Harriet "Haku" Baldwin
Year Inducted: 2019
Haleakalā Ranch | Maui
Long before the phrase “power couple” was coined, Haleakalā Ranch was led by the husband and wife team of Manduke and Haku Baldwin utilizing their individual talents and collective values.
Harriet “Haku” Baldwin was born on August 21, 1913 to Henry Damon and Gertrude Mackinnon . While the Damon family homestead, called Pu’ukapu, was located on a ridge near Fort Shafter on Oʻahu, it was on Maui during summer break with the Castle family that she discovered her love of horses and riding. It was during this time that she earned her nickname, “Haku,” which means “lord” and “to compose.” She grew up to become a leader in Maui’s prominent horse and ranching community. During the summers, Haku joined in with the Baldwin teenage gang of “Manduke”, Chu, Squeak, and Dwight traveling with them roping wild cattle with the legendary Ikua Purdy on the back slopes of Maui. In the 1950’s, Manduke along with Oskie Rice and Gordon von Tempsky were the core of Maui’s legendary polo team playing Friday nights at the old Honolulu Stadium on King Street. It was Haku along with Harold Amoral who managed the conditioning and training for their polo ponies.
Together, Haku and Manduke raised three children—Peter, Ben, and Katie. Always the consummate horsewoman, while raising her children, she dedicated her life’s work to the betterment of society through the horse. Haku had broad expertise in racing, polo, dressage, vaulting, breeding and training. All this led her to establish what is now called the “Haku Baldwin Center” which is the home for Therapeutic Riding on Maui. Through the Center’s range of therapeutic programs, riding skills are taught to children and adults with special needs in a typical equine-centered environment, with lessons adapted to accommodate various cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges. These activities never got in the way of her love for things cowboy. She continued to work as a “cowgirl” amongst the ranch hands of Haleakalā, joining them on cattle drives, roping at brandings, and checking pastures.
On the subject of cattle drives, Haku was an integral cowhand in manner and function, not as just “a guest rider.” While on high elevation cattle drives, she witnessed how the ranch cow-horses would struggle going up the mountain. To resolve this issue, she brought in Arabbian genetics to crossbreed with the home ranch mares. This resulted in offspring with better stamina for working cattle at high elevation. Such an initiative was reflective of Haku’s inherent sense of the humane care of livestock, an emotion that extended as well to human-kind in its entirety.
Haku also played a role in the Damon Estate purchase of Kahuku Ranch from Jimmy Glover in the ‘60’s, and together with Manduke encouraged the Estate to hire Freddy Rice to be the manager.
While Haku’s love for horses is legendary, her active and guiding influence in progressive ranching circles in Hawaiʻi is beyond exemplary. Through her leadership, she demonstrated strength, knowledge, understanding, and compassion while engaging in the best management practices when dealing with both animals and men.