KEVIN SCHWARTZ

Horns N’ Heroes for me was unexpectedly life altering. My wife and I had suffered the loss of our son, a loss thankfully unimaginable for most. We had been muddling our way through the months and years after finding comfort and healing in our horses. When I found out that Charly Crawford had accepted my application and awarded me a chance to participate in Horns N’ Heroes, I was honored and ecstatic. The clinic provided me with so many tips and skills to rebuild my roping from the ground up and to just have the opportunity to learn from Charly and rope with Hunter Koch was an opportunity I could not have even dreamed up. But I came away with something more profound and more and eye opening than just roping skills.  Roping is incredibly humbling and in stripping me down to the core of my errors and mistakes, it unearthed the delayed realization that I don’t always have to excel at something out of the gate and I don’t have to be angry or frustrated about that. I can go back to the basics and build and maybe just not be so hard on myself. I came filled with anxiety and the desire to impress and not disappoint but I left with a brotherhood of solidarity and personal revelation that is guiding me toward healing and gratitude. Thank you to Charly and all the Horns N’ Heroes village that so selflessly make this experience a soul building one for all of our military and first responders year after year. Thank you for being a part of my journey.