by Mike Deering
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Many Colorado kids refer to cowboy Fred Ellis as an extraordinary man. If you ask Ellis, he’ll tell you he’s just another worn-out cowboy dwelling in the mountains. The Rio Blanco County Farm Bureau member calls Meeker, Colo., in the far northwest corner of the state, home. He tells folks he lives right between nowhere and here.
What sets Ellis apart from other cowboys making their living on the back of a steady ranch horse dates back to 1998. Ellis, who enjoys putting his life experiences into rhyming words, putting on shows, telling stories and sharing poetry based on real-life happenings, had an awakening. At a cowboy poetry gathering, Ellis’s heart told him to take his poetry to prison.
Along with some friends, Ellis went to church in Rifle, Colo., and saw a group of prisoners waiting to be baptized. It was then he decided to follow his heart. Of the 27 prisons in the state, Ellis now visits 22 annually. As he started regularly making appearances in front of inmates, telling of his life in poems and stories, several prisoners began making similar requests. They said they really wished their kids could go on a trail ride and see the countryside. He did some planning and made it all happen.
Along with a slew of volunteers, Ellis takes children of inmates on week-long horseback excursions in the wooded, high territory owned by the government. The first year, four kids joined Ellis. Last year, nearly 30 participated. Ellis is often confronted with critics telling him children of inmates are not victims, but he begs to differ. He said these kids are often shunned by the community and written off as failures. Ellis knows that stigma firsthand. His mom, dad and brother all served jail or prison time. Ellis just wants to show these kids that there is a different life out there.
He said the rules are strict, but they all have a ball, and they all come back. He said he is not trying to be a father figure, just simply bridging the gap between a lost parent and a doubtful child.
Ellis spends a large portion of the year seeking funding and donations for the summer trail rides. He has not had much luck getting grants and depends on the generosity of individuals donating cash, horses or supplies. He also spends a lot of his own money. In fact, he loses money, but said, that is neither here nor there, he will do it anyway. Farm Bureau members like Ellis are legendary for carrying the Christmas spirit 365 days a year.
"I never thought at 62 years old, two years past ancient, I would be taking a bunch of teenagers around the mountains on horseback," said Ellis. "But regret is nonexistent."
For more information, visit Ellis’ Web site – www.christiancowboyministries.org.
(Mike Deering is a director of news services at the American Farm Bureau Federation)