rode two more times and managed to stay on for the 8 second mark once.
I can’t thank Connie and Charlie enough for all of their help and support.
