Author Archives: Colton Hall

By Scott Feldman, Rapid City Journal

Dawson Phillips never met Lloyd Rypkema.

And yet Dawson, a 13-year-old boy from Winner, has read about Rypkema and is convinced the pair have a connection: that they are both “true cowboys at heart.”

Dawson wrote an essay this month in which he spoke of his own youthful but already deep love for animals, ranching and rodeo riding.

The seventh-grader at Winner Middle School who looks sharp in a cowboy hat wrote of working with 4-H programs, riding and caring for his horse, and tending to goats, cattle and sheep at the ranch owned by his parents, Marty and Roni Phillips.

He wrote about participating in rodeo events like team-roping and the flag race. He told about helping around his family’s farm by doing chores, and working with neighbors when they need a hand.

And finally, he wrote about Rypkema, who lived and breathed the cowboy lifestyle and was active in public service for decades before he died in 2010.

“Not knowing Lloyd and only having the chance to read about him, he seems like a true cowboy at heart,” Dawson wrote in his essay. “His active involvement in his community, the generosity in giving to individuals and his community a helping hand, proves he was a very kind and giving man.”

The touching words in Dawson’s essay won over the heart of Marv Rypkema, Lloyd’s son, who each year honors one young South Dakota rancher a free pony in memory of his father. This year, Dawson was selected as the winner of the fourth annual Lloyd W. Rypkema Memorial Quarter Horse Award.

“This is probably one of the best applications we have seen in four years,” Marv Rypkema said in an email this week.

Since 2012, one youth has been awarded a colt that carries the bloodlines of Lloyd’s favorite quarter horse stallion, named Black Cat Dancer, at the Black Hills Stock Show.

By Dan Bechtold, Editor

A Tripp County La Leche League will hold its first meeting on Feb. 9 from 6-7 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Winner.

La Leche League is an international organization that promotes breastfeeding.

Rachel Vogt of Winner is a trained leader and urges women who want to learn more about breastfeeding  to attend. She says are babies are also welcome.

The group will meet the second Monday of every month at the Winner Methodist Church.

South Dakota Legislators met with District and State FFA Officers at the 2015 South Dakota FFA Legislative Breakfast and District Officer Training hosted by the South Dakota FFA Association on Wednesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, Jan. 22 at the AmericInn in Fort Pierre, S.D.

Attending from the Winner FFA chapter were: Calah Covey, District IV president; Sydnie Peters, district reporter and Kayleb Brozik, district student advisor.

The purpose of the event was to promote the FFA’s mission of premier leadership, personal growth and career success by bringing together South Dakota’s governmental leaders with leaders of the South Dakota FFA.

Zach Horstman knows he needs to be ready at anytime.

In his four seasons with the South Dakota State University men’s basketball team, Horstman has been called on in numerous situations.

A story in the Jan. 27 issue of the Mitchell Daily Republic featured the college basketball player from Winner.

“The biggest thing you learn is to stay ready because you never know when your name is going to get called,” Horstman said in the story. “I think that is something I bring to this team because when you get called on, they expect you to play well. I know not to get down on myself because I’m not playing and just stay ready to go help the team.”

Horstman, a former Mr. Basketball, has started 16 games for the Jackrabbits and played in all 22 games this season.

Dakota Wesleyan track runner Skylar Forgey of Colome broke the school record for the 1,000 meter run at the Buena Vista University Invite on Saturday in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Forgey’s time was 3 minutes and 4.77 seconds besting the old DWU record of 3:08.18 by Gail McIntyre in 2009. Forgey’s time is just .77 seconds shy of qualifying for the NAIA national meet.