Local cowboy celebrates 85 years
By NICOLE STEELE
Jack Walcker, of rural Turtle Lake, celebrated his 85th birthday on Aug. 27. While turning 85 is pretty special, Walcker who has a love for horses and the western way of life, is still training horses to drive. On his 85th birthday he trained a Tennessee Walking horse to drive who is owned by a good friend of Walcker.
He also received a new great-granddaughter named Tenley.
"I have three great-granddaughters," Walcker said.
Walcker has driven horses since he was eight-years-old.
"We used to use horses for all of the farming when I was growing up," he said.
Walcker grew up with 13 brothers and sisters in the Dirty 30’s.
"Back then, the dust was really thick and grasshoppers were everywhere," he said.
"My sister and I used to play with grasshoppers as entertainment. We would form dirt into a small arena and pretend the grasshoppers were horses," he said.
Throughout Walker’s life he’s ridden, trained and broke many horses. He was also a rodeo cowboy entering bull riding and saddle bronc events.
He once attended a horse sale in Miles City, Mont. where cowboys would have to ride horses that were wild and cowboys could earn $5 per horse they rode.
