The Dude Ranchers' Association

11/11/2024

We'd like to thank all the brave men and women for your honor, courage, and sacrifice! Thank you, Veterans, for your service!

11/09/2024

We are eagerly anticipating our annual Dude Ranchers' Association Convention! We are excited to hear the inspiring story of our keynote speaker, Filipe Masetti Leite!

A huge thank you goes out to our Platinum Elite Sponsor, Romeo Bravo Software, for their invaluable support in making this event possible!

11/08/2024

Get ready for Live After 5 co-hosted by the Dude Ranch Foundation & Proprietress ! ✨ Enjoy casual networking + get to know the hosts Nov. 14 from 5-7PM at 1122/1128 12th Street.

11/05/2024

Be sure to exercise your rights today and get out and vote!

11/04/2024

You definitely don't want to pass up the chance to win this stunning horse, Tulsa! 🐴 Our trainer, Casey, is doing an amazing job with her, and we're excited to watch her progress unfold!

Purchase your tickets here! https://app.fluidpay.com/spp/horse-raffle

10/31/2024

🎃Happy Halloween🎃

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!

10/29/2024

Update on Tulsa from Casey -
Tulsa🐴 has shown amazing calmness while also paid attention while being thrown into many different situations I know she has never seen. Motorcycles being driven all around her and literally right up behind her, rabbits, sage grouse, and snakes underneath her, and gathering yearlings which can be a constant challenge of chaos – nothing has bothered her! Tulsa has never offered to buck and with cold chilly mornings, constant change of riding away from other horses, and me asking her to navigate obstacles while in motion she has handled everything with grace and confidence. She has been easy to catch, loads without hesitation, and stands to get on. I am so impressed with this mare’s demeanor and know she is going to make a fantastic horse wherever she goes!

Don't forget to buy your horse raffle tickets! ONLY 250 to be sold! Link to purchase here: https://app.fluidpay.com/spp/horse-raffle?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZjPwP2ersFvlSUw5oXeLLDF-v-dmPIlq5J5EPUEIDxojA8mK6MB4YlCg0_aem_NhBeS9L_jINpJ9zcM-OsvQ

10/28/2024

It is with a heavy heart we share the passing of Miss Bernice Turner. Bernice was a wonderful woman and a strong influence in the Dude Ranchers' Association and dude ranch industry. Bernice and Harold Turner were inducted into the DRA Hall of Fame in 2018. Bernice will be greatly missed and we send our deepest condolences to the entire Turner and Triangle X Ranch family!

Longtime Valley resident, Berniece Jensen Turner, passed away on October 18, 2024, after a long and dignified battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She passed peacefully at her family home in Jackson in the company of her husband and children. She was 82. Her family provides the following.

Berniece was born on February 7, 1942, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Loyal Ole Jensen and Hannah Lavora Beck. She was the youngest of four children. She graduated from Highland High School in Salt Lake City and took numerous business courses at the University of Utah.

She met her husband, Harold Turner, on a blind date and they were married on March 27, 1965. After they were married, she followed Harold to his family ranch, the Triangle X Ranch, located north of Moose, Wyoming, where she spent her life raising her three sons, Matt, John, and Robert, managing the Ranch office, and hosting guests from around the world. The move from Salt Lake City to the Triangle X Ranch was a significant life change for Berniece, but one she embraced and to which she was dedicated. She spent the first summer of her marriage sharing one bathroom and four small bedrooms in the Ranch’s lodge with her husband, mother-in-law, two brothers-in-law, and a grandfather-in-law. Berniece’s sharp mind and superb bookkeeping skills soon resulted in her running the Ranch’s office - meeting and greeting all Ranch guests, handling Ranch reservations, drafting correspondence with guests, keeping the Ranch books, and performing an assortment of other daily tasks; all of which she did for over forty-five years. Although not really a horse person, Berniece was game and spent thousands of hours on horseback in order to be with her husband and children on wilderness pack trips and rides along the Snake River. She made hundreds of life-long friends with Ranch guests and employees, leaving her mark on many.

Berniece was inducted into the Dude Ranchers Association Hall of Fame in 2018.

Berniece was also dedicated to the Jackson community. She and her sister-in-law, Mary Kay Turner, started Teton Mental Health Center in the early 1970s, which the family thinks was one of the first organizations to formally provide mental health services in the Valley. Over the years, Berniece served on various community boards, including the Children’s Learning Center board, the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum board, and the Senior Center of Jackson Hole board.

Berniece was no shrinking violet. She spoke her mind and was a fierce advocate for her friends and family. She travelled to all of her sons’ high school sporting events, getting kicked out of more than one gym for yelling at the refs. She eventually became the official bookkeeper for Jackson Hole High School boys and girls varsity basketball teams, which she did until her youngest son graduated. Berniece supported her grandchildren in a similar fashion, attending numerous games, dances, plays, recitals, and gymnastics meets until travel was no longer possible for her.

Outside of her family, Berniece’s greatest passion was playing duplicate bridge. She has been part of the Jackson bridge community since the 1970s. After Parkinsons made it impossible for her to hold cards, she continued to play in on-line bridge tournaments for hours every day with her Jackson partners - right up to the week before she passed. Her bridge partners over the years were her fast and dedicated friends. In 2023, Berniece was honored to be recognized by the American Contract Bridge League as a Life Master. Berniece’s other hobbies included needlepoint and knitting, bowling at the Elk’s Club, and coin collecting.

Berniece will be remembered by her family as a caring and dedicated wife and mother, who gave herself fully to her family.

Berniece was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Carol Jensen Cottle, and her brother Loyal (Bud) Jensen. She is survived by her husband, Harold Turner; her sons Matt (Jamie), John, and Robert (Amanda); her grandchildren John, Grace, Riggs, Bodie, Lucy, Claire, and Lillian; her sister, Becky Jensen McMillan of Fruit Heights, Utah; and many in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

At her request, a celebration of Berniece’s life will be held next summer. She planned the menu and made sure we all know how to make her favorite margaritas for the occasion.

Berniece’s family would like to sincerely thank Mary Ann Longfield and Cassidy Hepworth, of St. John’s Health Hospice, for their amazing and compassionate care of Berniece during this difficult time. Berniece’s family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to St. John’s Health Hospice.

10/24/2024

Join the DRA this January and witness the inspiring journey of Filipe Masetti Leite up close! Filipe, known for his incredible journey traveling over 16,000 miles on horseback from Canada to Brazil, will share his experiences, challenges, and the lessons he learned along the way. His story is not just about adventure but also about resilience, courage, and the pursuit of dreams.

Thank you to our Platinum Elite Sponsor Romeo Bravo Software!!!

10/23/2024

Let's get to know Tulsa's trainer!
Casey Albright is a 3rd Generation cowboy, farrier and horse trainer by trade. Casey was truly raised on the back of the horse and always jokes that “as kids, we never got to ride the good, broke horses, those were for selling or leasing, we rode the colts!”. This has definitely made Casey the cowboy and horse trainer he is today. As a farrier he understands the importance of horses being taken care of from top to bottom and that if a horse trusts you and feels good, there is nothing they cannot do.
Casey does not follow one specific horsemanship method. He uses methods from many different trainers and horsemen he has learned from throughout his life, and applies those methods from halter breaking, to groundwork, to putting one under saddle and everything in between.
Casey has trained countless horses for many different styles of riding. He has produced some incredible ranch horses, dude horses, team roping horses and as he would say “cowboy horses”. He has a true passion and love for horses and teaching them to utilize their skills and perform to the best of their abilities. The DRA is grateful to have Casey continuing training on our raffle horse Tulsa this year and we are excited to see all the two of them do together leading up to January!

10/15/2024

Praying for our ranches and their communities who are affected by these wildfires right now.

Our hearts are with the ranches and communities facing the devastation of wildfires. 💔

Earlier in October, Eatons' Ranch was fully evacuated due to the Elk Fire, a 90,000 acre wildfire that is still burning and only 26% contained. Triangle C Ranch and Goosewing Ranch are currently under evacuation orders due to the merging of two massive wildfires in northwest Wyoming. Earlier this summer, Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch suffered impacts from the destructive Alexander Mountain Fire in Colorado. These ranches are the heart of the West, and their resilience in the face of such adversity is remarkable.

We stand with our ranches and their families during these difficult times, hoping for their safety and a swift recovery. 💪🔥

10/13/2024

Have you considered promoting your business to the dude ranch industry? If you think your product or service could benefit the Dude Ranch Industry and its associated ranches, you might want to invest in a $300 annual associate membership with the DRA. This membership grants you access to these members and offers several perks. For further information about the Dude Ranchers' Association associate membership, click on the link below.

https://duderanch.org/membership/

10/12/2024

Have you ever been curious about what makes many dude ranches so captivating? Numerous classic Western films have been shot at our member dude ranches. Explore them!
https://duderanch.org/blog/movies-filmed-dude-ranches/

10/10/2024

If you are local to Cody, Wyoming go check out this event tomorrow evening at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West!

Check out the launch of the book The Life and Times of Charles J. Belden, Cowboy Photographer, at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West 📸 on Friday, October 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM MT. The event includes a presentation by publisher Brooks Roddan and Mack Frost, followed by a book signing ✍️. Copies will be available for purchase at the Points West Market. Don’t miss this celebration of Belden’s iconic work capturing the American West! 🌄🤠



Learn More: https://ow.ly/Kkxa50TIeSL

10/07/2024

It's not too late to embark on that adult fall getaway at a dude ranch! 🍂