Few would guess that Rus Kiser grew up as a country boy. Raised on an 80-acre hobby farm just north of Oklahoma City, near the small town of Arcadia, his life was filled with rural southern charm and adventure. The farm was home to a collection of animals—sheep, cows, horses, pigs, and an impressive 3,000 show chickens. Nearby, his great-grandfather’s land held a rich history. Acquired during the 1889 land run, the old property still had the original foundation and cellar, a place Rus would explore and imagine as his secret fort.
Rus’s school life was equally unique. He attended elementary in Arcadia, where his grandfather served as the principal, and his mother taught at another institution. Each day he would arrive early, before his classmates were there, with his grandfather, often sitting in on teachers’ meetings. In his small school, Rus was one of only a few white children in a community that was predominantly black and Native American. Arcadia, born from the history of sundown rules and segregation, held a vibrant culture of resilience and community, something Rus embraced from an early age.
After school, is where Rus’s adventures began. His mother and grandfather would meet halfway between their respective schools to exchange cars, and Rus would head back to the farm with Grandpa. His days were filled with the freedom to explore and imagine. His range to do so grew significantly after he got his first horse.
At just five or six years old, he was given a red Welsh pony named Ladybug, a spirited little horse all his own. With Ladybug, Rus roamed the vast acres, exploring creeks, valleys, and cross timbers, his trusty Daisy BB gun always by his side. While his grandpa tended to the animals, his afternoons and early evenings were spent with Ladybug, fighting off the enemies in his fort or navigating the deep woods in search of the next great voyage.
One of his most vivid memories of Ladybug came one day in fourth grade. While out on a ride, something spooked her, and she threw him, sending him twenty feet down into a muddy creek. Rus was unharmed, but the event would be one of his last with Ladybug. As she grew older, Ladybug became more skittish, and his family, concerned for his safety, reluctantly decided to part with her.
Not long after, Rus moved to town, and his days of riding faded into memories. But the joy, adventure, and wide-open spaces of his early years remained with him—a young boy and his red pony, bound by freedom and the wild, open land of Oklahoma.