Teddy Bell
Year Inducted: 2002
Parker Ranch | Hawai'i
“Plenty cowboys, not too many horsemen,” says Alex Penovaroff.
Teddy Bell was the latter, he says. Back when Parker Ranch had some 2,000 horses, Teddy oversaw the breeding program and knew each animal individually. When the ranch rounded up its horse herd to show off to visiting ranchers and touring stars like John Wayne and Bing Crosby, Teddy was always there watching.
“He’d give a complete pedigree of each animal,” Alex says.
Teddy was a top protégé of legendary Parker Ranch cattleman Yutaka Kimura, which back in the old days was considered an impeccable credential, a mark of elite ability and knowledge. Teddy learned from one of the best in the country about breeding and managing cattle.
Among his other talents, Teddy was an expert marksman, and Alex credits him with once saving his life, by shooting a horse, from a distance of about 30 yards. The horse had panicked and was about to drag him down the mountain.
Teddy passed away in June, 2002, taking with him tremendous knowledge of ranching in Hawaii.
“He was just an all-around cowboy, all-around person, and probably the handsomest cowboy that ever walked,” Alex says. “The bugger was good looking.”