Compton Cowboys facts for kids

The Compton Cowboys are a special group of friends from Compton, a city near Los Angeles. They use horseback riding and horse culture to help young people in their community. They also work to change old, unfair ideas about African-Americans.

How It All Started

This group of friends first met in the late 1990s. They joined the Compton Jr. Posse, a non-profit group in a part of Compton called Richland Farms. The Jr. Posse taught them all about horses and riding. Mayisha Akbar started the Jr. Posse in Compton. It has been a home for African-American horseback riders since the 1980s.

Many of the Compton Cowboys learned about the Jr. Posse from friends and family. They also saw other riders in their neighborhoods and became interested.

Compton could be a tough place back then. Horse riding gave them a great way to spend their time. It was a positive choice instead of other less helpful paths some kids might take. The Cowboys found a passion that helped them and others in their community.

Daily Life with Horses

The Compton Cowboys all work together to care for their horses. A typical day includes cleaning the stables and giving the horses fresh food. They also ride and train their horses, along with other important tasks.

The group also competes in different events. One of their big goals is to join the rodeo world. They want to show that African Americans belong in rodeo, which often has mostly white participants. The Cowboys keep competing and are also invited to perform in parades in the Los Angeles area. Some members are very good at events like bull riding and English Hunter-Jumper.

How They Get Support

The group gets help from donations by sponsors and former members. They also get support from their local community and government grants. These resources help pay for the horses on the ranch. Taking care of horses and a riding group can be very costly.

Horses used by the Cowboys can cost a lot of money. However, they sometimes get horses from auctions for much less. These horses have often been hurt or not cared for properly.

The members have enough riding gear and equipment. But you might often see them riding their horses without a saddle. They say that riding this way helps them build a strong connection with their horses. This bareback riding has become part of their unique style.

Their Important Mission

The Compton Cowboys have a motto: "the streets raised us, the horses saved us." The team works to offer a good path and positive role models for young people in the city. This helps kids stay away from negative influences. As former members of the youth program, they work closely with the Compton Junior Equestrians. They offer positive guidance and support through horseback riding and horse culture.

The group also works to fight stereotypes about African Americans. They do this through their presence in the media. They represent African Americans from the past and today who have not been shown enough in the rodeo and cowboy world. They also challenge other ways African Americans have been shown unfairly in media. The 2020 documentary film Fire on the Hill tells the story of three urban cowboys from South Central Los Angeles. It includes members of the Compton Cowboys. The film shows their efforts to save their community stable, "The Hill," after a fire.

During the 2025 Greater Los Angeles wildfires, Randy Savvy, a co-founder of the Compton Cowboys, helped move horses to safety from areas at risk.

Challenging Stereotypes

The Cowboys work to show a different picture that challenges African-American stereotypes. This includes fighting ideas linked to negative portrayals that are sometimes common.

The media rarely shows cowboys as African Americans. But after the American Civil War, there were many African American cowboys. Some estimates say that one in four cowboys in the 1800s was of African-American descent. Cowboys are a big part of American history and culture. Fighting this stereotype is a goal for the Compton Cowboys. By doing so, they show an important part of American history and culture that has often been overlooked.

See also

• Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club
• New York City Federation of Black Cowboys
• Oakland Black Cowboy Association
• African-American trail rides