Mary Williams Hyde Tribute

He has a gift for words. He has a gift for knowing how to live life. He has a body of work now that is a gift to us. A gift that opens up a world full of adventure, a passion for caring deeply for the land and the animals; and opens up our hearts with

humor, impossibly beautiful combinations of words, and tall tales that end up being morality plays of the best kind. I will see that my grandchildren read his books for then they will know how to live the rest of their lives.

So this may or may not be his last major book. My uncle, Dayton “Hawk” Hyde is now eighty years old. He stills breaks colts, fixes fence and roams the 11,000 acre Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary at will. I think he’ll fall off some cranky half-broke mustang when he’s 105, pick himself up, dust himself off, and climb back on one last time before he rides off to his own pastures of beyond.

I would ask the world to take a look at his body of life work, to reread his books, to pull it all together and take a fresh-eyed look at the big picture of what he’s accomplished. It’s never the pieces, but the whole that matters when looking at a person’s life. I agree with People Magazine, that once featured him as “an Amazing American.”He has been a cowboy, a bronc rider, a bull-fighter, a rodeo photographer, a clown, a rancher, a conservationist, a writer, a teacher, an inspirational speaker, a friend to wild horses, coyotes, and wild sandhill cranes. Shouldn’t we all live so rich a life? Dayton Hyde shows us we can. – Mary Williams Hyde

I am grateful for his presence in my life and the opportunity to participate in this endeavor to promote his literary works and conservation projects. After seeing Dayton on the television program 20/20 in 1990, I never realized how that viewing might change my life forever. I was impressed with the idea that one man could make such a difference for wildlife. He saw unadoptable wild horses in feedlots and got off the fence post and went to work creating an 11,000 acre wild horse range in South Dakota. His example of working as a volunteer for wildlife, made me realize that I too could make a difference for wildlife.

Life sent me on a journey to South Dakota December of 1995 to meet Dayton and visit the Wild Horse Sanctuary. When we arranged my visit, Dayton suggested that I read some of his books before I made the trip. “Don Coyote” and “Yamsi” were both in the local library and I read them both before I met him the first time. As I arrived in South Dakota and came down the hill into the valley that houses the ranch buildings and corrals, there were 50 wooly mustang foals in the corral that had just been rounded up and weaned. Wow! What an adventure! The first day we unloaded three 1500 lbs round bails of hay by hand for the foals. After that we went up into the snowy hills and cut down a dead tree for firewood. All of these ranch chores were done before lunch!

Moving to the area in 1996 gave this southern girl a real education in working seven days a week on the Sanctuary as volunteer Program Development Director. I knew more about teaching school and making biscuits than running a wild horse sanctuary. Nine years later and many lessons in ranch life, cowboy work ethic, wild horse management and running an ecotourism business, we are fulfilling the goals of becoming self-supporting that were set out in 1987 when the Sanctuary was founded. IRAM’s Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary has provided a sanctuary for hundreds of America’s unadoptable wild horses. Twenty thousand visitors come each year to see the wild horse herds and learn the history of the wild horses, pioneers and Native American that once made their home here. Our volunteer program has given many people the opportunity to lend a helping hand with the many ranch chores. The gift shop and tourism business aids in the development of the local economy. All this has happened because one man cared enough to make difference for wild horses. Won’t you please get involved and help. Your gift shop purchases, donations, purchase of foals, and volunteering of your time all help to keep the Sanctuary programs going and help keep wild horses running free.

Dayton O. Hyde’s life, his conservation principles, his literary work, his cowboy work ethic and his

dedication to wildlife has been an inspiration to me and has helped me become a better person.

Thank you, Dayton for all you do for the Creatures with whom we share the planet.

Susan W. Watt




		I still can’t think about my “Uncle Hawk’s” newest book, “Pastures of Beyond,” without crying....in fact you should know tears are streaming down my face as I write these words. Tears for my long dead father, his brother, whose own colorful stories of the same time and place are lost forever. Tears of longing and nostalgia for the most exciting time of my life, as I too, for my first twenty years, was part of Yamsi Land and Cattle Company. And tears because I always cry when stories ...or music....or art....are so beautifully done that there are no words, only tears left for a proper response.

	He has a gift for words. He has a gift for knowing how to live life. He has a body of work now that is a gift to us. A gift that opens up a world full of adventure, a passion for caring deeply for the land and the animals; and opens up our hearts with humor, impossibly beautiful combinations of words, and tall tales that end up being morality plays of the best kind. I will see that my grandchildren read his books for then they will know how to live the rest of their lives. So this may or may not be his last major book. My uncle, Dayton “Hawk” Hyde is now eighty years old. He stills breaks colts, fixes fence and roams the 11,000 acre Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary at will. I think he’ll fall off some cranky half-broke mustang when he’s 105, pick himself up, dust himself off, and climb back on one last time before he rides off to his own pastures of beyond. I would ask the world to take a look at his body of life work, to reread his books, to pull it all together and take a fresh-eyed look at the big picture of what he’s accomplished. It’s never the pieces, but the whole that matters when looking at a person’s life. I agree with People Magazine, that once featured him as “an Amazing American.”He has been a cowboy, a bronc rider, a bull-fighter, a rodeo photographer, a clown, a rancher, a conservationist, a writer, a teacher, an inspirational speaker, a friend to wild horses, coyotes, and wild sandhill cranes. Shouldn’t we all live so rich a life? Dayton Hyde shows us we can. – Mary Williams Hyde I am grateful for his presence in my life and the opportunity to participate in this endeavor to promote his literary works and conservation projects. After seeing Dayton on the television program 20/20 in 1990, I never realized how that viewing might change my life forever. I was impressed with the idea that one man could make such a difference for wildlife. He saw unadoptable wild horses in feedlots and got off the fence post and went to work creating an 11,000 acre wild horse range in South Dakota. His example of working as a volunteer for wildlife, made me realize that I too could make a difference for wildlife. Life sent me on a journey to South Dakota December of 1995 to meet Dayton and visit the Wild Horse Sanctuary. When we arranged my visit, Dayton suggested that I read some of his books before I made the trip. “Don Coyote” and “Yamsi” were both in the local library and I read them both before I met him the first time. As I arrived in South Dakota and came down the hill into the valley that houses the ranch buildings and corrals, there were 50 wooly mustang foals in the corral that had just been rounded up and weaned. Wow! What an adventure! The first day we unloaded three 1500 lbs round bails of hay by hand for the foals. After that we went up into the snowy hills and cut down a dead tree for firewood. All of these ranch chores were done before lunch! Moving to the area in 1996 gave this southern girl a real education in working seven days a week on the Sanctuary as volunteer Program Development Director. I knew more about teaching school and making biscuits than running a wild horse sanctuary. Nine years later and many lessons in ranch life, cowboy work ethic, wild horse management and running an ecotourism business, we are fulfilling the goals of becoming self-supporting that were set out in 1987 when the Sanctuary was founded. IRAM’s Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary has provided a sanctuary for hundreds of America’s unadoptable wild horses. Twenty thousand visitors come each year to see the wild horse herds and learn the history of the wild horses, pioneers and Native American that once made their home here. Our volunteer program has given many people the opportunity to lend a helping hand with the many ranch chores. The gift shop and tourism business aids in the development of the local economy. All this has happened because one man cared enough to make difference for wild horses. Won’t you please get involved and help. Your gift shop purchases, donations, purchase of foals, and volunteering of your time all help to keep the Sanctuary programs going and help keep wild horses running free. Dayton O. Hyde’s life, his conservation principles, his literary work, his cowboy work ethic and his dedication to wildlife has been an inspiration to me and has helped me become a better person. Thank you, Dayton for all you do for the Creatures with whom we share the planet. Susan W. Watt