WOOD JR.: Compton, California, has long had a reputation
as one of the most dangerous places in America
to be a young black person.
In fact, Compton's homicide rate
is more than four and a half times the national average.
But here...
there's a group who believes that they have the secret
to keeping kids off the street.
Meet the Compton Cowboys.
Literally, black people in Compton
on horses, in traffic, wearing sandals with socks.
'Cause that's perfectly normal.
The Compton Cowboys began in the 1980s
as the Compton Jr. Posse,
an after-school horseback riding program
at a farm in the middle of the city.
The founder, Mayisha Akbar, described it this way.
We were in competition with gangs,
so we had to provide the same things that gangs did,
camaraderie, you know, an extended family, a safe haven.
WOOD: Mayisha retired in 2017 but many members of the posse
are still spreading her message and some fertilizer.
All right, so, basically, your gang,
instead of bandanas and gang signs,
y'all just leave horse shit everywhere
-around the neighborhood. -(horse exhales)
-That's how we mark our terrain, man. -Stop slobbering on me.
That's how you leave our mark.
But you're still a black man riding
a half ton animal through the hood.
How are the cops not all up in your horse's butt?
-Have you seen Harry Potter ? -Yeah.
(laughs) Yo, that's how it is with the horse.
It's like putting on a cloak.
Like, with the gangbangers and the police. Like...
-So you just become invisible -Yeah.
-to all the bullshit. -To all the bullshit.
I was just about to say that.
(both laugh)
Can I have some of the weed you smoking?
Yeah. I love to share, man.
WOOD: Cowboy Lil Wayne is right,
even if you're riding with a buzz,
it's not like your horse is gonna have a broken tail light
and the cops damn sure ain't searching that trunk,
but horses don't just protect people on the outside,
turns out they can heal you on the inside.
We're all traumatized, you know,
from, you know, seeing the shit that we see.
You know, people getting shot around you, people dying.
I can't even tell you how many conversations I've had
with people who say, "Man, my horse saved me."
WOOD: Keiara, the first cowgirl among the Compton cowboys
was one of those people.
My little brother was killed to gang violence four years ago.
Sometimes, when I can't function or articulate my words,
and just really in a bad mood, I just go to my horse.
It's just that energy is just so peaceful.
WOOD: It's clear that taking care of horses
can have a life-changing effect.
I need to fire my therapist and stock up on oats.
But what's the first step to creating this beautiful bond
between man and horse?
The first thing we got to do is we got to clean the stalls.
Got to clean the poop up.
You ready to clean the poop?
You open the poop up, make sure they don't got no runs or worms.
This right here is a good one.
-See how it's nice and solid? -(Wood exhaling forcefully)
-You know, run it through. -(groaning)
WOOD: I'd rather get jumped by the bloods than touch shit.
Let's skip all this turd whispering.
It's time for this cowboy to saddle up.
Yee-haw.
Did I say that right?
Squeeze with this leg and he'll go that way.
-Squeeze to the left-left? -Take the rein that way.
Like that. Take your right hand and go that way.
-Okay, I went left. -(laughs)
That's fine. I wanted to go left.
WOOD: I was so good,
they gave me my own travel-size starter horse.
Now that I was an official member,
I could give them some branding advice.
Y'all need a handshake.
CJP. (whinnies)
I let you make the noise.
WOOD: Okay, this cowboy shit makes for a nice little hobby,
but one Compton cowboy thinks you could also make it
a career as a bareback rider.
-I rodeo professionally. -But, I mean, that's not like
rapping or being an athlete or a comedian like...
I would be considered a professional athlete.
-So you're a professional professional. -Yeah.
Paycheck, cable bill.
-Cash money. -Light bill, from a horse.
You win, they pay you.
You just ride for eight seconds,
and they judge you on who rides the best.
You got to go bareback and see if you can last eight seconds.
I guess you could call it that, yeah.
I can't make it eight seconds bareback.
Oh, shit. (laughs)
WOOD: In fact, bareback riding
is 30 times more dangerous than pro football,
but no one gets a helmet, not even the horse.
And Tre is one of the top 50 riders worldwide,
so I had to see him in action.
(announcer speaking indistinctly)
WOOD: Then... shit got really real.
(crowd reacting)
Oh, snap. No.
Come on, Tre. Get up, get up. Get up. Come on.
MAN: Hey, hey, hey. Watch yourself.
But suddenly...
he was back on his feet.
I had to go thank him for not dying.
I got no words for you, man, other than respect, man.
Oh, my God.
These Compton cowboys are some of the bravest, toughest,
highest, craziest people I've ever met.
But there was still one thing
about Mr. Rodeo that I didn't get.
You are black and you grew up around danger.
Why would you add more danger on top of your danger?
That's like a triple cheeseburger of danger.
I would much rather get hurt that way
and go out and be (bleep) up
because a bareback horse (bleep) me up,
-than get shot out here. -CJP, baby.
-CJP. (whinnies) -Yeah. You do it.
(laughs) No. I can't.
I can't get with that right there.
-You, you can do that. -Okay. That's what's up.
That's cool. That's cool.
♪ ♪