THE BACKBONE OF OUR RANCH
Through rain and snow and sleet and hail, through heat and cold and Santa Ana winds, this month’s featured volunteer brings brawn AND brains to the Ranch that the horses own!
Rarely does a Sunday go by that we don’t see a strong and silent worker working diligently at the Ranch. Our hat is off this month to Cody Clark, volunteer extraordinaire!
According to Susan Peirce, Cody is more than just brawn. “Cody is a highly valued volunteer who spends almost every Sunday with us at the Ranch. He is a wonderful team member who has formed an indelible bond with Steve Blades. They truly have forged a fantastic partnership! Cody is here rain or shine, hot or cold; it’s not unusual to find him working hard in 110 degree temperatures, or on cold and rainy days. Cody’s primary role is to support Ranch operations; he has a wonderful service orientation and work ethic. He thrives on forming and nurturing relationships such as the one with Steve. It is a mutually beneficial relationship and together they make people smile as they link arms and tackle the tough tasks.”
The Ranch was blessed to land on Cody’s radar last year; he found out about Red Bucket while watching the feature film Emma’s Chance. He lives nearby and was excited about the opportunity to be around horses again. “I’ve learned so much about them, and donkeys! I try to help wherever I’m needed, mostly on the feed crew or working with Steve Blades on Ranch maintenance items such as corner feeders, slow feeders, and keeping the lines to the misters clear. That’s super important in the summer to help keep the horses cool.” Cody also helped out with maintenance tasks and basic preparation for the Ruby Red Gala and was proud to be part of such a wonderful event.
Steve Blades, Cody’s mentor and biggest fan, has this to say about our valuable team member: “Cody is a great guy and an excellent worker. He generally mucks stalls and helps with feeding the horses. He loves horses and enjoys caring for them. He will do whatever is asked of him and does so with a smile. He is very mechanically inclined and routinely comes up with ideas to fix things. If I owned a business and was looking for a good
worker, I would hire him in a heartbeat. I can’t say enough good things about Cody. I wish we had more like him.”
Other team members also rave about Cody. “Cody was captivated by our horses the moment he stepped boots on our Ranch,” recounts Michelle Walker. “He was even more drawn in by the work he could offer. His partnership with Steve is amazing; they even share the same birthday! Cody is completely selfless, supports our team 100%, and will do whatever needs to be done around the Ranch. I’ve seen him climbing ladders in the blistering heat, and even bringing team members ice water when our fridge went on the fritz in the middle of a heat wave. He handles the down and dirty jobs with pleasure, and although his work is labor intensive, he always has a smile on his face and an attitude of gratitude. Cody is the perfect example of Red Bucket culture: Service to the horses and respect for everyone at the Ranch.”
Even our own Andrea Velarde chimes in: “Cody Clark is such a sweetheart! He came to us with a basic understanding of horses but no real experience, but he caught on quickly and has become an integral and dependable member of our team. Even in extreme weather, Cody is committed to spending the entire day at the Ranch doing chores. And he tackles every job with love, for the task AND for the horses!”
With this type of dedication and commitment, it’s no wonder that Cody Clark has won over the hearts of our team and our residents. Thank you Cody for all you do to help us save our horses and preserve our Ranch!