Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If Rocco Wachman, the head wrangler-instructor at Arizona Cowboy College, looks
vaguely familiar, it could be because you've seen him on CMT's hit TV series
Cowboy U,
which takes “city slickers” through the paces of cowboy boot camp
“where wimps are not welcome, phones are forbidden, and the outdoor shower is
considered a luxury.” According to the CMT website, it's the longest-running ori-
ginal series on the network. In six mud-and-manure-covered seasons, contestants
have mastered horse survival skills, bull riding, and calf roping before a grueling
trail ride and final rodeo challenge, with the winners walking off with a $25,000
prize.
In the evenings, you'll grill hamburgers and steaks over a barbecue pit, and Rocco Wach-
man, the head instructor who wouldn't be caught dead without his white Stetson, will get out
his guitar and sing campfire songs.
The Bridwell Ranch is located in the Sonoran Desert just outside Scottsdale. The prop-
erty backs up to Tonto National Forest with the McDowell Mountains rimming the edge. The
desert landscape is dominated by all things prickly, including centuries-old saguaro cactuses,
scratchy mesquite, and chollas, which some claim throw their spiny branches at unsuspecting
passersby.
Classes are limited to eight students and are scheduled ten months out of the year to
coincide with the spring and fall roundups. The $2,250 tuition includes all meals and rustic
bunkhouse accommodations.
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
Arizona Cowboy College,
Lorill Equestrian Center, 30208 N. 152nd Street, Scottsdale, AZ
85262, 888-330-8070 or 480-471-3151, www.cowboycollege.com.
