SCHRADER: Hall of Famers live between Hinckley and Waterman
Sometimes it takes an eye-catching headline to draw readers into a column, so I thought I would try it this one time.
There actually is a Hall of Fame for the Illinois Horse and Pony Breeders and Exhibitors Association (IHPBEA) and the couple named to its Hall of Fame back in 2007 were Don and Betty Swenson. So I drove down to their farm on Howison Road, just south of Ted and Betty Kesner’s farm. The Kesners are friends of ours at Oak Crest and we see them often.
This was a lesson for me in horse breeding, horse training and finding out just what are Welsh ponies. Well, it seems the breed was brought over from Wales in 1906 to nearby Aurora. They are called ponies because they stand 50 inches tall. Horses are at least 56 inches tall. Before this, I thought there were only Shetland ponies, which are smaller, but now I know there are many more breeds of both horses and ponies out there.
The Swensons have been farming (mostly corn and beans) since 1969, when they bought the place from Don’s uncle. Both Don and Betty had horses in their youth and lived near enough to each other near West Chicago that they rode together in those early days. They have been horse breeders, trainers and horse show people all their married life –which happens to be 51 years. And their four children, Debbie, Donny, Kathy and Gina, were active in 4-H during their days in Waterman schools and had their own ponies. Today though, only daughter Gina and granddaughter Chelsey are active in horse breeding and shows, keeping their own horses where they live near Valparaiso, Indiana.
Over the years, the family has shown Welsh, Shetland and Hackney ponies, Roadster horses and even American Saddlebreds. They have captured numerous awards at shows and the state fair over many years but topped it off in 2006 by winning three national championships with their own homebred Welsh ponies – the National Champion Welsh Fine Harness Pony, the National Champion Welsh Roadster Pony and the National Champion Welsh Formal Driving Pony. This, along with their lifetime of horse breeding and showing, propelled them into the IHPBEA Hall of Fame two years ago. The organization doesn’t have a big showplace like the football and baseball halls of fame, but nonetheless it is a proud achievement for a lifetime of dedication to this breed of horse.
Don recounted the many years they have hauled their 36-foot-long horse trailer to shows in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois, as well as the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Many competitions only offer trophies or silver plates, but the state fair can provide them up to $2,000 in winnings each time.
They both agree that probably the most interesting aspect of horse shows is the people you meet from around the country, all with a common interest, and year after year you see them and build long lasting friendships.
At one time, they had as many as 30 horses on the farm, but now are down to seven this year. It still consumes a lot of time caring for and training them, getting them ready for competitions, but since retiring from farming and his additional job as a cement finisher, Don can spend more time with Betty enjoying the good life with their small herd.
• Barry Schrader served as editor of the Daily Chronicle from 1969-72 and later edited and wrote columns for three newspapers in the San Francisco Bay area. He and his wife are now retired and living in DeKalb. He has a website at www.dekalbcountylife.com, where readers can find an archive of many previous columns. He can be reached via e-mail at barry815@sbcglobal.net or through P.O. Box 851, DeKalb, IL 60115.