learn to be a cowboy

That’s Rocco, the head honcho at Cowboy College, with his horse Viejo Vaquero, which means “Old Cowboy” don’t you know.

When I first spoke with Lori Bridwell, whose late husband, Lloyd Bridwell, founded Arizona Cowboy College in 1989, she made sure I knew what I was getting myself into. “This isn’t a dude ranch,” she said. “There’s no luxury involved.” I’d be sleeping in a dusty barn with a half-dozen other greenhorns, getting up at the crack of dawn to catch and groom my horse, and spend long days learning to handle, groom, saddle, mount, and ride a horse. The only thing Lori guaranteed me was that afterwards, I’d be sore for days.

Rocco Wachman, the head instructor at Cowboy College, was just as blunt: “I’m not the least bit interested in teaching anyone how to play cowboy for a week,” he said a little before six Monday morning. “I’m here to teach you to be a cowboy. Which is mean, nasty, dirty, hard physical labor. Now let’s go find our ponies.”

Don’t you think I’m going to love this?