1 -- 1966 -- my friend Jim Thompson, prominent guide and outfitter in the

East Kootenay’s of BC. A fine person and skilled in his trade.

I traveled a lot with Jim and his hunting parties in the 1960’s.

I like this old black and white. We look like a couple of dust bowl refugees from the prairies,

circa 1930.

2 -- 1982 -- Berland River staging area off highway 40. An entry and departure point into the Willmore Wilderness Park (See Map and StoriesHYPERLINK "Stories%20-%20Short.htm" –short). I think we and others had just come out and were unpacking, judging by the refreshments.

3 -- 1983 -- camp on Adams Creek in the Willmore. Dennis and Leanne Quintilio took their young family into the mountains when ever they could. Kevin, Sherra (BG), and Darin here watching mom give a tooth-brush demonstration.

These youngsters grew into productive and professional citizens. And like their parents, take horses back into the mountains.

The couple in the background are friends from Hinton, Frank and Gerda Kurth, who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.

4 -- 1985 -- Dave Manning. Gentleman Dave. Classy guy. Still has that smile 20 years later. Here in his training work-clothes. A complete cowboy, accomplished horseman, trainer, and a winning competitor. Inducted into the Canadian Horsemanship Supreme Hall of Fame. Still trains and maintains a heavy program of popular clinics.

He and wife Sherry allowed me to park my rig on their property in eastern Alberta and ride the surrounding prairie ranch land.

5 -- 1985 -- in the mountains it is not unusual to put in a 10-mile ride for a day visit with friends, and an early happy hour. John Law visited our camp on the Pope-Thoreau, midway up the Wild Hay, in the Willmore (see Map).

Here John and Dennis are exchanging lies. Mrs. Law and a young friend are in the background.

6 -- 1986 -- ready for a Texas Tally Ho. Never saw a fox. Hounds followed a scent trail laid out earlier. A really interesting experience and thrilling ride.

With me is Martin Truss, former Canadian, farrier, horseman, musician, pilot, airline executive. Wife Sally is a fine rider of jumping horses.

7 -- 1987 -- George Sutcliffe, now deceased. Very well known horseman and trainer in southern Alberta. Highly respected by all who knew him.

8 -- 1990 – Dennis and Leanne Quintilio looking over Caribou Lake in Jasper National Park. Dennis and I were work associates at one time.

A forester and expert in the science of forest fire suppression. Highly capable packer, horseman, and more recently, teamster. Dennis introduced me to and showed me around Willmore Wilderness Park (See Stories - short).

Leanne was a competitive and winning Endurance rider and is still starting colts. Also a great cook. No one went hungry when Leanne was in camp.

9 -- 1991 -- John Gillis. Willow Springs Ranch.

Professional ranch manager, here making a herd count.

A careful look will show one of his young boys in the saddle in front of dad and looking at the photographer.

10 -- 1991 -- Ray Schachter. Over the years we have made many trips together. A world traveler, Ray keeps a soft spot in his heart for horses and the mountains. In real life, Ray has a busy law practice in Vancouver.

His clients would have trouble recognizing their trusted counselor from this photo. I do think Ray missed his calling.

11 -- 1995 -- Bob and Erla Stevenson. Bob is an experienced horseman, and a regular mountain traveler, trapper, and historian of the West.

Erla is an RN and every bit the horseperson and mountain traveler as Bob.

Great people to visit in the hills. Bob and I are former work associates.

12 -- 1996 -- Dennis and Leanne on the Grizzly Flats (See Stories-short) above the upper Ram River valley. Leanne is riding a tall thoroughbred gelding I sold her; a double bred Native Dancer. One of the nicest horses I ever had on the place.

Leanne jumped with him and I understand he is jumping now at Spruce Meadows, Calgary.

13 -- 1998 -- Dave and Sherry Schmidt. Dedicated and knowledgeable mountain horse travelers. Regular visitors to the Big Horn campground on the YaHaTinda (See Stories –short) and the surrounding high country. We have had many pleasant and fun evenings around the campfire.

Sherry is also a champion burner of scarce wood – my wood.

14 -- 1998 -- Mel Hyland. Twice world champion Saddle Bronc Rider plus numerous other achievements in the rodeo world. Not only an outstanding athlete, Inductee into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, but also a fine trainer.

To quote one knowledgeable source, “at the height of his career he dominated the Canadian and American riding events as the undisputed king of saddle bronc riders in North America".

15 -- 1998 -- good friends. From the right, Bill Gosney, Ron Jones, both at one time commercial outfitters and guides in the Hinton area. I think Bill is still is. Dennis Quintilio, Cliff Henderson, Leanne Quintilio, and myself. The two handsome boys in the front belong to Bill.

This photo was taken in the Redcap Mountain country south of Cadomin. Ron and Bill were showing us some new country. A tough ride in spots.

16 -- 2000 – the well known ranching Butterfields. Dee, Craig, young Chance, and grandpa Bud. A complete rodeo family. Photo’s are from different years.

Dee was Canadian Barrel Racing Champion in 1992. Craig was a successful contestant many times in the Canadian Rodeo Finals.

In earlier years Bud was six times Canadian Steer Wrestling champion. Young Chance is currently following the family tradition in rodeo, when he is not attending college in Texas on a scholarship.

Dee currently has a busy program of popular clinics. And with Craig operates a quality horse breeding operation.

17 -- 2001- Lonnie Roth, in valley behind Wardens Rock, above the Red Deer River. Lonnie managed a guest lodge near the east gate of the YaHaTinda ranch.

A superior young cowboy, rodeo competitor, and trainer. After work he often rode by my camp in the evening and would have a beer with me around the fire,

He always rode young nice horses.

18 -- 2001 -- my good friends, the Pughs. Glenda, Wally, Billie Jo, and Trygve. Another great rodeo family. They operate a large cow calf operation east of Ponoka.Trygve competes successfully in Canadian Professional Rodeo Association events, calf roping and steer wrestling, as did his Dad. Billie Jo, a good rider, competes in barrel racing events. Glenda likes to ride well-mannered horses (Don’t we all Glenda).

19 -- 2001 -- met this fine young couple just once in Red Deer country, George & Sylvia McLain.

Turned out George and I had met years ago.

On that one trip together, Sylvia got into a bad deal along the river bank. Hurt herself. Plucky lady.

20 -- 2003 -- Tim Barton, owner and operator of a comfortable guest lodge with private cabins and other amenities in a picturesque site high above the Red Deer River: The Outpost.

Located at the upper end of the Red Deer River valley, adjacent to Banff National Park. Access only by horse, stagecoach, or foot.

Here in his off-season working clothes, Tim turned his back on a college teaching career for a life in the mountains. Fine host, experienced horseman, teamster, farrier, and an artist with wood.

21 -- 2003 -- John Reimer. A regular visitor to the YaTinda. Sometimes packs into the backcountry. A quiet gentleman. And bit of a loner, like myself.

22 -- 2003 -- Paul Kalke. Horseman, restaurateur, nice guy. Owner of the award winning Huckleberry Restaurant in Wetaskiwin.

Rides good quarter horses. Daughter Tasha also rides, and successfully shows gaited horses.

23 -- 2004 -- frequent riding “compadre” Cliff Henderson. Raised a farm boy and has retained his love of horses.

For many years in charge of the Alberta Forest Service. Among his important contributions to forest management in Alberta was working quietly behind the scenes in government to ensure the magnificence of the mountain regions are protected for present and future generations of horse and hiking enthusiasts.

Here he is astride his favorite super- horse, (all his horses are super-horses), the famous Jake. Cliff does not like this photo, says he is leaning too far back.

I like it, so guess who wins this one.

24 -- 2004 -- Dessa Davidson, obviously no cowboy but a superb dressage trainer and rider. I am a fan of dressage.

What makes dressage doubly tough, and interesting, is that almost none of the demanding movements are natural to the horse. And directions from an experienced rider are so subtle, they can rarely be detected. It takes many years to finish a dressage horse.

Dessa denies she is very good. I disagree. (See Dessa in Video-dressage)

25 -- 2005 -- Tony Friesen of Devon. A fine saddle maker. . Over the years Tony has made saddles for my friends and I.

I add here, we horse enthusiasts are fortunate in that there are a good number of skilled saddle makers in Alberta, and in Canada generally.

In real life Tony was a Chief in the Edmonton Fire Department.

26 -- 2005 -- Mickey Leonard, cowboy neighbor, checking out saddles in Kenny Cameron’s saddle shop, KC Saddlery, Red Deer.

27 -- 2005 -- floral pattern, created on leather. Courtesy of Kenny Cameron. . It was just lying around on his bench. All done with hundreds of individual hammer taps using punches, some no larger at their tip than a match head. Then treated with several layers of lacquer.

To me a fine work of art. Have it mounted and occupies wall space in our dining room.

28 -- Kenny Cameron, owner operator of KC Saddlery, Red Deer and an experienced horseman. Kenny’s saddles can be found throughout western Canada and the US. Builds high quality saddles for all uses including the demanding arena event crowd; cutters, reiners, ropers.

29 -- 2005 -- Jim Kallal. Businessman, County Reeve, pilot, winning competitive marksman, horseman, gentleman.

Jim is owner of a piece of land containing a comfortable cabin (The Lone Pine), in the prairie and wood lands within a large designated and protected government grazing tract, near Tofield.

The cabin is located on the periphery of lakes and ponds including the huge Beaverhill Bird Sanctuary, a protected area. Great place to take your horse for an overnight or two. Thanks Jim

30 -- 2005 -- Grant and Andrea (nee Henderson-my riding pal) Mackenzie.

Riders and mountain travelers, when opportunity permits. Andrea mother of two. Grant works in the oil patch and is a dedicated and successful sheep hunter.

31 -- 2005 -- Wally Pugh demonstrating perfect form on a circle ( not that easy). He is riding my Saskatchewan pony, Wyatt.

I have sent a number of my horses to Wally. He would cowboy them up; rope off them and generally familiarize them with the hustle and bustle of a working cattle ranch.

Wally has a great touch with horses. Truly an original and self-taught “horse whisperer”.

32 -- 2006 -- Dennis Pugh, Wally's brother. Professional all-round horseman and cowboy. At one time made ropes (lariats) for the industry. A pretty technical business. And also knows how to sit a horse.

33 -- 2006 -- Em Prichard, another talented cowboy from that country east of Ponoka. Likewise, knows how to sit a horse. Former rodeo competitor. Now in his 70’s ( admit it Em).

Still a competitive and winning team roper.

34 -- 2005 -- Kenny Leman. Stockman, horseman, when not in the Middle East consulting in the oil patch.

Bought a horse, from me, Blue (See Horses), and still talks to me.

35 -- 2007 – Carl and Julie (nee Cross) Gerwien. Owners of the Willow Springs ranch south-west of Nanton. Friendly people and generous hosts.

Carl, a former rodeo competitor, is now an active and winning cutting horse competitor. Carl and Julie also operate a quality performance horse-breeding program.

During the mid 80’s and early 90’s I put in a lot of miles riding the rolling prairie foothills of their ranch. Generally took my own outfit and parked at the main ranch headquarters (See Prairie and Foothills).

They live in a neat bungalow tucked a little further back in a sheltered wooded spot by Willow Creek. Raised three fine kids.

36 -- 2007 -- Irene Froman, Ponoka, with some of her riding students. Irene has been a den mother for a generation of young aspiring riders. This photo was taken at the Panee Memorial Arena in Hobbema. I also ride there in the winter.

Irene is a good equestrian instructor and teaches her students in both English and Western riding, as well as jumping. And in addition, arena manners.

We men, riding at that arena, soon discovered what might be called –The First Law of the West: Don't Cross Irene Froman.

(Just kidding Irene)

37 -- 2007 -- Bill and Elaine Speight. Speight Cutting and Performance Horses, Rocky Mountain House.

Both Bill and Elaine are winning riders and Inductees in the Canadian Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame. Nice people.

When Bill was training my horse, Mike (See Horses) in 1986/87, I would park my rig beside their barn, help with the chores,ride in their facilities, and try to pick up some cutting horse knowledge.

38 -- 2007 – Ward Ferch. I rode with Ward in his arena for several winters. A super horseman, trainer, and nice guy.

Traded a college teaching career for the world of horses. Currently training in Texas.

39 -- 2007 – Grant Sprague. Experienced horseman, lawyer, debater extraordinaire, good company.

40 -- 2007 – Wayne Meyers. County Councilor, farmer, horseman, and good neighbor. Years ago we both did a bit of cutting.

41 -- 2008 -- Dion Yellowbird.

Soft spoken but highly effective Manager of the horse facilities at the Panee Memorial Agriplex.

Dion is an accomplished horseman, knowledgeable cowman, and a competitive and winning roper.

The Agriplex is a huge well laid out facility owned and operated by the Ermineskin Band, Hobbema.

For several decades it has been a center for horse activities in this region.

The surrounding community has greatly benefited.