Morrency “Porky” Duke Kealiikanakaole Dudoit
Year Inducted: 2022
Dudoit Ranch | Molokaʻi
Pu’u o Hoku | Molokaʻi
Molokaʻi Ranch | Molokaʻi
Morrency “Porky” Dudoit was born on the Island of Molokaʻi and raised in Mana’e (east region) in the Ahupua’a of Kūmimi. Porky, as he is affectionately known, is a decedent of the French Consulate Jules Dudoit and Hawaiian nobility, Kahooilina Paki. He was gifted to his parents, Jules Kuka’iau Dudoit Sr. and Barbara Yoshie Yeda, on February 22, 1947. He is blessed with 2 beautiful children: DeAnn and Ross Joao Dudoit.
Born into the paniolo way of life, the Dudoit children were expected to live, work, and love the Dudoit Ranch owned and operated by their grandfather Maurice Dudoit. As young boys, Porky and his brother Clifford were often left in charge of managing herds, mending and erecting fence lines, gathering and preparing wild game for family meals, and helping with the daily operations of the ranch. The Mana’e terrain was rough, with steep cliffs on one side, and the ocean on the other. This made management of the ranch and herd extremely important and required men with exceptional horsemanship and paniolo skills. Porky and his brother Clifford, from a very young age, were counted among the most skilled of these men.
As children, both Porky and Clifford learned to rope, ride, and even went through the routine of driving and capturing pipi ʻāhiu (wild cattle) along with their uncles Puggy and Abe. Dudoit Ranch was the last ranch on Molokaʻi that raised “Hawaiian horses.” These horses were generally small in stature but known for their strength and very impressive ability to work hard and diligently. The brothers learned to break and train these Hawaiian ponies and even used them to compete at rodeo against top ranking quarter-horses. At one rodeo in1967, the Dudoit boys performed exceptionally well on these Hawaiian ponies, leaving quite the impression on the crowd. As a result, a visiting Rancher, Dick Tool, offered them $2.00 a pound for these horses, a very lucrative offer in those days. This created a new interest and appreciation for these work horses that today are almost extinct.
In 1966, after returning from active duty in the United States Army, honorably discharged for being wounded in battle, Porky worked as a professional paniolo for Pu’u o Hoku ranch until 1968 when he left to work for Molokaʻi Ranch. In his 25 years with Molokaʻi Ranch, Porky was exceptional in his ranching and paniolo abilities especially in breaking and training horses and as a farrier. His love for the paniolo way of life ignited other skills and passions. Porky became an expert practitioner of saddle making that further developed into the creation of a variety of leather equipment and accessories. At the age of 74, this paniolo is still actively training horses and working as a professional farrier.
Morrency “Porky” Dudoit is a paniolo legend on Molokaʻi. He has lived a life dedicated to the honor and kuleana of being a true paniolo.