Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy

Founded in 2019, the mission of the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy  (PURA) is to preserve the life, legacy, and culture of Black urban cowboys in the city of Philadelphia. It was established by the community of cowboys down at Fletcher Street in partnership with Ricky Staub, Dan Walser, Staci Hagenbaugh and Ryan Spak, the filmmakers behind Concrete Cowboy , starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin which is available on Netflix on April 2!


PURA is pleased to be launching a new fundraising campaign “Fresh Start for Philly Youth” to help raise money for its new facility in downtown Philadelphia. This new facility will provide a space unlike any other for children, teens and adults to experience horses up close and personal.


PURA currently supports multiple programs including:

·      Afterschool Tutoring 
·      Junior Concrete Cowboys & Cowgirls 
·      4-H Club
·      Cowboys Against Crime
·      Pet Therapy
·      Concrete to Show Jumping

The new home for PURA that will be created through the “Fresh Start for Philly Youth” fundraising campaign will provide:

·      Stabling for 20-25 horses 
·      Paddocks
·      Indoor and Outdoor Arena
·      Classroom and recreational space for other youth and veteran programs.


This past year, PURA teamed up with North Run's  Missy Clark, and together created Concrete to Show Jumping.  Along with partnerships, PURA has received a number of Sponsorships through: Wrangler , Stateline Tack , Dover Saddlery, EQUILINE , SmartPak , United States Equestrian Federation , The Clothes Horse , Dreamers & Schemers , Poulin Grain , and Young Black Equestrians - the Podcast. 


As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, PURA is now collecting donations for the “Fresh Start for Philly Youth” initiative. Every dollar raised will be put towards the facility and the horses and students who will call it home. PURA has joined forces with Spak Group ,  a real estate Development Company, along with Architects from OZ Collaborative  and a Landscape Civil Engineer, Ruggiero Plante, LLC.  to create a forever home for youth, the community and the Urban Black Cowboy.


Please follow us on our website (www.thepura.org)  Facebook and Instagram and be a part of our mission to preserve the life, legacy, and culture of Black urban cowboys in the city of Philadelphia.