Black Horse Patrol

 

THE AL BEDOO BLACK HORSE PATROL
 
Previous to 1944, A1 Bedoo Temple had for many years featured a mounted patrol in its ceremonial parades. Yearly arrangements were made with Dr. Roy V. Morlege, an Al Bedoo Temple member and a noted horse enthusiast, and the Morlege Stables to furnish Palomino mounts for the patrol. Members of the Temple were then canvassed to secure riders for the group for each occasion.
 
Interest grew rapidly and the riders decided to field an outstanding unit like other Shrine horse patrols around the United States and Canada. In order to be a most outstanding group, they decided to have a patrol composed of all black horses. The horses' qualifications required that they be entirely black with allowance for white markings on the head. They were to be a minimum of sixteen hands high.
 
All horses were to be gelded—no stallions or mares—and must be classy in appearance and movement. These requirements were difficult to fulfill because it was no easy task to find a tall black gelding with class and show.
However, once these horses were found and trained, the Patrol stood out immediately in appearance over most other patrols. They have from that time become a favorite for the young people and horse lovers in our Shrine parades. As the Patrol grew, it paraded with 24 horses in line, with three flagmen carrying a Stars and Stripes flag, Canadian flag, and a Mexican flag, plus the captain.
 
Each man in the Black Horse Patrol owns and rides his own horse, furnishes his own equipment, and pays the upkeep on his horse. All horses were originally stabled in the Patrol's Broad Acre Stables, located to the rear of the Shrine Auditorium acreage on Broadwater Avenue, with accommodations for 40 horses and complete with tack room and club room and living quarters for the caretaker.
 
 
History of the Black Horse Patrol
 
The Shrine Black Horse Patrol of Billings was organized with Don T. Shawhan as captain. Shortly after its inception the Patrol was accepted as one of the uniformed bodies of the Al Bedoo Shrine. In the early years the captain was responsible for all facets of the Patrol.
 
On March 22, 1944, when the Black Horse Patrol of Al Bedoo Temple was formally organized, the major problem confronting the organization was the availability of a stable sufficiently large to house the horses. Nobel Don Shawhan, Captain of the Patrol, and Nobel Lew Williams, as president of the organization, did a considerable amount of looking around, and finally, after negotiation, took a two-year lease on the Broad Acre Stables, owned by E. L. Parker. One of the provisions of the lease was an option to purchase the property for the sum of $9500 on or before April 26, 1946. Even in 1944, this price for a piece of property of a little over eight acres, with the building that was on it, located only two blocks from the city limits, was an excellent buy.
As we approached the expiration date of the option, a number of members submitted propositions to purchase the property for the Black Horse Patrol, but the most favorable was that offered by Nobel Clark Simon, President of the D.J. Cole Company, who exercised the option and purchased the property from E.L. Parker on March 18, 1946, for the sum of $9500. At the time Nobel Simon offered to purchase the property, he made it clearly understood that he was buying the property either for the Black Horse Patrol or for Al Bedoo Temple, and it was not being purchased from the angle of speculation for himself, another member, or any group of members of the Black Horse Patrol. As an example of his generosity, from the first year's rental, which was very nominal, Nobel Simon donated back between $400 and $500 to defray the expenses of painting and repairing the barn.
 
It became apparent during 1946 and early 1947 that Al Bedoo Temple would have to do something in the way of acquiring property for expansion, and early in 1947 the Property was offered by Nobel Clark Simon to Al Bedoo Temple for exactly the amount he paid for it, namely $9500. The Trustees and Temple acted on this offer, and on February 14, 1947, purchased the property.
 
As the Patrol grew in numbers and as housing areas began growing closer and closer to our temple and our barn area, then known as Broad Acre Stables, it was realized that the location of the present barn and practice areas would soon be surrounded. We had potential help in member Stanley Arkwright, contractor, and later, member Don Doerschlag, heavy equipment sales, and Lloyd Lockrem, contractor, but we still were looking for an ideal place to settle and expand in the future. Clark Simon, an early Black Horse Patrol member and an outstanding businessman in Billings, found an opportunity to co-purchase a close-in piece of land out on the Roundup Road west of the Rattlesnake Lake area. He purchased a full section of 640 acres and gifted it to the Shrine with the stipulation that it was to be used for the benefit of the Al Bedoo Black Horse Patrol.
 
A few years later construction began on the barn with the help of the leveling equipment of our contractors and equipment dealer. Work was headed up by one of our members, Harvey Willcut, his son Bill Willcut and their ranch employees, plus all members of our Patrol. We have an outstanding loading dock and corrals thanks to the expertise of the Willcut Ranch.
 
The barn and the caretaker's house was then finished. Patrol members contributed $1,000 apiece or a minimum of $200, whichever fit their pistol, to guarantee completion of the barn.
After completion of the barn area and the caretaker's house, the idea of a member clubhouse began to be discussed. Eventually a majority voted to have at it. In 199O, under the direction of Jack Woods, chairman, and assisted by his building committee of Leonard Sundell, architect, Buford lladsen, Clyde Stanhope, Elbert Cosman, Bubs Scothern and Charley Norris, the clubhouse building and planning project began in earnest. The clubhouse was built with the help of many donations of time, materials and professional help, and no little sacrifice on the part of the Black Horse Patrol members and their wives. Our major financial sponsor was the widow of Stanley Arkwright, Marty Arkwright, a fabulous 1ady.
 
In keeping with our early Western past the clubhouse was named "The Stanley Arkwright Black Horse Patrol Stage Stop." What began on such a modest basis has blossomed into a fine facility, used not only for the benefit of the Black Horse Patrol, but as a utility to be used and enjoyed by the entire Al Bedoo Shrine.
We have had many fine members down through the years, composed of ranchers, farmers, and businessmen. Many of the most outstanding ranchers hoped to, and did, at one time, ride with us, and were delighted and proud to say, "I rode in the Black Horse Patrol."