Annette Ilowiecki

A Cowgirl's Trail Annette Ilowiecki

Carla Johnson wanted to be a cowboy when she grew up. But how can you do that unless you have your very own cow pony? Every prayer she uttered included the words, God, could you please, somehow bring me a real live cow pony of my own?" She never got tired of hearing those legends, ballads and trail songs of her old west heroes. She loved horses and read hundreds of stories about them. The story of Sgt. Reckless, a horse who served as a Marine in the Korean War, intrigued and inspired her. She told her dad, "Ever since I read about Sgt. Reckless, I wanted to experience some of her world. I figure I couldn't do anything less than a horse. She was a Marine and I just have to be one too." And thus, Carla's adventurous "Want to be a Cowboy" trail began.