Gutsy wrangler, huge horse save boy from charging grizzly

Spokesman Review (Spokane) ^ | 9/18/2011 | Rich Landers

[Baynative]

Grizzlies are high profile this year.

A lingering winter and late berry crop kept bears in proximity to humans longer than normal, perhaps contributing to a stream of headlines about grizzlies killing people and people killing grizzlies.

Meanwhile, a young lady on a big horse charged out of the pack of grizzly stories near Glacier National Park. In a cloud of dust, the 25-year-old wrangler likely saved a boy’s life while demonstrating that skill, quick-thinking and guts sometimes are the best weapons against a head-on charging grizzly.

[Baynative]

(posting this because I need a feel good story)

"Tonk isn’t the typical trail mount. Best anyone knows, he’s the result of cross-breeding a quarter horse with a Percheron – a draft horse. Bolster is 5-foot-10, yet she relies on her athleticism to climb into the saddle aboard Tonk.

“He was one of the horses we lease from Wyoming and bring in every year,” Bolster said, noting that she’d picked him from the stable in May to be hers for the season.

“He’s a very large horse – 18 hands high. That intimidates a lot of riders. But I’ve always loved big horses. He’s kind of high-strung and spooky, the largest of our wrangling horses. I like a horse with a lot of spirit, and I was really glad to be on him that day.”

(Tonk has a new home, now)

[A Cyrenian]

Sure hope obama & the liberals don't try to tax for riding a high horse.

Great story.

[BCR #226]

ping

[driftdiver]

wow what a girl

[Carry_Okie]

A lingering winter and late berry crop kept bears in proximity to humans longer than normal, perhaps contributing to a stream of headlines about grizzlies killing people and people killing grizzlies.

Of course it has NOTHING whatsoever to do with a specific government policy dedicated to increasing Grizzly bear numbers while wrecking their wildland habitat. It's just a seasonal coincidence.

[DuncanWaring]

Ping.

[mojito]

Holy cow!

A real ride of the Valkyries!

[Billthedrill]

BTT. I learned to ride on a 18-hand Tennessee Walker. It was like looking down from a tree. Old Red was proud-cut and took nuthin’ from nobody, but if you were on him you were his charge. Me, I was about 100 lbs at the time and I’m not entirely sure he always knew I was aboard. Great kids’ horse. Mounting was like doing a high-jump, though, and I was just about doing a split riding bareback, but it was a great way to learn.

[Kieri]

Baynative, I’ll be happy to read stories about brave, young Americans ANY day of the week! :)

We need more wonderful ladies like her. Our 18-year old daughter is working her way through school in Chicago — another gutsy young lady we’ve raised to be conservative!

[labette]

A worthy {and fitting) name.

I was thinking of our “Tonk” at F.R.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Good thing for the grizzly that the boy was kept from charging it.... (duck’n & runn’n)

[Rusty0604]

Great story!

[e_castillo]

Cool story. Thanks.

[Individual Rights in NJ]

LOL- I call animal cruelty on the human.

The horse and bear would have gotten along just fine and had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, if the humans weren’t involved in their natural home.

Abuse of the bear and horse.... what a terrible woman!!!

....or so the liberal says.

Really though, quite heroic.

[cicero2k]

Gutsy wrangler, huge horse save boy from charging grizzly

Take away his credit card.

[rabidralph]

who was leading the group on Tonk, a burly 10-year-old white horse of questionable lineage.

President Tonk, to you!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Me too!
Canteen PING!

[MEG33]

WHATTA GIRL..WHATTA HORSE!
Loved this

[Bigg Red]

Great and exciting story. Thanks for posting it.

[tommix2]

How good it is that the writer, Rich Landers , gives us an
understandable and well written account of the incident. This is quite unusual that a writer for a newspapaer writes
a piece that answeres the uestions that readers have.