MONTANA DRAFT TEAMSTER HALL OF FAME

Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame to Honor Two Montanans at Big Sky Draft Horse Expo

Two outstanding Montana teamsters will be inducted into the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame at the 15th annual Big Sky Draft Horse Expo to be held in Deer Lodge at 12:30 PM, September 18, 2010.  Teamsters to be honored are Howard Lee, 97, of Forsyth and Mike Myhre, 71, of Custer. 

The Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame is dedicated to individuals or entities that have made significant contributions to preservation, 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 is based on an outstanding record of contributions to the use, development, preservation, and/or education of draft animals or equipment used by draft animals.  This year's inductees have more than a century of teamster experience between them.

HOWARD LEE-- FORSYTH
• 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. This included hauling grain bundles to a threshing machine using horse teams.  Harnessing teams started about 5 AM each morning, and Howard supervised, helped, and taught hired hands how to harness, hitch, and drive.   In the winter teams were used for feeding cattle.  Howard was well known during the 1960s-1990 because he used horse teams to put up hay along road sides in the Forsyth area.

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--CUSTER
• Like many Hall of Fame members, Mike Myhre began working horses while growing up on a farm.  By age 13 he was putting up hay 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 such as 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 also a charter member of the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association.

Mike is an educator, teaching young people how to harness, hitch, and drive at 4-H and other clinics.  Teaching his two grandsons to drive led to their working as teamsters in Yellowstone National Park.

Mike is also a builder, making horse drawn round bale feeders. He collects and restores old horse drawn equipment.  He also raises and trains Brabant Belgian draft horses.

Mike Myhre is an experienced and qualified Montana Teamster.
The Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame is jointly sponsored by the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association, and Big Sky Draft Horse Expo. Hall of Fame members also have their photos and stories displayed at the Grant-Kohrs Historic Ranch in Deer Lodge.  Twenty individuals have been placed in the Hall.

Besides induction at Draft Horse Expo, this year's honorees will be guests at the Teamster Hall of Fame Banquet held on Saturday, September 18 in Deer Lodge.  For more information on the induction ceremony and activities, contact Nick Shrauger of Bozeman at 406-586-5113 or Email at Nicksh@theglobal.net.  Nominations are also being solicited for 2011.

Three outstanding teamsters who have made significant contribution to the use and preservation of horses and mules for work and pleasure have been selected for the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame.  The classes of 2008 consists of:

Carroll Mauel, 87, of Winnett, Earl Stucky, 74, of Avon and Jake Frank, 92, of Park City

These individuals were selected for their outstanding record of contributions in Montana o the use, development, preservation, and/or education of the use of draft horse and mules.

This is the fourth year for the Teamster Hall of Fame, and these individuals will be honored at the ig Sky Draft Horse Expo in Deer Lodge on Saturday September 13, at 1PM.

Selection to the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame is based on an outstanding record of contributions to the use, development, preservation, and/or education of draft animals or equipment used by draft animals. Selection criteria includes

• Promoting and using draft animals in work or in pleasure
• Providing education to others in the care and use of draft animals and equipment
• Providing significant community service using draft animals
• Preserving history of draft animals and equipment
• Being of sound personal character

Nominations must be in writing and must include a brief (no more two type written pages) description of the contribution and impact of the nominee. Nominations must be received by January 15th to be considered for that year.

Nominees can include individuals, ranches, businesses or other entities which have fostered the preservation, education or use of draft animals and/or draft equipment.

Three references, (only one of which maybe related to the individual or be an owner) must accompany the nomination.

No more than five inductees can be made in a given year (up to three living or operating entities and up to two posthumous selections).

Recipients will receive their award at the Draft Horse Expo in Deer Lodge each September where they would be honored guests and introduced at various Expo events.

Recipients would receive an appropriate plaque or other award to mark their selection. Their photo and description of their accomplishments will be placed at a suitable location in Deer Lodge.

Members of the Hall of Fame are (year of induction)

Kayo and Alex Fraser, Deer Lodge, MT, (2007)
Jack and Helen Edear, Corvallis, MT, (2007)
Charlie Yeran, Corvallis, MT, (2007)
George Miller, Absorakee, Mt (2005)
Kent and Mary Lou Connor, Corvallis, MT (2005)
Don Yerian, Emigrant, MT (2006)
John McIlhattan, Bozeman, MT (2006)
Don Coutts, Red Lodge, MT (2006)
Forrest Davis, Pablo, MT (2006)

The Big Sky Draft Horse Expo and the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association jointly sponsor the Montana Teamster Hall of Fame. For more information, contact Betty McCoy, 7825 Gooch Hill Road, Bozeman, MT 59718 Telephone 406-586-5113 or Email betty.mccoy@yahoo.com or Nick Shrauger, 7825 Gooch Hill Rd. Bozeman MT 59718. Telephone 406-586-5113 or Email nicksh@theglobal.net