Riding Horses on the South Side: These are Chicago’s urban cowboys

Daniel Johnson, 16, arrived at the riding center in Chicago’s south suburbs during a Sunday afternoon blizzard. Despite the adverse weather, he wasted no time. 

He guided Django, a paint gelding, to the side of the pen and methodically brushed the horse from forehead to heel. He draped a blanket over Django’s back before diligently clipping the straps around the horse. Murdock, his riding coach, watched over Johnson’s every move.

“This is something I’ve been blessed with,” Murdock said. “I share that with people that I try to teach how to ride or compete in the rodeos.”

When Murdock, who only uses one name, returned from serving in the Vietnam War in 1967, he vowed to bring horseback riding back to his hometown of Chicago, including to Black residents. Last month, the 77-year-old retired police officer celebrated the 37th anniversary of the Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club, which he founded and continues to lead.

Despite a rich history of Black cowboys in both Chicago and the U.S., Murdock said horseback riding is a sport that Black people often don’t do. 

“They just don’t have that opportunity,” he said,  adding that many still express curiosity. He said his goal has always been to expand the sport to make it more accessible.

On this particular Sunday, Johnson and his parents had filed into the arena and gathered around Murdock. Bursts of laughter cut through the hissing of a propane tank. Above the tank, a red hot lamp illuminated the vapor of their breath in the frigid January evening.

Darrell and RaMeka Johnson, Daniel’s parents, said they have been taking Daniel to lessons with Murdock for four years. Darrell Johnson said Murdock is like a grandfather to their son, one who can teach him things they themselves don’t know how to do. 

RaMeka Johnson agreed: “It feels like an extended family.” 

That is exactly what Murdock is going for. Building an urban riding community, he said, is important to him.

“We don’t have that many outlets, locally, to do things,” Murdock said. Consequently, Murdock has since created several events for Chicago horseback riders.

The club hosts three main events every summer: The Speed & Action Rodeo Horse Show, a Juneteenth ride through the South Side of Chicago and a High Noon Ride & Picnic. 

During previous High Noon Ride & Picnic events, over 225 horses paraded through Washington Park — where Murdock learned how to ride — ending on the shore of Lake Michigan. Riders, dressed in denim and western button-up shirts, trotted down the Chicago streets that once carried thousands of horses each day.

Chicago has a rich tradition of horseback riding. On weekends, the lakefront used to be filled with recreational riders utilizing Chicago’s bridle paths. In the 1960s, Chicago’s stables closed their doors as equestrianism retreated to the suburbs.

Murdock described how police officers would give riders a hard time for riding in Chicago when he first started the club in 1989. The Municipal Code of Chicago, however, states that an equestrian on a bridle path has the right of way. Despite challenges from local law enforcement, the club works to preserve the right and tradition to ride in Chicago.

“We’re still here,” Murdock said.

Access to a strong horseback riding community isn’t the only benefit of the club. Exposure to the sport helps unlock opportunities for new experiences, especially for the youth.

Taking the horses to schools, parks and parades fulfills Murdock’s desire to share his passion for horseback riding with other people, he said.

Despite being one of Chicago’s only multicultural riding clubs, Murdock is mostly concerned with how his members perform. “We try to set aside who we are, what we are and what we can do,” he said.

Part of Murdock’s appreciation for horseback riding is grounded in its therapeutic attributes. The sport forces the rider and horse to work together through a language of physical and audible signals, like smooching and “ch-ch” sounds.

“There’s a sense of calmness,” he said.  “It takes your mind off a lot of things because you’re dealing with another mind, so to speak.”

Tiffany Gray, a registered behavioral technician who works with students with special needs, shared the Sunday lesson with Daniel. She adjusted the final strap of the reins for Calypso, her chocolate and white gelding, and pushed a leather boot — its panels scaled like a snake’s skin — into the wooden stirrup hanging from the horse’s saddle. She then swung her leg over the horse’s back, towering over everyone.

With leather straps softly squeaking as the horses strode forward, she and Daniel and their horses trotted around the arena. Murdock emerged, a whip in hand, and the horses lined up.

“Now, get behind! Get behind and stay there,” Murdock said, his whip cracking and his voice booming off the walls.

While his coaching is occasionally stern, Gray said Murdock’s style always serves a purpose.

“You’ve gotta have tough skin,” she said, adding that she has never met a better coach for horseback riding. “He does not give up on you.”

Murdock said it’s also important for riders to gain confidence around the horses because they can sense when riders are tense, angry or scared. 

“When you’re in that saddle, they can feel all of it,” he said. So learning how to control emotions and communicate with the horse is central to the learning process.

Murdock raised his whip in the air and snapped his wrist to the side. The cracker popped against the ground at Calypso’s hoof. Neither Gray nor her horse flinched.

Learning how to control a horse benefits students beyond the arena. Gray said it helps her when working in her job with children. “That definitely requires a great amount of patience,” she said.

As the lesson ended, Daniel guided Django to the arena’s exit and stepped off the saddle. Faint steam shimmered off the horse’s flank as he quietly removed gear from the horse before leading it back to its stall.

Although Murdock has won several awards in recent months for his leadership, seeing his students grow is the real reward for him. Witnessing Tiffany develop her work ethic and Daniel his quiet discipline helps Murdock sleep at night. 

While Murdock acknowledges that the honor of leading the club is hard, he marvels at what he has built in the last three and a half decades.

“It’s very rewarding,” he said.