Wescolite (Dillon, Mont) 1949-2009, April 22, 2009, Image 1

Wescolite The University o f Montana Western Student Newspaper Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Inside this Issue: Real Cause of Obesity p. 3 E-rase your Waste p. 7 Senior Highlights p. 10 “Whistle, Grin, and Ride!” A Workshop With Cowboy Ray Hunt i “For it isn’t your Father , or Mother , or Wife, Who judgment upon you must pass. The feller whose verdict counts most in your life Is the guy staring back from the glass.” (From “The Guy In the Glass” by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934) by Dorothea Coomer, reporter It all started with an English 102 class in the fall of 2008. Each student was required to recite a speech from a famous person who meant a lot to them, and John John- srud chose “The Guy In the Glass,” a poem horse­ man and legend Ray Hunt often quoted. This February Johnsrud traveled to Era,Texas, to spend one month learning horsemanship skills from this master. Just how did he get there? In his quest to find a copy of the speech, Johnsrud turned up something that would even­ tually mean even more to him than that speech, an advertisement for a winter workshop with Hunt himself. by Wally Feldt Best-selling author and award-win­ ning reporter John Maclean will address the class of 2009 at the University of Montana Western’s 112th commence­ ment ceremonies at 11am Saturday, May 9 in the Straugh Gymnasium. “We are honored to have such a dis­ tinguished scholar, accomplished jour­ nalist and gifted storyteller accept our invitation as commencement speaker,” Montana Western Chancellor Richard Storey said. “It is a historic graduation and it is only fitting to have a speaker of John Maclean’s caliber.” The Class of 2009 is the second class of students who have attended solely under the university’s innovative one- Hunt was an Idaho raised cowboy who became known worldwide for his skill with horses. More than his skill, Hunt had a love and passion for horses that continually led him to find the best way for the horse to learn. Like a great teacher, or legendary coach, Hunt has become a giant in the horsemanship world. “Working with the horse is a way of life for me. He’s my livelihood, my hobby, my passion.” This attitude at-a-time course delivery system, Ex­ perience One. Bom and raised in Chicago, Maclean spent 30 years as a writer, reporter and editor at the Chicago Tribune including 18 years in the Washington bureau of the Tribune. He was a regular on the Kissinger Shuttle, covering the legend­ ary diplomatic journeys of Secretary of State Henry Kissenger. He was nomi­ nated for several Pulitzers during his Tribune career. Maclean and his wife Fran, are the parents of two adult sons; Daniel a teacher, author and adventurer, and John Fitzroy, a public defender for the state of Maryland. is why Hunt was and will al­ ways be a legend. It was this man whom Johnsrud wished to meet. Conveniently forgetting to mention his age on the ap­ plication, Johnsmd applied to attend what he thought was a large clinic at the Hunt’s Oak Valley Ranch. He did men­ tion that he had given a few clinics, and to his surprise, was selected to attend the workshop. Twenty-year-olds can be pretty full of themselves, and Johnsrud was no different. Eager to leam, and ready to show his skill, he made the 1900 mile drive to Oak Valley Ranch. As soon as he opened the bunk house door, John­ smd knew this was going to be more than he bargained for. Four cow­ boys, several years older than himself, sat in the kitchen, beers in hand, swapping training stories and tips. Johnsmd quickly realized this was not just another horsemanship clinic, but actually a trainer’s workshop. These guys had been training horses for years. This was their livelihood. In that mo­ ment, the confident twenty-year-old be­ came a questioning kid, the student of many good teachers. Meeting Hunt the next morning, Johnsmd recalls he was “a lot older than I thought. He needed oxygen all the time.” While his physical appear­ ance was much different than John­ smd had expected, Hunt’s knowledge and abilities exceeded all expectations. Though he never saw him walk more than ten feet, getting from his office to the passenger seat of his pickup, John­ smd knew this was a strong man when it came to training horses. This old, beat up cowboy taught from the seat of his tmck what many never even think of looking for with horses: the feel of the job, not the technique or style of how to accomplish something, but how a horse can do some­ thing with just a little feel and timing on the part of the trainer. On the first day, Johnsmd was given an unbroken colt to work. While Johnsmd expected to have some guidance and instmction on how to go about training this colt, this is not what happened. Hunt sat in his car, watching what each trainer did with their colt. Johnsmd was no differ­ ent. He was on his own. A little over- See Pg 9: Ray Hunt Author to Speak at Commencement Ray Hunt and John Johnsrud. (Photo Courtesy of Dorothea Coomer)