Kendré Allies’ is an authentic Urban Cowboy.

“I chose between a cowboy and a crook and I chose to be a cowboy, and I am a very good cowboy,” he says.

The Oude Molen Stables and Horse Riding School stand upon a hill with a large green open paddock that runs down to the Liesbeeck River, and the backdrop is an uninterrupted view of Devils Peak.  It’s an unexpected find, a haven of peace and urban beauty surrounded by two highways, hospitals, and high and low income housing. 
 
The owner of the stable is a remarkable 25-year-old man called Kendre Allies, who is a beacon of hope in a harsh urban environment for both kids and horses alike. This inspired individual was healed by working with horses, and is now giving back to the horses and children around him in his own private capacity, without funding, no board of trustees, no loads of worthy volunteers, or high flown philosophies. He is driven by a straightforward love of nature and horses.
 
Kendre Allies had a rough childhood on the streets of the working class neighbourhood of Garden Village, Cape Town. His parents had divorced by the time he was four and he spent his youth moving between their two homes, unhappy in both. As he grew up he became angrier and more violent. He hated school and played truant as often as possible, preferring to steal the horses for a ride from Uncle Lootjies, the old man next door. Uncle Lootjies began to notice Kendre’s antics and allowed him to take his cart out to collect scrap as Uncle Lootjies was getting old. 
 
Kendre loved the freedom of riding, it was far better than school. He had no real empathy or understanding of the horses, and like most boys in his neighbourhood he showed the horses no respect, riding them hard, treating them roughly, and proving how tough he was by hitting them with a plank when they were tired and overloaded.
 
Kendre was so unhappy at home that he began to hang out on the streets and eventually moved into the homeless shelter at the Oude Molen Farm, a neighbourhood eco-village that grew organic vegetables, housed artists and tried to help the neighbouring community. He found this environment calmer than the streets of Garden Village, and it was here that he met Howard Kurt, and the beginning of an alternative way of life.
 
When the shelter closed down he was forced to go back home, but this time to his grandmother’s house. At Kensington High he became a member of the Young Americans Gang. He was involved in housebreaking, robbery and theft and spent time  in and out of prison. At school he was violent and regularly beat up the other kids because his fellow gang members in turn beat him regularly, as a test of his strength and part of gang initiation. It was not uncommon to have bricks thrown at him, be severely beaten up, even be kicked by his horses. Kendre got into drugs like ecstasy and heroin. He was a typical Cape Flats teenage boy feeling lost and alone, heading down a familiar road of self-destruction.
 
But one thing in life saved him: the horses. The turning point came one day when he was riding Uncle Lootjies’ horses hard, and giving them a good smack, he was approached by the Cart Horse Association who spoke to him about his horses and how he was treating them and how if he treated them differently they would both be happier. They sent him on a farriers course, taught him how to shoe his horses, leatherwork and the general care of horses.
 
At the same time he was hanging around Oude Molen farm with a man named Howard Kurt who also had two horses. Howard wanted to start a horse riding school and Kendre began to work for Howard and in return, Howard said, he could keep Uncle Lootjies’ horses at the farm and they could be part of the riding school. Kendre’s grandmother, being the only real solid force in his life, ensured that Howard and Kendre drew up a proper contract. On her death Kendre inherited R20 000 and he bought a share in the riding school. Today Kendre has bought Howard out and at the age of 25, owns the riding school with its 32 horses, and employs four instructors.  Twenty four horses have been born on the farm, 16 of which he has sold. He works seven days a week giving riding lesson to the local kids.
 
Kendre is quite clear that it is the horses that have healed him. When he was a sad and angry teenager he would sit on the food trough and the horses would surround him, “Its great to be surrounded by animals that love you.” He would pour his troubles out to them and they would listen. “They even come and lean on me when they are tired and unhappy, and tell me their troubles.” Today horses continue to provide a refuge for him. He prefers to live on the farm with his horses than in his home in Garden Village because “there are loads of shebeens there and people are always fighting.”
 
Every afternoon about 15 local kids come and hang out at the stables, helping out and connecting with nature in this urban environment. He is also mentor or “Big Brother” to six boys from Garden Village and Athlone, all of whom are from rough backgrounds like his own.  He has created a place for them to come to, where they can work with the horses, help break the young foals in, and help out with his busy riding school. In return he takes them on an outing once a month and provides them with a male role model and a diversion from the gang warfare and violent street life – an alternative that he, in turn, was given by Howard Kurt.
 
Kendre remains involved with the karretjies from the local community, he teaches them how to care for their horses, taking the horses in when they are ill, and lending out one of his horses while their horses recover. He provides medical care and shoes for their horses as well as an accessible source of advice.
 
The riding school borders the maximum security section of Valkenberg mental hospital. On one early morning outride he noticed the inpatients hanging out looking bored and hopeless. Once he got chatting to them and got to know them he suggested that they came and work with the horses. Today he has negotiated for some of the patients to come and work on the farm. He takes responsibility for them and ensures they return each evening to Valkenberg and are safely signed back in.
 
Kendre is also performing a much more subtle role for the local community. He is enabling rich and poor kids to interact and care for each other. Normally riding in an urban area is something only the rich can afford and requires you to venture out into the upper class areas of Constantia and Hout Bay. But here in the heartland of urban sprawl there is a beautiful greenbelt, which is accessible for local kids from rough backgrounds to hang out and ride and meet kids from wealthier families. “Invariably the wealthier Moms get connected to the poor kids, donating clothes, Christmas presents and sponsoring school outings,” comments Kendre proudly.  Kids from different classes are connecting through their common love of horses, plus enabling poor urban kids to connect to nature.
 
Contact Details for Kendrey - (073) 1997395

DIRECTOR PROFILE: Liz Fish- Director/Producer/Researcher

Award winning TV documentary Director and Producer Liz Fish has been in the Television Industry since 1983 after graduating from UCT in 1982. Liz is a skilled documentary producer/director covering a wide range of issues from anti-apartheid issues, to human rights, youth programs, current affairs and environmental issues. She worked as an anti-apartheid film maker and in community television in the 80’s as the director of the Community Video Education Trust, CVET. She began to work for foreign TV news agencies in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and then worked as a South African-based editor and producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s National TV News. “The Long Journey of Clement Zulu” is one of her best-known works, a film that has been acclaimed as a landmark development in South African documentary film making.

The Long Journey of Clement Zulu” commissioned by the BBC, and which has won several awards locally and been widely shown at local and foreign film festivals. It has just been selected as one of the 10 best Encounters documentaries for the Encounters 10th celebration

She is noted for her “remarkable ability to make intimate stories about ordinary people” Mail and Guardian.

Last season of HPON, Liz Directed and Produced “Spirit of the Mountain”, which won a merit award at the SAB Environmental Journalism Awards in 2007. Her other HPON film, “Voelvry”, had been shown at four local film festivals and two foreign festivals.

She is currently a Carte Blanche Producer.