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Copyright 2008 Rocky Mountain Rider. ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED. Reproduction of any editorial material, artwork and photos is strictly
forbidden without express written permission of the publisher. For information
about reprint rights, please contact the editor; editor@rockymountainrider.com.
June 2008 Issue
Eight
The Hall of Fame is housed in the
Contact the museum at 208-745-8423. Contact Dorothy Furniss for more
information about the Eastern Idaho Horseman Hall
of Fame at
208-754-4702. Floyd Nilsson
Floyd was born on November 21, 1912, in
Floyd
learned about “survival of the fittest” during the years he spent at Fort
Hall. Floyd and some of the Indian kids would go back in the hills, chasing wild
horses and camping out,
and stay there until they ran out of grub and headed home.
During the Depression, Floyd worked in the Big Hole of Montana putting
up hay for a dollar a day and a dollar for each horse that he provided. As the
Depression progressed, many ranchers told their hands that they could give them
room and board, but could not pay them. Some offered to pay later or when they
got back on their feet again.
Floyd worked for Steve Mahaffey for four years at Tendoy riding for
cattle up
In 1955, Floyd heard about a ranch for sale in Leadore, and was able to
purchase it with his savings and a loan. A few years later, he expanded his
holdings by buying an adjoining ranch. At first, he ran sheep, but eventually
switched to cattle.
In 1934, Floyd married Dexter Dawson and they had three children:
Jacqueline Elizabeth, Stephen Floyd, and Barbara Jonalin. Dex was an active
homemaker and a good cook. Everyone liked her home-cooked meals, especially her
cinnamon rolls.
In l984, at age 72, Floyd sold the ranch to his granddaughter Lisa and
husband Kent Bird. From that time on, he did day work for anyone who needed a
cowboy with a good horse. Dex suffered a stroke in 1985, and was confined to a
nursing home.
Floyd took up team roping at age 58, and very seldom misses a roping that
is close at hand. One of his favorite roping partners is his grandson, Eric
Matson. Floyd enjoys attending rodeos, ropings and any high school rodeo event
that takes place in the area, and believes in always supporting the kids. Currently, at the young age of 94, he
is looking for a good, gentle rope horse to continue having fun on and doing
what he has done all his life. Floyd still lives on the ranch helping out
whenever he can. He is one of the last of the true cowboys. John Pete Olsen
At 72, J.P. Olsen has ridden and seen all the country between Salmon,
J.P. fenced for the BLM throughout Idaho and Nevada; horse-logged; worked
for the Forest Service in a variety of jobs including fixing bridges, clearing
trails, and spraying trees for pine beetles; and led dude rides for the Teton
Valley Lodge.
J.P. was active with his daughters Julia Ray Wood and Ione Hansen, as the
family participated in horse activities such as 4-H, camping, parades, queen
contests, barrel racing, high school rodeos, and ropings.
J.P.’s wife Sharon accompanied him on only one hunting trip, which she
likened to “The Man From Snowy River.”
J.P. helped start the Teton Valley Saddle Club; belonged to the Teton
Valley Roping Club, the local posse, and the Upper Valley Wranglers; and worked
as a pickup man for the P&P Rodeo.
Over the years, J.P. has volunteered for the Search & Rescue by
riding in the back country, packing equipment, and supplying horses to ride.
J.P. is a licensed flat track trainer. He has spent over forty years in
cutter and chariot racing, a sport in which he has won many awards. His two
grandsons, J.D. and Rhett, plus daughter Ione’s family, have followed him in
his love for chariot racing. J.P. says: “Any day that you can get on
your horse is a good day.” He feels he has had many good days. Boyd W. and Janice Schvaneveldt
As a teenager, Boyd would have preferred doing a million other things
rather than ride a horse for a customer and then have to wait forever to make
the sale or trade, while they haggled over as little as a $5 difference.
He finally came to realize that it was not all about the money—it was
about the haggling and camaraderie. He learned that you have to be able to judge
the value of each horse, figure out if they are sound, and assess what you can
do to increase their value when you get ready to sell or trade that horse.
Boyd and Janice Allen met and married in the early 1960s. For many years,
they have raced horses throughout the Intermountain Area.
In 2003, they were awarded the Leading Owners of Quarter Horse Geldings
running on the flat track by monies earned with their three-year-old gelding,
Zackareed. They were instrumental in promoting horse racing at the Caribou
County Fair in
The Schvaneveldt children, Bret and Brenda, grew up being taken to horse
shows. During this time, the family also began chariot racing. In the 1970s,
there were close to 35 chariot racing associations and they would run in races
with four chariot teams in every race. The family’s pair of geldings qualified
for State Championships and World Championships many years.
Boyd held many offices in the association, including secretary, vice
president and president. Although they won many races, titles, and trophies,
Boyd recalls that the greatest honor was being awarded the Horsemanship Award on
two different occasions at World Cutter and Chariot Racing Championships.
In 1992, daughter Brenda married Donny Ekstrom, who had the same passion
for chariot racing as Boyd. Boyd and Donny put a team together which qualified
for State and World Chariot Racing Championships.
Boyd and Janice continue to have flat track horses and run them in the
Intermountain Area. Now they travel with their two grandkids, Lyndsie and Zack
Ekstrom to junior rodeos and other horse activities. Boyd says, “We all share a love and
passion for horses. Having horses has allowed us as a family to make a whole
circle of friends no matter where we go.” Dewey Smuin
Horses have always been a passion for Dewey Smuin. He says that over the
years, he has “spent many hours in the saddle and many hours studying how to
make my horses better.”
By 1984, when Dewey married Linda Ralphs, he was working on the Bill
Simmons Ranch and decided to go to
Dewey continued making good cowhorses, and later stock dogs, on other
ranches. He says that there is nothing better than working on a ranch with good
horses and dogs.
Dewey’s philosophy is to breed to good horses to “make the colts
better.” In 1997, he bought a colt by Two Id Bartender, and entered him in the
Marsh Valley Stallion Incentive Association from 2001 to 2003.
In 2002 and 2003, Dewey served on the Board of Directors of the Eastern
Idaho Quarter Horse Association, including one year as vice president.
Dewey wanted to bring his family up knowing horses and all of his kids
have enjoyed riding. Unable to ride for a while due to a medical problem, Dewey
worked with his son, Tavlon, and taught him how to train his mare to be a rope
horse. In his senior year, Tavlon won the district calf roping and went to the
Nationals.
In 2003, Dewey was diagnosed with a tumor in his hip, and underwent hip
replacement surgery. The doctors told him he could no longer ride horses, which
was very hard for him to take.
In 2002, Dewey became a 4-H horse club leader, and says it has been the
most challenging and rewarding thing he has done. The club has now grown to 22
kids, so they have been split into two classes, with one more advanced than the
other. Dewey has had much fun seeing each youth progress and gain confidence in
themselves and their horses. “It amazes me how fast these kids can
learn. Good kids and helpful parents make it a success and I appreciate both!” Bill Vickers
Bill was born and raised in the
Bill won the Idaho State High School Rodeo All-Around Championship in
1959 with a first place in both calf-roping and in steer wrestling.
In 1959, Bill steer-wrestled at the Gooding,
Before long, Bill was an official rodeo announcer throughout
A highlight of Bill’s announcing career was his announcing an Indian
National Finals Rodeo held in
In 1976, Bill opened Vickers Western Store, Inc. in
After Bill started his Western store business in
Bill has remained a friend and a continuing substantial sponsor of
Inter-Mountain area charitable events, Still active astride a horse, he has an
interest in team-sorting and “Can’t wait to get to the next one.” Four or
five years ago, his wife-Kim got her first horse, and now Kim actively shows
reining horses. Together, they travel the inter-mountain area summer reining
show circuit. Elwood and Arlene
Wilker
At an early age, Elwood learned to drive a team of horses to farm the
land. When he was twelve, he worked for his neighbors mowing hay with a team of
horses, and rode his saddle horse several miles to get to their place.
Elwood was a member of the Caribou County Sheriff’s Posse until a few
years after he and Arlene were married. He and Arlene competed in the Posse
relay races together. They both enjoyed organizing and competing in flat track
racing at the Caribou County Fair.
Their preferred sport with horses is chariot racing. Elwood says, “In
chariot racing, you can do everything for yourself. You care for and train your
horse, and drive your own chariot. We like flat track racing too, but you have
to hire a jockey to ride for you.”
Arlene has been the reporter for the Cache Valley Cutter Club for 33
years. She believes in following the rules with no short cuts, and knows horse
genealogy probably better than her family genealogy.
Over the years, Elwood and Arlene have won many awards and trophies.
Arlene won the Woman of the Year Award at the World Chariot Championships in
2001. Elwood was given the Outstanding Contribution to Chariot Racing at the
Idaho State Chariot Races. Both received the Outstanding Contribution to Chariot
Racing at the World Championships. They were Grand Marshals of the 2006 Caribou
County Fair.
Add up their combined time racing, and together they have four years
racing with the Rocky Mountain Club in Montpelier; 35 years racing in the Cache
Valley Cutter Racing Club; 39 years qualifying for the Idaho State
Championships; and 30 years qualifying for World Championships. Elwood was vice
president of the World Chariot Races for 23 years and World Chariot Race
Delegate for seven years.
Elwood and Arlene are the parents of two sons: Clynn, who received a DVM
degree from the
Both Elwood and Arlene said that the best thing about chariot racing is
the friendships, and how much it means to them to run into fellow racers all
year long and know that the friendships are true and genuine. |
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