If you've driven by Playa Bonita Resort chances are you may have seen the man above - Juventino Jimenez J. - sitting under his umbrella or grooming one of his 7 horses that he rents to tourists and residents.

As I was traveling down the road on my way to Sandy Beach, I saw Juventino with all of these horses and just had to stop to find out what he was doing since, in my 13 years here, I've never seem him before. I figured he was renting them, but wondered why he wasn't on the beach. As it turns out, Juventino has been trying to get a permit to rent on the beach for about 3 years now, but hasn't had much luck. Horse rentals on the beach! Wouldn't that be great? Who wouldn't want to ride along the Sea of Cortez? It would give the town more of that touristy feel.

Juventino has healthy horses which he keeps at his house. He brings them down to the corner, usually on busy weekends or high traffic times, all by himself. No truck, no trailer, no help.

He said that people (probably) do ride on the beach, but for the most part, they stay along the city streets out of the way. He'd love to be a tour guide with a group of renters and show them parts of the city they've never seen.

Juventino doesn't have a cell phone, but did give me his home address and welcomes anyone to stop by his house if he was not at his post. I have yet to find the street on any map, but I'm still looking. He seemed like a genuinely nice, interesting, hardworking man, so I wanted to put his picture in so you could stop by and say hello, or take one of his horses for a spin he has horses for all skill levels. Stop by and say hi to Juventino.

Author: Steve Schwab