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.<\/p>\n
HOUSTON \u2014 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, a passerby flagged him down and said he had a saddle for sale off Waco Street.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I follow him to an old abandoned house, and inside the abandoned house was a grocery cart,” Deon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
So, he went back and bought everything for less than $100. He said it’s easily worth thousands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, Deon is on a mission to find its owner.<\/p>\n
“Whoever saddle this is, he must rope. He got to rope because you got rope burns around here,” Deon said.<\/p>\n
He believes the bit and other equipment are priceless — and not just for sentimental reasons.<\/p>\n
“Once you train your horse with certain bits? This is stuff that you use for your horse. Always,” Deon explained.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We asked the veteran of rodeos and trail rides why he’s going to all this trouble. \u00a0<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
If the owner can describe the tack accurately, contact Deon<\/a> at 832-306-8481 or email us at newstips@khou.com. Deon doesn’t expect anything in return.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking<\/p>\n