President Theodore Roosevelt was a man comfortable on horseback. In each of his three visits to Wyoming in the early 1900s, he set aside time in his schedule to ride.
His first visited Wyoming in 1900. At the time he was a candidate for Vice President. In between campaign stops, he enjoyed a morning ride on the Daley Ranch, southwest of Rawlins. Roosevelt’s skill as a rider put the newspapermen who rode along covering him to shame.
In 1903, Roosevelt returned to Wyoming while serving as President. One of the highlights of his trip was a 54-mile-long trail ride from Laramie to Cheyenne. Roosevelt rode alongside Wyoming dignitaries, including Governor Fenimore Chatterton and Senator Joseph M. Carey. At the end of the ride, the Wyoming Tribune newspaper reported that Roosevelt “was the freshest of his party.”
Near the end of his 1903 visit, Roosevelt was presented with a handsome horse named Ragalon. The horse was a “fine galloper and a speedy trotter”. But that wasn’t all. Ragalon could also count, distinguish colors, bow, and roll over on command.
See the Burt Family papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.