Special Interest Kenny and Tesoro

By: Darcy Howard, Production Animal Consultation

On a warm summer evening in western Kansas under the bright arena lights, if you are lucky you might see a new rodeo act performed by Ferny “Kenny” Carrillo Gutierrez and his handsome equine partner, Tesoro. Kenny and Tesoro entertain rodeo crowds with an act that brings honor to Kenny’s Mexican heritage with authentic costume, music and horsemanship.

Tesoro, which means treasure in Spanish, not only performs with Kenny, by bowing, sitting and laying down on cue, Tesoro is also used to ride pens at Lane County Feeders near Dighton, KS. Kenny has been with Lane County for the last 3.5 years. He indicated, “It has been the best feed yard for everything, people and cattle.”

Kenny came to the United States as a young man of fifteen. At his home in central Mexico, his family owned horses, mules and donkeys; however he had not ridden much once he started school as a young child. Once in the United States, he worked in the feedlot industry processing cattle. Kenny knew he wanted to grow his skills and move to the cowboy crew. It was shortly after his first job riding pens that he met two gentlemen that would help shape his future.

Dr. Wade Taylor and Dr. Tom Noffsinger consulted in the feed yard where Kenny was riding pens. Both of these veterinarians do more than consult on the health of cattle in the feed yards; each one of them spends time getting to know the crews that care for the cattle and horses. Kenny shared that Dr. Tom showed him a YouTube video of the well-known horse trainer, Stacy Westfall riding a black horse with no bridle or saddle. Kenny smiled as he said, “I teared up and knew that was awesome and I wanted to be able to do that.”

This modern day story cannot be told without giving some mention of Facebook. Kenny credits Facebook’s Garden City Trader page with helping him locate his then four year old Palamino partner. Tesoro, who is now nine years old, was purchased for $300. However, the price for this then unbroke stallion has turned out not to be his value. If you ask about his horse, Kenny will tell you, “He is everything to me. I have patience when I’m with horses, all my problems go away. I can spend hours with my horses.”

Kenny and Tesoro’s eight minute act has been seen in Kansas at venues in Atwood, Scott City, Ashland, Leoti, Greensburg and Coldwater. Kenny wears traditional Mexican clothing, including a sombrero while Mariachi and tamborazo instrumental music is played as he demonstrates his horsemanship on Tesoro. Kenny is proud of his heritage and is honored when the music of his native land can be heard.

Kenny is not the only one in the duo that respects the traditional folk music from Mexico. During their act in Coldwater, KS the rodeo announcer played country music instead of the expected Mexican music. Tesoro kept returning to the arena gate and would not perform on cue. When the announcer finally played the Mariachi music, Tesoro relaxed and performed his part of the act.

Kenny continues to work on his performance and has goals of adding some rope tricks to his act. He envisions Tesoro lying down while he stands on him spinning a lariat. He would also like to add another horse to the team. He is interested in the Friesian breed.

When asked if he wanted something specific mentioned in this article, Kenny replied, “I would like to thank Ted Howard for working with me on how cattle and horses react to pressure and release. This knowledge has truly helped me. I would also like to thank PAC and Dr. Taylor for keeping me in mind for this article. I want to show my gratitude by continuing to improve my stockmanship.”

In a world where we do not always hear these uplifting stories, it was a pleasure to spend time with Kenny and his passion and bright outlook. Tesoro isn’t the only treasure on this team. Kenny is a wonderful person and truly a treasure in his own right.