On November 19, the Paniolo Hall of Fame welcomed nine new inductees in the Class of 2022, two from Moloka‘i, three from Maui and four from Hawai‘i Island.
Moloka‘i
From Moloka‘i, the Dudoit ‘ohana is well represented by Morrency “Porky” Duke Keali‘ikanakaole Dudoit, and his brother Clifford Kuhopio Dudoit, Sr. Together they worked at their grandfather Maurice’s Dudoit Ranch, alongside uncles Puggy and Abe. They helped manage herds, and work the fence line, as well as hunting and cleaning game. The Dudoit Ranch was said to be the last ranch raising “Hawaiian horses,” a sturdy breed of smallish, strong and diligent mounts that are almost extinct today.
Morrency “Porky” Duke Keali‘ikanakaole Dudoit
Porky served in the Army, was wounded in battle and came home to work at Pu‘u o Hoku Ranch, and then Moloka‘i Ranch for the next 25 years. At 74, he is still working with horses as a trainer, farrier and saddle maker. Clifford went to Kapualei Ranch after Moloka‘i Ranch, after a short stint with the Department of Transportation. He’s well known for his excellence in horsemanship, knowledge of the land, and championship rodeo riding. He’s always had a passion for teaching the next generation.
According to the PHOF website, “His unorthodox training methods and family centered approach to skill building made his ‘rodeo school’ the perfect place for those more hard to handle youth. As a result of his training, several Moloka‘i youths gained state and national championship recognition and titles that included a world-record time in the Team Roping event of the 1993 National High School Rodeo Finals.”
Maui
The stories of three Maui inductees are interwoven with paniolo families across the islands and down the generations. James K. Hapakuka Sr. started cowboy work at ‘Ulupalakua Ranch when he was 14 years old, and stayed on for 50 years. A skilled maker of whips and saddles, James also took pride in teaching the keiki how to use them. He married the daughter of famed rough rider Ikua Purdy, Cecilia, and together they raised six children, and saw their ‘ohana grow by eleven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. James passed away on July 16, 1982 at the age of 71.
John M. P. Tavares aka Jackie Pacheco
John M.P. Tavares, aka Jackie Pacheco, began ranch work at Waialae Nui Ranch almost as soon as he could walk, alongside his twin brother Howard. After high school, Jackie started his own herd while continuing his job at Waialae Ranch, assisting with the many tasks of an operation that included a dairy, meat market, slaughterhouse, and butchery.
A man of many trades, Jackie could shoe a horse and fix a faucet, repair a vehicle, make a door, a whip or a kaula ‘ili rope. He has always helped other ranches all over East Maui, in the way of the true paniolo and ranching community. When not working on the ranch, he enjoys pig hunting, shoreline fishing, and rodeo—competing in team roping and double mugging with Howard. Jackie is very proud to take his place in the PHOF alongside his father John Pacheco Tavares.
Born on Maui in 1896, Robert Gordon “Boy” von Tempsky was the grandson of famous Prussian adventurer and soldier Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky. His cousin Armine was a renowned author of many books about life in the islands. Boy’s father Randal and his Uncle Von were on their way from New Zealand to Alaska during the gold rush when they stopped over in Hawai‘i and never left.
When Randal died at age 42, Boy’s mother Dora née Dowset—a cousin of “Auntie Tootsie” of the Parker Ranch ‘ohana—ran the family’s 5,000-acre Erewhon Ranch on her own. She sent Boy to school in California through his first two years of high school, then in 1913 Boy came home to help with the ranch when his mother fell ill. Afterward, Boy went to live with Auntie Tootsie on Hawai’i Island, and to work under the tutelage of A. W. Carter.
He came home after two years and managed the dairy production, crossing Hereford and Jersey cows, with good success. When mainland dairy markets came to Hawai‘i to compete in 1917, Boy sold the cross-bred cows and bought Herefords from Parker Ranch, converting Erewhon to a cow-calf operation. He eventually leased Erewhon to ‘Ulupalakua Ranch and became Assistant Manager.
Boy served in the army during the “old war,” WWI and then spent 20 years with ‘Ulupalakua Ranch. He changed course and went to work at Haleakala Motors for 10 years, then back to ranching. Boy was instrumental in building rodeo grounds, and founded ‘Ulupalakua Days Rodeo in 1939. He and wife Mary were married for 53 years and have two sons.
Hawai‘i Island
William Malulani Kaleipaihala Beckley was born in 1814, the oldest of seven children of Captain George Beckley and High Chiefess Ahia Kalaikumaiki‘eki‘e. George was known as a friend and military advisor to King Kamehameha I, in a similar role as John Young and Isaac Davis. So, when William was born, he was taken into the royal family and raised alongside the future King Kauikeaouli, as were John Young’s son and Isaac Davis’s daughter.
William often visited his grandfather’s ranch in Mexico, and years later, after he married and started a ranch of his own, he named it Little Mexico (now part of Parker Ranch). William was Konohiki of Waimea for a time, and manager of his friend King Kamehameha III’s cattle. William‘s experience with Mexico and knowledge of the Spanish language, plus his close ties to the King, made him instrumental in the outreach to Mexican Vaqueros who became the first paniolo.
David Hogan Kauwe was born in 1886, in his family’s home near the Parker Ranch slaughterhouse. Father John was a saddle maker, so Hogan started learning the cowboy way very young. At age 13 he joined the cowboy gang for $8 per month and free poi. Hogan was away from Parker Ranch for a time, due to a tragic mishap with his horse that caused him to lose his job, but he returned in 1907. He worked with the fence gang and the cowboy gang until he retired, calling those days the happiest of his life.
Hogan and his wife were blessed with a large ‘ohana, and the keiki learned from “Big Papa” as he had learned from his father. According to the PHOF website, “His grandsons Iasas Kaleikula and David Kaula were rough riders and saddle makers for Parker Ranch. His only great granddaughter Georgieanna (Spencer) Hopfe rounded cattle with him at the Tongg Ranch and was a Pā‘ū Rider. His two times great grandson Dustin Hopfe works with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) treating injured Rodeo athletes. In the four generations of his ʻohana, his legacy of the paniolo values and way of life are just as strong today as they were back then.”
Akau Family
Theodore Sonny Akeni Akau, Jr., is part of a Parker Ranch family that includes sonny’s brother Abraham Akau, Class of 1999. He and wife Rita met in Kohala and went horseback riding on their first date, then started a family that includes six children, 18 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Sonny was a rough rider for Parker Ranch first, then moved up to the position of agronomy supervisor. He and his ‘ohana were close to Richard Smart and his executive assistant Kiyomi Yoshimatsu. In fact, at one low point for Sonny, Richard took care of hefty medical bills when his son needed treatments.
James William Kimo Ho‘opai Jr.
The Ho‘opai family is another longtime paniolo ‘ohana. James William Kimo Ho‘opai Jr. this year joined his father Kimo Ho‘opai, Sr. in the PHOF Class of 2000. Kimo was born in Kohala, a third generation paniolo who, like so many others, started learning cowboy skills as a young boy. He graduated from Kohala High School in 1978, served in the Army, and then the Hawai‘i National Guard for 13 years.
During his paniolo career, he worked at four of Hawai‘i Island’s best known ranches: Kahua, Parker, Kehena, and Palani. Over the years he worked primarily with horses, which he loved. His stint at Kehena Ranch lasted 13 years, during which time it tripled in size. When Kehena closed in 2012 due to the severe drought, Kimo moved over to Palani Ranch to manage the livestock operation. He is also Assistant Pastor of the Mana Christian ‘Ohana church, and starts each work day leading the crew in pule.
The Paniolo Hall of Fame exhibit resides at the Paniolo Preservation Society at Pukalani Stables.
References:
Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Association Paniolo Hall of Fame
Images of Old Hawai‘i
Dr. Bergin’s “Loyal to the Land” series
Von Tempsky oral history, Watumull Foundation
