RUF RIDERS

“Streets raised us, horses saved us” We stop by the Compton Cowboys in a Ruf Rodeo.

- JACK RIX

Clutch fully out in first gear is just a smidge too fast, so I’m being forced to balance it on the biting point and my left thigh is, frankly, burning like a bastard. All I have to do is drive slowly in a straight line, but that’s easier said than done when the flanks of two sizeable horses are practically brushing the rear quarter windows, while spurred boots dangle precariously close to the wing mirrors. One sneeze and the insurance claim will be surpassed only by the veterinary bill... and yet I can’t grimace, only grin, as we roll around the neighbourhood in a Signal Orange, jacked up 911 tribute, escorted four deep by the Compton Cowboys.

The city of Compton, in the orbit of Los Angeles, is indelibly linked with rap royalty like NWA and Kendrick Lemar, but also gang violence, drugs and poverty, a perception happily hyped by the music and film industries. Understandable then, that my plan to drive a $1.25m carbon fibre sports car into the heart of Compton to meet a bunch of strangers was met with a few raised eyebrows. But the message this bunch are preaching isn’t guns and gangs, it’s peace, love and education through a medium you'd least expect to find in the middle of the urban sprawl.

We're here to meet a collective of mould breakers who turned their back on the streets to pursue something more meaningful, to make their mark on the community they love, and show kids they can choose which path to take. We're here in a Ruf Rodeo because badge/ story alignment doesn’t get any better than this, and obvious is underrated. Really, it’s our Trojan horse, to take some cool pictures, have a drive and to hear the cowboys’ incredible story first hand.