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13 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

“Amarillo,” my herd sire so I needed some good outside blood. I had sold a lot of mares

around the country and to continue raising horses, the new mares are a must. I decided, like my

Uncle Trent did a few years ago, that I need to bring in the new mares to keep the Tamale

bloodline going and so I’m riding to Old Mexico to try to do some horse trading. I’ve already

been warned that the feller I’m going to see is a real hard case when it comes to us north of the

border folks.

I’ve heard that he lives in a desert. I can’t figure how anyone can survive in a Mexican

desert. Everything that lives in the desert is tough or it couldn’t survive. I knew I would be

dealing with a tough man. It is said that he lost some cattle and a wife to a white man a few

years ago and he never got over it. I’m not looking for a wife, his or anybody else’s and I

already own all the cattle that I’ve got country for as it is. I’m just looking for some good

mares.

I was facing a long tiring ride and at times I wondered why I didn’t simply take the train.

I wanted this man to see a couple of my horses. I could have loaded my horses on a train in

Raton, and unloaded them in El Paso. It would have cost money and it would have saved time.

I had more time than money so I picked the two toughest horses that I owned. I was riding a son

of Tamale that I called Rocky and leading a half brother named Julio and he was as tough as they

came. Both horses were in excellent condition for this long ride. I was hoping that I was also.

I swapped back and forth and rode them both pretty hard. By the compliments I got, I knew

they still looked good. I carried with me a small amount of camping gear and supplies. I bought

more supplies when I could and stopped at some of the ranches on the way for permission to

water my horses every chance I had.

Most folks were glad to have some company and everyone wanted to hear any

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