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Welcome to the Montana Draft Horse &
Mule Association!
An organization dedicated to
promoting draft horse and mule
activities in Montana. |
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Teamster
Hall of Fame |
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NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE 2012 MONTANA DRAFT
TEAMSTER HALL OF FAME
Nominations are
solicited for the 2012 class for Montana's Draft Teamster Hall of Fame. The Hall
is jointly sponsored by the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association and Big Sky
Draft Horse Expo of Deer Lodge.
The Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame is dedicated to those individuals or
other entities that have made significant contributions to the preservation and
dissemination of knowledge, education and use of draft animals and/or draft
equipment for work or pleasure in Montana.
Induction to the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame must be based on an
outstanding record of contributions in Montana to the use, development,
preservation, and/or education of draft animals or equipment used by draft
animals.
Nominees may be individuals, ranches, businesses or other entities which have
fostered the preservation, education or use of draft animals or draft equipment.
Nominations for this selection must be made in writing and must include a brief
(no more than two type written pages) description of contributions they have
made. Photos of the nominee, preferably while working his or her horses or mules
would be helpful.
Three references- only one of which may be from a relative- must accompany any
nomination.
No more than five inductions can be made in a given year-up to three
living/operating entities and up to two posthumous selections,
Nominations for 2012 will close on January 15, 2012.
Those wishing to nominate candidates must send their nominations to Nick
Shrauger, Selection Chair, 7825 Gooch Hill Road, Bozeman, MT 59718. For
additional information, contact Nick Shrauger at 406-586-5113.
Members of the Hall of Fame:
George Miller, Absorakee, MT (2005)
Kent & Mary Lou Conner, Corvallis, MT (2005)
Don Yerian, Emigrant, MT (2006)
John McIlhattan, Bozeman, MT (2006)
Don Coutts, Red Lodge, MT (2006)
Forrest Davis, Pablo, MT (2006)
Charlie Yerian, Custer, MT (2007)
Alex & Kayo Fraser, Deer Lodge, MT (2007)
Jack & Helen Eden, Corvallis, MT (2007)
Carroll Manuel, Winnett, MT (2008)
Jake Frank, Park City, MT (2008)
Earl Stucky, Avon, MT (2008)
Allan Lien, Bozeman, MT (2009)
Tom Riplett, Whitefish, MT (2009)
Rollie Hebel, McAllister, MT (2009)
Howard Lee, Forsyth, MT (2010)
Mike Myhre, Custer, MT (2010)
Conrad K Warren, Deer Lodge (2011)
Roger & Viola Reinhardt-Hinsdale (2011)
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2011
Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame |
 Roger
and Viola Reinhardt--Hinsdale
Roger and Vi believed every farm
should uses horses. Roger’s
favorite saying was “Every farm
and ranch should have a team”.
For 15 years they hosted Draft
Horse Days at their Hinsdale
ranch, inviting other teamsters
to help with the threshing and
other farm work. The public was
invited to watch the process and
to remember and reminisce.
Both Roger and Vi drove horses,
and during haying Vi did much of
the raking while Roger mowed.
Of course they feed their cows
using the team, and did many
other farming tasks such as
threshing, plowing, harrowing,
and manure spreading.
Roger was born in Gilmington, WI
on May 12, 1930. He came to
Montana in 1947 using his
experience with horses where he
started working on ranches.
Viola (Russell) was born in
Glasgow, MT on February 28,
1931. Roger and Vi married in
1951 and began married life
working on various ranches.
They first purchased an
irrigated ranch near Ronan, and
then in sold it in 1963 and then
purchased their ranch near
Hinsdale.
In addition to raising cattle,
sheep, hay and grain, they
raised Percheron Draft Horses
and Roger would break and at
least one team each year. He
also helped others with “horse
problems”.
Roger also operated a harness
and buggy shop on the ranch as
Roger taught himself to make and
repair wagon and buggy wheels,
build and mend harness, and
repair horse drawn equipment.
It was often said that Roger was
born 100 years too late. He
always used horses, even when it
would have been easier or faster
to use a tractor.
A team for life, Roger and Viola
Reinhardt greatly contributed to
the education of others, and to
the preservation and use of
draft horses. Viola passed away
in 1987, and Roger followed her
in 2007.
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CONRAD K. WARREN—DEER LODGE
It is fitting that the home of
the Teamster Hall of Fame is
located at the historic Grant-Kohrs
Ranch in Deer Lodge. Even more
special is the Hall of Fame
induction of Conrad Warren as it
was through Con’s stewardship
that a portion of the pioneer
ranch that his grandfather
Conrad Kohrs, and his
grand-uncle John Bielenberg
started remains under the care
of the National Park Service as
a tribute to the pioneer
ranching industry.
Originally the CK Ranch, it now
continues to educate the public
about pioneer ranch life.
Working and breeding draft
horses were an important part of
ranch operations. Conrad’s
daughter, Patricia, states:
While my father was best known
for achievements as a cattle
rancher, his great love—and
possibly his biggest impact on
American ranching—was the draft
horse.
As a kid, in the early 1900s,
Con Warren did his draft-horse
apprenticeship by hanging around
with his grandfather Conrad
Kohrs and his grand-Uncle John
Bielenberg, learning from the
two old pioneers…..
Draft horses were used on the
ranch until the 1970s. While in
the early years the ranch
featured Clydesdales, Con’s
choice was the Belgian and he
collected good animals, many of
which he imported from Europe.
Long time Park Service Historian
and author Lyndel Meikle has
this to say about Conrad:
Conrad Kohrs was a rancher to
the bone, and if, at times, he
seemed to think more of his
horses and cattle than the
generality of people that was no
flaw. It wasn’t that he cared
for people less. It was just
that he cared for animals more.
He shared his love of the horses
with the local FFA, and passed
on knowledge and skills to the
boys worked the hay crews.
Conrad Kohrs Warren was born in
Butte, MT on August 16, 1907.
He died on March 20, 1993.
Today Montana teamsters are able
to hitch their teams to mowers
and rakes during Grant-Kohrs
haying days. A special treat is
to drive the buck rake bringing
big loads of hay to the beaver
slide stacker, just as it was
done during the draft horse
era. In that sense, Conrad
Warren and his pioneer teachers
are still working with teamsters
to pass on draft horse skills. |
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2010
Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame |
Howard Lee - Forsyth - age 97
Howard, born in 1913, has
lived his whole life on farms
and ranches. By age 10 he
recalls driving 8 horses on a
triple plow. During his school
years he drove his sisters and
brother to school in a buggy or
sleigh having to get up early to
feed, harness, and hitch the
team. His first job was driving
a 4 horse hitch on a fresno dump
bucket in a blazing hot gravel
pit. He worked there all day
long all summer even as horses
had to be changed every 2 hours
because of the heat.
Howard continued working horses
even after tractors became
popular. During the 1940s,
1950s, and 1960s he tilled,
planted, and harvested with
horses. In the winter teams were
used for feeding cattle.
In later years, he developed an
interest in building and
restoring horse drawn wagons,
and continued to train teams for
harness. In 1989 he and his wife
restored an original Central
Overland Stage coach. He pulled
this coach with four horses in
the 1989 Centennial Cattle Drive
from Roundup to Billings.
Howard Lee's passion for driving
teams and his love of draft
horses has never ended. He has
helped educate many teamsters,
and has certainly preserved the
use of draft horses for work and
pleasure.
Mike Myhre - age 71
Like many Hall of Fame
members, Mike Myhre began
working horses while growing up
on a farm. By age 13 he was
putting up with horses. The use
of horses became a way of life
for Mike. His policy is to use
horses for anything and
everything he possibly can
including farming, dragging game
for hunters, grading roads, and
separating grain. He uses his
horses in parades, teamster
competitions, funerals,
weddings, and wagon trains.
Mike is an educator as well,
teaching young people at driving
clinics for 4-H. Teaching his
two grandsons to drive led to
their getting jobs as teamsters
in Yellowstone National Park.
Mike is also a builder, making
horse drawn round bale feeders,
and collects and preserves old
horse drawn equipment. He also
raises and trains Brabant
Belgians.
Mike Myhre is highly qualified
to be honored as a member of the
Montana Draft Teamster Hall of
Fame. |
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2009
Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame |
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 Tom Triplett
Whitefish, Montana
Tom Triplett comes from a family of horsemen, dating back to the days
when Tripletts were friends and neighbors of George Washington, and his
ancestors took Washington's guests fox hunting and did the future
president's carpentry work.
His parents moved from Missouri to Oklahoma in horse drawn wagons before
his birth, then back to Missouri and later on to Montana. Four years
before Tom was born they moved in wagons from Plentywood Montana to the
Flathead Valley, west of the Continental Divide.
For Tom, horsepower was the only source of transportation and power into
his early adult years. He logged with horses, worked mules in the forest
service grading landing strips, skidding poles, putting up hay and more.
Through his years of draft horse and mule work, he developed the depth
and breadth of expertise and experience that can only come from daily
hands on work- privately and professionally.
 His knowledge of the horse
was clearly stated when one of his nominators into the Hall of Fame
explained, "as a horseman, Tom Triplett may not be able to walk on
water, so to speak, but he could sure enough get a horse or a mule to do
it." Triplett's depth of knowledge, experience and patience, his
commitment to safety and the comfort and the well being of the animals,
and his obsession with figuring how to get everything "jeeest right"-
which all combined, puts him in a class of his own among horsemen, said
those who nominated him for this honor.
Tom has taught and helped innumerable people to drive and work horses,
build and repair harnesses, as well as rebuild wagons and equipment. As
an expert in his field, he has helped teach a teamster course at
Flathead Valley Community College, and participated as an instructor in
Doc Hammill's Workhorse Workshops for the last decade.
He has also shared his wisdom in Hammill's instructional Horsemanship
Video series on driving and working horses in harness.
Tom Triplett is a true Montana treasure who has spent his entire life
earning a living by training, shoeing, packing, riding and driving
horses and mules. Even now in his eighties he continues to help those
with an interest in horses and mules with sage advice, driving
instruction, training assistance, and entertaining stories that always
have an important message, safety point, or handy tip for consideration.
For his dedication, we induct him into the Montana Draft Teamster Hall
of Fame for 2009.Conrad
Kohrs Warren was born in Butte,
MT on August 16, 1907. He died
on March 20, 1993.
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 Rollie Hebel - 77
McAllister, Montana
Rollie Hebel has been living and breathing draft horse culture
practically from the day he was born. Hebel, born in 1932, grew up on a
dairy farm in southern Wisconsin as the second oldest in a family of
four boys and three girls. He learned the tricks of the trade from his
father and grandfather, spurring a love of the draft horse that would
develop throughout his life.
Rollie came to Montana in 1948 and "cowboyed" for ten years at the
Diamond O Ranch near Dillon and later, in 1960,
settled in and went to ranching. His breeding of specifically red roan
Belgians was not planned- little thought went into his color choice,
besides the fact that he liked their color and no one else had them when
he purchased two mares from Zavan Green of Firth, Idaho in 1970. Hebel
first showed his Belgians at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot
in 1971 and has showed continuously since- missing the fair only twice
for the Bicentennial Wagon Train in 1976 and the Montana Cattle Drive in
1989. By the early 1980s Hebel's herd of red roans had grown to 22, with
all home raised except the original pair.
Rollie is a registered judge with the Belgian Draft Horse Association
and has judged numerous shows in the intermountain region. In addition
to raising red roan Belgians and campaigning his hitch, he has served
the draft and driving community by helping others with their hitches.
Always concerned about safety, when Rollie gently but firmly growls
about a twisted line or makes a suggestion of a better way to do things-
we listen. He is an undisputed- and at the same time, modest- master
when it comes to hitching and driving.
According to those who nominated him for the Hall of Fame, Rollie vowed
to "slow down a little" at the dawn of the 21st century. He continues,
however, to judge draft shows throughout the Northwest, including the
Montana State Fair, the Montana Fair, the Ravalli County Fair, and the
Eastern Idaho State Fair, among others. Rollie, as many will attest, is
one of the rare draft judges who instills a desire in those he judges to
do their best by encouragement, not intimidation- the sign of a
knowledgeable master of his trade.
Rollie has taken first place at the Eastern Idaho State Fair, Montana
Mule Days, and most recently, last year's 2007 Big Sky Draft Horse Expo-
all while driving the Eden 4-abreast hitch.
For a lifetime selflessly dedicated to the art and science of driving
draft animals, we induct Rollie Hebel into the Montana Draft Teamster
Hall of Fame.
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 Allan Lien - 72
Bozeman, Montana
Allan Lien grew up farming and feeding livestock with a team in the West
Rosebud Valley of Stillwater County. Today, along with his wife Connie,
at their historical Huffine Farm near Bozeman, he continues the draft
traditions by educating, demonstrating and utilizing his team of horses
to farm and feed in the winter, entertain friends with sleigh rides and
he previously taught interested individuals the ways of the past at the
Museum of the Rockies Tinsley Living Farm.As his brother, Raymond Lien
put it, "Allan has recognized the value of sharing this knowledge with
people in today's society, especially young people. Throughout his
career with Montana State University and residence in Gallatin Valley,
Allan has invested many hours and days in preparation for and
participation in the Montana Winter Fair, Draft Horse and Draft
Implement Sales, Teamster Competitions, displays of farm equipment and
animals during the WinterFest, 4-H and school programs, Gallatin Harness
and Saddle Club, Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association, Montana Big
Sky Draft Horse Expo, Living History Tinsley Farm at the Museum of the
Rockies, and participation with the living history program at the Grant-Kohrs
historical ranch."
Allan's work with youth at the Museum of the Rockies has been a high
point for many students and adults, whom he touched with his passionate
demonstrations including the use of draft horses to move the wagon loads
of bundles, preparing soil, harvesting forages and other works that
brought back memories for some about the early days of agriculture in
our state. He has continually felt the importance of showing others how
it was done in the old days before the tractor came into being.
Allan has dedicated his life and time to his personal goal of preserving
and teaching people about agriculture- draft horse technique and
tradition included. He understands and educates people on the horse and
its integral part of farming and ranching activities, bringing those
interested individuals back to a more simplistic time period where a
horse was only as good as it was trained to be.
Due to his respect, dedication and education of the others in the field
of the draft horse and equipment, we induct Allan Lien in the Montana
Draft Teamster Hall of Fame for 2009. |
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2008
Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame |
 Carroll Manuel
Winnett, Montana
Carroll Manuel began driving a stacker team for
Jack Dunphy when he was 8 years old. Today, at 87, he owns and works the
Dunphy property and continues to use teams to put up hay and raise feed
for his stock. Manuel broke horses for use, raised draft horses, built
stock water reservoirs for stock water and showed for decades at driving
competitions and fairs. One of his favorite memories of driving are
helping get new drivers settled in and starting out the right way.
Manuel, before his retirement from driving this year, ran wagon trains-
bringing in participants from all over the U.S. and Canada- each with
their own wagon and mules in tow. After a teaching session on the basics
of driving a team participants feel part of a unique experience and
comfortable in driving their wagon.
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 Earl Stucky
Avon, Montana
Born in 1934, Earl Stucky was raised on his family
ranch along the Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway, driving teams to
help with haying and other chores. Upon his marriage to Glenna Krueger
in 1954 he purchased his family ranch from his parents, where he lived
until the mid-sixties; he then took a job as the cow boss for the Flying
D Ranch, near Bozeman. Work horses were used to feed the thousands of
cattle on the ranch and Stucky was always on hand, riding his horse out
to where the days' work was, instead of loading into a trailer. In 1976
Stucky and his family moved 14 miles north of Avon, purchased a team-
Pat and Mike- and have been there for over 30 years. They continue to
own and use draft horses at their ranch to this day. Many Percheron
horses have been raised and broke by Stucky throughout the years on his
ranch, using the horses for ranch work, parades, and pleasure- including
winter sleigh rides treasured by his family.
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 Jake Frank
Park City, Montana
We are very sorry to hear that Jake Frank passed away on November 9, 2008
For Jake Frank, growing up fast was the way of
life. The youngest of ten children, his dad dying before the age of 4,
Frank and his older brothers took on the ranch responsibilities- he
driving a team all day long in the fields before the age of twelve. At
93, Frank has been able to instill the skills of horsemanship and hard
work into his children- teaching them how to work the animals and to
respect each one for its uniqueness. Competing in the teamster driving
contests later in life, after a successful stint as a rodeo performer
and a top-notch pick-up man, he was always confident in his horses
ability. As many can attest to, Frank could get his mules to do anything
he needed them to do- leading his to win the Montana high-pint teamster
award several times. He taught his children to drive and helped many
more get started in teamster driving. Even after selling a team, he
devoted many hours teaching the new owners how to drive them correctly. |
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For permission to reprint
any material from this site, contact Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association
Alexandra "Alex" Clemow
© 2005-2011 Secretary/treasurer
Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association
3140 Pattee Canyon RD
Missoula, MT 59803
406-728-2258 - Residence
406-239-2258 - Cell
alextgrt@aol.com
Updated October 03, 2011
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