The "Real Deal" Cowboy

One of the nice things about our travels is all the interesting people we meet along the way. This summer we met a real cowboy, the genuine article, a fellow named Preston Goetzke (pronounced Getz Ski). When we began working for Crazy Horse Outfitters we learned that Preston was coming from Oklahoma to help with the trail rides at some point in the summer. Preston arrived July 3RD and within days we had developed an excellent working relationship and began to have the kind of fun that friends have when they spend many hours together. We caught horses together, trailered the horses back to the corral together, groomed horses together, saddled and unsaddled horses together, ate together, ran errands together...well, you get the idea!
Born in Virginia, Preston was raised by his grandparents. He moved to Florida while still in his teens and actually was in the same hunting club that Buddy was, around the same time! He even dated the ex-wife of our neighbor's son. Talk about a small world! He learned a great deal about horses and training colts while working on a ranch near Palatka, Florida. Eventually he worked his way to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. His true area of expertise is training colts but he is a fine hand working cattle, shoeing horses, and can handle any ranch chores, whatever is needed to get the job done. He completed Farrier's School in Oklahoma and was in demand by the locals to work on their animals. One Saturday we helped him put shoes on his three-year old stud colt, Peaches' Hickory, nicknamed "Stumpy". Stumpy was not happy with the effort but Preston persevered and the job was finally done! He also is an excellent guide, taking hunters miles into the high country in search of trophy elk, deer, and bear.
We sat and laughed over his stories since he is quite the raconteur, with many life experiences to fuel his tales.
He brought his own horses with him: Stumpy the stud colt, a sweet filly named Clabber Cat, who was waiting to be trained, a beautiful bay mare he called Sweet Pea, and his two geldings, a paint named Junior, and a sorrel named Buckshot. I had the pleasure of riding Junior and Buddy was able to get the chance to ride Buckshot. Both had been trained by Preston and were absolutely wonderful mounts. You could really tell the talent this man had as a trainer by the way his own horses performed.
I felt honored that Preston trusted me enough to allow me to ride one of his own personal horses.
Our time with Preston added a new, fun dimension to the time spent with the horses.
The Road Runners
Buddy & Elaine
1 Thess. 5:18
PTL!