Chance Ward’s 17-year-old son Rowdy wrestles a wrought iron fence to free a stranded horse from chest-high flood waters in a video his father shot Monday. Ward cheerfully narrates their heroic adventures and uploads the videos to Facebook where the pair have become instant celebrities. The Wards and several other real-life cowboys have spent the past several days patrolling the water-logged Texas landscape for animals in peril.
“Whatever you do, don’t let your kids grow up to be cowboys,” Ward quips as his son rescues the frightened animal.
Let’s hope the more than 10 million viewers of his Facebook video do not take this advice to heart! If not for the bravery of cowboys like Chance and Rowdy Ward, countless livestock and pets would succumb to the disastrous flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.
Several additional videos show the Wards and their gang of horseback heroes rescuing a large herd of cattle. The water nearly covers their horses’ backs in some areas and several of the animals are forced to swim as the group leads them to safety.
According to Ward’s post, this rescue effort included “several hundred” head of cattle. The experienced horseman wrote that he has chosen to focus on helping animals through this disaster because so many others have already stepped up to aid people in need.
Featured Image via Facebook/Chance Ward
