Chico Deon is determined to get the Mexican or Charro-style saddle back where it belongs because it’s the cowboy — and Christian — thing to do.
HOUSTON — You may have seen Chico Deon and his horse Estrella trotting down Houston streets over the years. The lifelong cowboy is a familiar sight on the northside.
Two weeks ago, a passerby flagged him down and said he had a saddle for sale off Waco Street.
“I follow him to an old abandoned house, and inside the abandoned house was a grocery cart,” Deon said.
He bought some items but left the Mexican or Charro-style saddle behind. Then, the lifelong cowboy and car mechanic had a change of heart.
“I feel like the Holy Spirit told me, said, ‘Hey, man, go back and get this stuff and find out who the rightful owner is,'” Deon told KHOU 11.
So, he went back and bought everything for less than $100. He said it’s easily worth thousands.
Now, Deon is on a mission to find its owner.
“Whoever saddle this is, he must rope. He got to rope because you got rope burns around here,” Deon said.
He believes the bit and other equipment are priceless — and not just for sentimental reasons.
“Once you train your horse with certain bits? This is stuff that you use for your horse. Always,” Deon explained.
There’s no name or serial number branded onto the gear, but Deon found a clue. The word kawayo is printed on the horse blanket. It’s a twist on caballo, the Spanish word for horse.
Because of that, and the style of the saddle, he believes the owner is a Spanish speaker. That’s why Deon, who is Afro-Cuban, posted on social media in English and Spanish.
We asked the veteran of rodeos and trail rides why he’s going to all this trouble.
“I had my stuff stolen, too. I’ve had my tack, I’ve had a trailer and stuff, so I know how that feel,” Deon said. “I live by Christian standards, and I also live by the cowboy standards, and that’d be the thing to do.”
That’s the cowboy way.
If the owner can describe the tack accurately, contact Deon at 832-306-8481 or email us at newstips@khou.com. Deon doesn’t expect anything in return.
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