©Voice, January 2007

Joyce Moyer with a picture of her ancestor Buffalo Bill Cody.

The Buffalo Bill Cody family reunion is held every 10 years at Cody, Wyoming, on July 4th. This year a personal invitation to attend was extended to TWHBEA^SM Director from Ohio Joyce M. Moyer, as she is a direct descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody. When the organizers discovered that she is a Tennessee Walking Horse breeder and exhibitor, they were ecstatic and requested that horses be brought along. We soon discovered that Buffalo Bill also rode Tennessee Walking Horses and that his favorite horse was a black TWH named Duke. During his Wild West shows he also rode sorrel, white and spotted Tennessee Walking Horses.

The trip from Ohio began on June 29th. With overnight stabling arranged in Janesville, Wisconsin, and Mitchell, South Dakota, we were able to visit such popular South Dakota tourist attractions as the Corn Palace, Wall Drug, and the Badlands.

As we reached the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains, higher powers decided to add some excitement to our travels when, BANG, we had a flat tire. The thrill of changing a tire in 99-degree heat with 95% humidity and absolutely no shade is indescribable. Due to the delay and the danger of crossing the mountains at night, we decided to spend the night at the Jackson County Wyoming fairgrounds.

Fortunately, we were not alone at the fairgrounds. A junior rodeo was being held and we had the opportunity to experience the excitement and entertainments of the event. We also had the opportunity to expose a lot of Quarter Horse kids to the Tennessee Walking Horse.

In the morning, after purchasing a spare tire, we started thru and over the Big Horn Mountains. These mountains are definitely named appropriately as everything about them is BIG. About 20 miles into this leg of our journey, our diesel motor starts to struggle and then quits. We were in a dangerous spot – stopped on the side of a mountain with no cell phone service. Luckily, Good Samaritans abound in Wyoming. A young couple stopped to offer assistance. With their help we got towed off the mountain. The horses ended up back at the Jackson County fairgrounds, the truck ended up in Sheridan, Wyoming, and we ended up at the airport renting a car so that we could drive back to the Jackson County fairgrounds to spend the night with the horses.

The next morning, our Good Samaritans arrive and hook up to our trailer. We load the horses and set out for the mountains once again. The views as we drive through the mountains are truly inspiring; words simply cannot explain the shear beauty and magnitude of the vistas.

After finally arriving in Cody, we visited many of the sites related to Buffalo Bill, including his museum, the reservoir, and the Irma Hotel (named for his daughter). We also went to the Cody rodeo and Yellowstone National Park.

We rode the surrounding countryside in our off times during the family reunion. Since we are basically flat land type riders with small amounts of Tennessee and Kentucky mountain riding under our belts, we could only stand in awe of the incredible scenery. It was a humbling experience to witness the glory of nature uninhibited by humanity.

Leading the Cody family contingent in the Cody, Wyoming, 4th of July parade.

At the reunion, we had the honor of leading the Buffalo Bill Cody family contingent in the Cody, Wyoming, 4th of July parade. Joyce spearheaded our group; a friend and myself followed carrying the family flags. Following us was the first motorized mail truck on the Shoshone Trial carrying the older family members. This parade was so large there were announcers stationed every two blocks to introduce each group as it passed by. As we passed, each announcer explained that Joyce and I were riding Tennessee Walking Horses and that Tennessee Walking Horses were Buffalo Bill’s favorite mounts. After the parade a few security riders and other parade members tried out the glide ride and asked questions about the horses.
Watching people respond to our horses brought a smile to my face. First they were hesitant to be close. The questioned whether a horse that moved so strangely could be as versatile as a Quarter Horse. When we answered that they could indeed and that they also had the glide ride for comfort, you could almost watch their thought processes start to change.

Our ride home to Ohio was as thrilling as the drive out. Strange stabling areas, more flat tires, the list goes on. Through it all, the horses faced all the adversity and came through as champions. The question has been asked repeatedly, “Would you do it again?” My answer is, “Road Trip – Let’s Go! Let’s Ride!”

-Terrance Moyer