We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Locals may recognize Eric Tilleman, a graduate of Chinook High and now an ag teacher in Cascade, Montana. In 1990 trail ride officials asked Jack Gist, a local rancher, to bring his mobile picket system to handle horses in camp during the trail ride. Tilleman helped Gist, then later bought the picket system and still erects it for the rides. This is his 21st year on the ride.
Jim Magera, Interpretive Seasonal Ranger for the Bear Paw Battlefield, is pictured seated and surrounded by participants on the Chief Joseph Trail ride. Magera shared some of the history of the battle and events leading up to it. He's seated on the platform that was used later in the evening for dancing. This campsite was on the Doug Hofeldt ranch along Barney Olson Road east and south of Cleveland.
Anne Mischel, an 89-year old resident of Amity, Oregon, has participated in all 52 of the Chief Joseph Trail Rides, as a rider until the last few years. Ever the optimist, she said, "Oh, I think I'll be attending a few more rides before I quit."
Each year, since the mid-1960's, the Idaho-based Appaloosa Horse Club has been hosting the Chief Joseph Trail ride. The 1300-mile trip roughly follows the route taken by Chief Joseph as he guided several hundred Nez Perce tribal members in an attempt to reach Canada and avoid moving to a reservation. The organized trail ride takes 13 years to complete, with participants completing about 100 miles each year. This was the fourth time the last 100-mile leg, starting north of Roy, Montana and ending at the Bear Paw Battlefield south of Chinook, completed the trek. Next year's ride will begin in Joseph, Oregon, starting a fifth ride cycle that will cover four states over the years.
The assembly point for this last leg of the ride was about nine miles north of the Fred Robinson Bridge on Montana Highway 191. A participant in the 2003 ride on the same leg told, "This area was just coming off a 10-year drought. This year, the area was already wet, then it rained the night before we were to begin the ride. Even the horses couldn't maneuver in the sticky gumbo that resulted." The riders made short rides, then moved the camp after things dried out.
Only Appaloosas registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) may be used on the ride. One non-riding participant told, "The area where the Nez Perce lived in Idaho, Oregon and Washington state was called 'palouse country,' a region along the Palouse River." The Appaloosa breed originated in the area and is descended from horses selectively bred by the Nez Perce.
Each day begins with breakfast, provided by the cooks, and riders leave as a group. A sizeable number of non-riders, who also pay the registration fee ($500 per person), move vehicles and equipment to the next camp site. The crew responsible for the camp and kitchen pack up and the entire caravan heads to the next camp site. It's like a veritable city on the move, with potable water, toilets, the kitchen and refrigerated trucks, picket lines, campers, horse trailers and even a dance floor moved and set up at the next site when the riders arrive, usually early or mid-afternoon.
After time to rest and freshen up (there was at least one solar-heated shower stall visible) it's time for dinner. At the camp on Doug Hofeldt's ranch, southeast of Cleveland, dinner was grilled steak, cooked carrots, polenta with truffles and covered with chicken gravy, salad bar and strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. The chef has a crew of about 10 who help with the meals and handle the other logistical parts of the camp infrastructure. Typically, after dinner, there is an educational program of some sort, then music and dancing and lots of visiting. Next morning it all begins again.
The people on the ride
Right away people at the camp wanted me to talk to Anne Mischel, an 89-year old resident of Amity, Oregon, who has participated in all 52 rides until the last few years, as a rider. Asked why she liked the ride so much, she explained, "I like to see the country and I like to experience history, not just read it in a book." Her husband of 63 years, also was a rider, died last year shortly after completing his 51st ride. Ever the optimist, Anne said, "Oh, I'll make a few more rides before I quit."
There were about 160 riders and 90 non-riders registered for the 2016 ride. Organizers said, "This year was down a bit from prior years on this leg." One year nearly 400 people rode and ride organizers decided to cap the participation at 350-for both logistical and environmental reasons. Riders were from 20 states and three foreign countries. One long-time rider said, "It's not unusual to have several Europeans on the ride. The club has contacts to rent horses for them."
Bonnie Ewing lives in Culdesac, Idaho, on the Nez Perce reservation. This was her 25th year on the ride, though she was not riding this year because of some recent surgery. Bonnie introduced me to her granddaughter, Lucy Samuels, who was to lead the horses into the battlefield area at the end of the ride. Lucy is the first Nez Perce youth to complete the Scout program. Scouts are leaders during the ride, who make certain the correct route is taken and the riders are safe.
Bonnie is also active in the Chief Joseph Foundation, a group that emphasizes the horse culture of the Nez Perce and has a number of programs for youth that use horses to "meet the demands of the present through contact with the past." Bonnie told that when she first began riding there were very few Nez Perce riders. She's seen that number grow to about ten percent of riders and she added, "I participate to honor my ancestors and because of the people I meet on the ride. I'm encouraging my grandkids to stay involved with the ride."
This was the 20th ride for Donna Henry. She found out, last year, that her grandfather, Matthew Quickfield, was a warrior at the Bear Paw Battle and a lieutenant to Chief Joseph. She learned of this connection when her husband read a historical piece in their local newspaper and Donna's mother was mentioned as a child of Quickfield. Donna said, "Now I have an additional reason to make the ride, to honor my grandfather."
'Houses and horses' are the
teams that move things
The folks who work behind the scenes to make successful ride, work as two 'teams.' One team, headed by the Chief Scout, is responsible for getting the horses and riders safely from one camp to the next. The 'house' team moves the amenities and necessities (toilets, water, sound system, dance floor, kitchen and food) and prepares the meals.
Ron Fowler is the Chief Scout and a retired Army Colonel. As an ROTC student in college, he had to analyze a battle site and chose the White Bird Battle site in northeast Idaho, where the Nez Perce first clashed with the U.S. Calvary. Fowler said, "I was so fascinated by what I learned that I got interested in the ride and now I'm leading it." He's assisted by several other Scouts, all wearing easily identifiable vests.
To make sure riders and horses are well cared for, each day a medical doctor, a veterinarian and assistant and a farrier accompany the riders. The medical doctor was quoted saying, "The most frequent problem I see with riders is dehydration." There is also a satellite phone along in case a medical evacuation would be needed.
The camp cook, Norm Shaw, started as a 13-year old helping in the camp kitchen. His dad, Andy, is head of the 'house' team. Norm Shaw, in real life, is the food director at a hospital in Walla Walla, Washington. He said, "I got my interest in cooking helping on the ride. I went on to culinary school and am still working the ride." He's assisted by about 10 helpers at various stages of the cooking process.
Readers may recognize Eric Tilleman, who grew up on a ranch on Barney Olson Road and graduated from Chinook High. He's now the ag teacher in Cascade, Montana. Eric is in charge of the picket line to secure the horses in camp and he's been doing the ride for 21 years. He said, "Jack Gist built a portable picket line for an event during the Montana centennial. In 1990 the Chief Joseph ride people hired Jack to follow them and take care of the horses. I helped Jack, then bought the picket line in the mid-2000's." He said the picket line could accommodate 50 horses. He moves the picket line each morning, after the riders leave, and hauls it to the next camp site and has it ready when the riders arrive.
The future of the ride
There are likely people who have just started the ride and more will likely start next year when a new 13-year cycle begins. But just randomly talking to people I was surprised that hardly any had been on the ride less than 20 times. Are there new riders coming along? What will be the future of the ride?
Thankfully there is a large core of riders who are committed to the purposes of the ride and they will work hard to keep it going. Another critical factor is access to cross private land during the ride. Organizers said several times how gracious local land owners have been, for a half century, in allowing passage across private lands and allowing camp and assembly sites.
Long term, there are efforts to get new people interested. The Nez Perce, through the Chief Joseph Foundation, are encouraging their youth to continue the equine tradition of their ancestors. As noted, there are more Nez Perce who have joined the ride over the years and, hopefully, that trend will continue as Nez Perce youth, like Lucy Samuels, move into more leadership positions with the ride. The Appaloosa Horse Club promotes the ride and, after 50+ years, the ride has a certain amount of inertia going for it.
And there's one more question about the last leg of this current 13-year cycle about to begin in 2017. That means the ride will arrive in Blaine County in 2030. I'm pretty sure I won't be reporting on it-I'll be 85 if I'm still around. But I do hope it's another great celebration as people honor and remember a great event in our regional and national history.
