by Casie Bazay
October 14, 2020, was a day that would forever change the lives of many Colorado residents, including Ami Cullen and the rest of the staff at the C Lazy U, a century-old dude ranch near the town of Granby. That was the day the East Troublesome wildfire began in the Arapaho National Forest, an event that would ultimately become the second-largest wildfire in Colorado history.
Fueled by high winds, drought, an abundance of beetle-killed trees, and low humidity, the East Troublesome Fire was one of the most rapid fire expansions ever. It continued to spread for more than a month and a half, burning a total of 193,812 acres.
Cullen has worked at the C Lazy U for more than a decade, but when she took on the position of director of equine operations, she never dreamed she would be responsible for moving the ranch’s 200 horses — not once but twice — to save them from a terrifying and fast-moving wildfire. That monumental task would inspire Cullen to write Running Free, in which she shares her experience rescuing the C Lazy U horses.
Cullen noted that her goal in writing the book was twofold: One, she wanted to document the incredible events of the wildfire and how the equestrian community stepped up to help save the C Lazy U horses. Two, she wanted to share part of her own story — of how she traded her life as a big-city attorney from the Northeast for a very different type of life in Colorado, realizing her true passion in the process.
Moving into Ranch Life
Cullen’s upbringing with horses began like that of many other people — she started with riding lessons and eventually got a horse of her own. In her mid-twenties, she was immersed in the hunter-jumper world, but she began to vacation at the C Lazy U with her best friend every year and quickly became enamored with ranch life and western riding.
“I knew only English riding in an arena and horses that were kept in stalls,” said Cullen. “I was amazed at seeing 200 horses all getting along in one giant corral. It was such a different way of life.”
Eventually, Cullen decided to move to Colorado and take a job as a seasonal wrangler at the ranch she so loved, trading a six-figure salary for a much, much smaller one. However, she saw it as a temporary job which would allow her to enjoy rugged ranch life for a short time until she could become licensed to practice law in Colorado. It wasn’t long before Cullen realized she didn’t want to go back to her old life. Over the years, she worked her way up from wrangler to operations manager and then to her current position as director of equine operations.
Moving Horses to Safety
Although Cullen decided to fictionalize many aspects of Running Free, the events of the wildfire and the actions that members of the equestrian community took to save the ranch’s horses are all true. Many local community members volunteered to trailer the horses when they were moved to a pasture about 10 miles from their home ranch. When that pasture also became threatened by the fire, Cullen turned to social media to recruit help in a hurry.
“Some people drove from three or more hours away to help. It was amazing to see how the equestrian community always steps up,” Cullen said.
As one might imagine, loading 200 horses, some of which hadn’t left the C Lazy U in more than 20 years, was a feat in itself. Amazingly, only about a half dozen horses put up a fuss about loading into the volunteers’ trailers, but Cullen and her crew patiently worked with those horses, eventually getting them to safety.
As a result of Cullen’s quick thinking, the help of ranch staff, and the generosity of the Colorado equestrian community, all the horses survived. The C Lazy U itself lost much of the fencing, seven member homes, all the hay supply along with hay sheds, two staff houses, and a guest cabin. Amazingly, the lodge and many other structures survived.
The C Lazy U reopened to visitors in the spring of 2021, although the staff had to modify operations somewhat for safety reasons. Even though many structures and pastures had been damaged by the fire, Cullen was astounded by the regrowth that occurred the next spring.
“The wildflowers that grew after the fire were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” she said. In her book, Cullen shares not only the hardship of escaping the wildfire but also the hope that comes with new beginnings.
You can purchase Running Free on Amazon.
