Magical and Priceless Memories

                                                                  --Photos by Debbie Love

Commentary for Appaloosa Heritage class at Spots of Fun Open Horse Show  ---  July 14, 2019, Bonner County Fairgrounds. 

With this heritage exhibit, we’ll be “connecting the spots OR dots” of more than 70 years of Appaloosa history and a blend of even more years of Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce Tribal history.

Let’s start in the late 1940s with Sandpoint’s Harold Tibbs and his Foundation stallion Toby 1, ApHC No. 203. Harold lived just down Boyer Road from where we are today.

 

One day, he hooked up his homemade trailer, loaded Toby and drove seven hours to Lewiston, Idaho, for the first-ever National Appaloosa Show. When the show ended, Harold and Toby had won the performance championship.

The Toby I line eventually spread all over the world, as far away as New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, where a photo of Harold riding Toby appeared on the country’s Appaloosa registration papers.

Since those days, Harold’s daughters, Barbara and Laurie Tibbs, have also won national championships in Arabian trail and dressage, respectively.

Also, this Spots of Fun Show, for more than a dozen years, has featured a versatile horse award, honoring Harold’s memory and that of his famous stallion.

   

Fast forward 50 years from Harold’s experience in Lewiston.

In 1996, upon noticing the upcoming milestone anniversary of Harold’s performance at the first national show, I proposed a follow-up article about my stepdad and Toby for the Appaloosa Journal.

The publication of that story led to 11 years’ worth of my getting to write features for the magazine about Appaloosas and their owners from around the world.

One particular assignment involved a gentleman name Royce Crosby who raised and showed Appaloosas from his ranch in Oklahoma.  

While interviewing Royce, I also asked if he had any young horses for sale. 

Sure enough, he had a couple of fillies consigned to the World Appaloosa sale.

 

A few questions later, Royce had named me a price for one of them:  Easy Dream Design, a coming 2-year-old filly with an impressive pedigree including Dreamfinder, Roman Strawman, Prince Plaudit, etc.

Long story short, I purchased this filly sight unseen---except for polaroid photo---had her hauled up from Oklahoma in the winter of 2006 and gave her the barn name of Lily.

Since then, I’ve used her for trail riding, a few horse show classes and for giving visitors horseback rides but mainly for just enjoying pretty horses out in the pastures.

During the time I’ve owned Lily,   I’ve gotten to know a young lady who’s been hanging around with Harold and Virginia Tibbs’ great-grandchildren, triplets Jacob, Justine and Grace Laumatia who reside in Plummer, Idaho.

In fact, this young lady spends so much time with those family members, we consider her part of our family and often call her the “fourth triplet.”

Here is the story of Jade Stensgar-Mokry, the 17-year-old daughter of Laura Stensgar and Valentine Mokry.

 

Jade was raised in Plummer, Idaho, on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation.

She attends school at the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and has been working for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Lake Management Department for four years.

Despite attending school off the reservation, she is very involved in her culture and is an active member of her community.

She regularly attends language classes, has been mentored in how to conduct her tribe’s traditional pit-bake where brown camas, moss and elk are cooked. She also participates in her Tribe’s annual canoe journey.

In addition, Jade cofounded the Ant’oqmi’wes Club or the “United Together Club,” which will be celebrating its third anniversary next spring.

The short fringe buckskin dress that she is wearing is brain tanned deer hide, while the beadwork was crafted by the late Alberta Stensgar, Jade’s maternal grandmother.

The design shows old-style Coeur d’Alene floral patterns. Making a full set of beadwork can take anywhere from a month to over a year, depending on the intricacy of the beadwork and skill of the artist.

This dress, which took around six months to make, was a gift to Jade’s mother, Laura.

Jade will be running for the position of Miss Coeur d’Alene at the Julyamsh PowWow at the Coeurd’Alene Fairgrounds July 26-28.

Contestants must go through a series of interviews, are judged on regalia, poise, knowledge of the tribe and mastery of dance.

Meanwhile, Lily’s accessories belong to Aaron Penney, a member of the NezPerce Tribe. He served as president of the Nez Perce Appaloosa Horse Club for three terms and owned a herd of six registered Appaloosas.

The martingale and horse mask was made for the 100th anniversary of the Pendleton Roundup and was paraded several times in the rodeo arena, serpentine parade, and Westward Ho Parade.

These horse trappings have also been used in Yellowstone National Park riding on the historic NiMiPúu trail through the park.

The 45.70 caliber brass cartridges used for bells on the martingale were from the History Channel Documentary about the Big Hole Battle during the Nez Perce War of 1877.

The mask is patterned from a Plateau design. The crossed sabers are from the 7th Infantry under the command of Colonel Gibbon who attacked the sleeping Nez Perce encampment in the Big Hole Valley in western Montana.

At one time, there were ermine fur strips behind the "Indian Service" buttons, but a rogue mouse got a hold them!

The white feathers tied onto the forehead are from a snowy owl.

The matching blue and red wool saddle blanket is a civil war cavalry replica.

The fan is 30 years old and was made from a sharp-shinned hawk.

Thanks so much to Jade Stensgar-Mokry and Aaron for their contributions to  this Appaloosa Heritage class.

 

Many  thanks also to our friend Nancy Wright for accompanying Jade and Lily in the ring today, as Jade is a novice rider.

     

A brief reflection:   if Harold Tibbs and Toby had not excelled at the first-ever National Appaloosa Show, I would not had the opportunity to write fascinating features for the Appaloosa Journal.

 

If I hadn’t been writing those stories, Lily aka Easy Dream Design would probably still be living in Oklahoma.

 

If Jade hadn’t been hanging out with our triplets for so many years, occasionally visiting with Lily through the fence, today’s addition to the story would probably never have happened.

But, happily, it has, and for today’s Spots of Fun Open show, this story provides yet another fun connection of the historical spots aka dots.

Thank you.  Be sure to attend Julyamsh in a couple of weeks.  And, if you have any more questions, Jade can answer them outside the arena.

P.S.  Jade and Lily did win first place in yesterday’s class.  Thanks so much to Shadow Mountain Bell Ranch and Sharon Finney for donating the beautiful Painted Pony trophy, honoring the memory of Manny Finney. 

Also, thanks to Moreen Leen and the Spots of Fun Show crew for another wonderful show and for adding the Appaloosa Heritage class to the show.

Finally, thanks to all who helped out and supported Jade in her first-ever horse show class. 

It was truly something special.