Ami Cullen, a former lawyer, left her firm to become a ranch wrangler at C Lazy U Ranch in Colorado after a life-changing vacation. She started in 2012 and worked her way up to director of equestrian operations. In 2020, the East Troublesome Fire threatened the ranch, inspiring her to write her first novel, Running Free, which was published in August. The book is fiction but draws heavily from Cullen’s experiences during the fire.
Cullen had extensive experience with horses prior to joining the ranch, having ridden since she was a child and even considered pursuing competitive riding over college. During the East Troublesome Fire, Cullen and her team worked to evacuate over 200 horses, with the help of volunteers from across the state. The experience inspired her to write Running Free as a tribute to the Colorado equestrian community and to inspire young people to pursue their passions.
Although Running Free is based on Cullen’s experiences, she chose to fictionalize the story to protect the privacy of individuals involved. She hopes the book serves as a thank you to those who helped during the fire and as inspiration for others to think outside the box in pursuing their dreams. Cullen is considering evolving the story into a screenplay and is open to new opportunities that may come her way.
