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In celebration of Universal’s newest film, “Twisters,” Black Love is taking a look at the Cali Cowboy Company. Much like the characters in “Twisters,” who work together to accomplish a goal, the Cali Cowboy Company is a tight-knit group who lean on one another for support.
“It does feel like an adventure everyday,” she tells Black Love about riding horses. “It’s a really big part of what keeps you coming back — because there is a lot of risk involved.”
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In “Twisters,” Glen Powells’ character, Tyler Owens, emphasizes that “fear is the reason you do it.” According to Owens and other characters in the film, “you don’t face your fears, you ride them.” It’s a sentiment that LonDen and the Cali Cowboy Company agree with.
“When I’m caught in the storm of my biggest fears, I ride them,” the mother of two says about overcoming obstacles. “There’s no other way. You gotta kinda trust your feet, put them firmly in your stirrups and push your horse forward, if you will.”
LonDen is one of six founders of the Cali Cowboy Company, which recently welcomed Ashley Johns to the crew. Ashley was first introduced to riding by friend and Cali Cowboy Company co-founder Rafael Casal in 2023, according to the LAist. Having grown up in Oakland, Ashley initially thought horseback riding was a sport for the white and wealthy.
After riding through her misconceptions, she realized that horsemanship is an activity the Black community can enjoy too.
“It’s true, you just ride it out,” Ashley tells Black Love about fighting fear. “Like, it’s to go through it. I’ve started to face [fear]. If something scares me, I’m going towards it.”
“As soon as I arrive at the ranch, I feel a sense of calm,” Ashley adds. “There’s nothing like having a horse come up to you. When I find myself in the eye of the storm of my fear, there’s something about being able to say that I ride 1200-pound creatures, and get them to do what I want, that makes you stand up a little taller.”
Cali Cowboy Company member Armett Johnson tells Black Love that his biggest fear is having fear itself. Much like the “Twisters” characters, whose motto is “if you feel it, chase it,” Arnett believes that “you should live with no fear and be very passionate about life.”
The Cali Cowboy Company demonstrates that passion on their 2-acre ranch, where they work and ride their horses on surrounding mountain trails. LonDen is often met with skepticism about her cowgirl lifestyle, but she isn’t swayed by the pushback. She so passionately loves horsemanship that she is teaching her two daughters, 12-year-old Laila Aklilu and 10-year-old Kyla, how to tend to horses.
LonDen stresses that you do not have to “look a certain way, have a certain status, [or] a certain amount in the bank” to pursue horseback riding. As the characters in “Twisters” note, if you are passionate about something, you should go after it with all your strength.
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“I’m a horse woman through and through,” LonDen concludes. “I love what we are attempting to do. I love the goals that we have set. I love the plans that we’re making. It’s really about community and bringing all types of different riders together for camaraderie, for entertainment, for all sorts of things that we can come together and really have a good time doing. And exposing everybody to different types of riding cultures, while also still celebrating ours.”
“Twisters” will be available to watch in theaters nationwide on Friday, July 19. Fans, make sure to get your tickets now.
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