“At breakfast, Kathy Froelich fills me in on the details. The early call to her husband, Rod, was from the fire chief at the Standing Rock Reservation. A lightning strike on the edge of the ranch sent grassfire blazing across the property. The key to containing a range fire is an instantaneous response. Every rancher in this area has a pickup with a pump and a large water tanker in his truck bed. This morning, the quick action Read More …
“Rod’s German grandfather, Matt Froelich, was just nineteen years old when his family immigrated to North Dakota from Russia. Catherine the Great had promised German farmers wealth and privilege if they would come and cultivate farmland along the lush Volga River valley. But the promises proved false, and in the early ears of the twentieth century, thousands of German families in Russia risked everything to move to America.” – Jim Keen, Great Ranches of the West Author & Read More …
“The Froelich Ranch was finally established, though not along Russia’s Volga River as Matt and his family originally envisioned. In 1948, the ranch began to breed quarter horses when Matt’s son, John J. Froelich, bought and registered a Palomino stallion named WR’s Commanche Boy. John’s love for the Palomino breed has passed down to his five sons, whose families abide by a governing philosophy to breed horses that they themselves love to ride.” – Jim Keen, Great Ranches Read More …