Storm Atlas: Loss of horses touches heart of Rainbow Bible Ranch
By Connie Sieh Groop, Cattle Business Weekly
“After Storm Atlas, we probably asked ourselves a hundred times, ‘What would we have done differently?’ And the answer is nothing,” said Larry Reinhold of Rainbow Bible Ranch located on the Lonetree Ranch at Sturgis, SD.
Knowing a storm was brewing, “We brought the cattle closer as we were in the midst of fall calving. The animals were in a good shelter. We brought a lot of horses closer, too. We put the younger ones by the windbreak and took as many precautions as we could.”
Still, when Oct. 3 arrived, “It reminded us of our mortality. Sometimes we think we can handle things on our own. We realize how human we are, we aren’t as big and strong as we think we are sometimes. We can’t handle it all on our own.”
With a blizzard predicted, the Reinhold family moved down to the Rainbow Bible Ranch Camp building with Larry’s dad. The facility included what they needed in case of power outages, a cistern for water, and propane for heat.
Unbelievable
At first light after the storm, they saw one of their herd bulls standing on the front patio. “We could see from the snowdrifts that he’d walked in. He was in a pasture a mile away so it was strange that he found his way to the camp.”
As they looked towards the shop, “We saw a gelding who should have been way north. He huddled by the haystack with some other horses who were dead or dying. We couldn’t fathom what was going on.”
As soon as he could, Larry started the tractor and moved snow to get feed out to the animals, never realizing how much devastation he’d find.
As she headed out, Rachel peeked over a fence and held up her fingers to her dad — nine of the young horses were dead. “I thought, oh my word,” Larry said. “Pushing snow, we found 16 dead. By the time we were done, 60 head of horses were dead. It wasn’t pretty. The storm did not result in any peaceful deaths.”
Larry explained their operation. “We run a lot of horses for our Bible camp. We only lost eleven head of cattle which is really a miracle. The Hereford cows stayed where they belonged. We like our cows, but we build a relationship with our horses. It’s not only our crew at the ranch but the 400 plus kids who visit us every summer.”
The family and crew develop a special bond with the horses. One daughter described it best by saying, “You could pour your heart out to them and they would listen.” Losing so many animals in the storm hit the kids hard. It was difficult to witness the extent of emotional damage caused by the storm.
As the Reinhold family continued to search, they didn’t know where the saddle horses were that were used at the camp. “We hoped they were holed up in some draw and didn’t give up hope.”
Rachel and Molly rode out in the breaks looking for the horses. The snow had partially melted by then. They could see what happened to the 30 really good saddle horses. Some lay at the bottom of a deep draw and others strung out across the flat for three-quarters of a mile.
Belief in God
Even dealing with all the loss, the Reinholds believe, “Life is vulnerable, life is short and we are finite. Our family firmly believes God is our sustaining power. That’s how we can keep going. Many people expressed concern and interest. It touched us with the outpouring of care from all over the country. The saddle horse group was brought together in three or four months with the help of some supporters.”
There were rumors that Rainbow Bible Ranch would not have camp that summer. “When our kids heard the rumors that camp would close, they said, ‘Are you kidding? We’re not going to let some little blizzard stop us.’ That is faith --- they expressed it; God has this. We had camp that year, which was really a miracle that we could put together so many good horses. No matter what, we kept going. This is a perfect example of the sustaining power of God in our lives.”
Building back
Larry said they could have had several hundred head of horses after the storm. Sadly, some were not in good condition for the camp. They were fortunate that, “We had a donation of seven good old ranch horses. A couple from Montana brought over a red sorrel gelding. We could tell it had been near and dear to their hearts, but its owners could see our need. Another young guy who had come to our camp brought us his roping horse.”
The Reinholds went to the Black Hills Stock Show sale that following February. It was a good sale and they bought 13 horses and only had one that didn’t work out. Some needed riding to get ready for the kids, but they were good.
From his experience, Larry finds it takes seven years to make a really good camp horse. Some may think they have better riding and training techniques but, “I’ve trained with wet saddle blankets and find it takes time to get a good horse to use on the ranch or for other people’s kids to ride.”
Larry knows the storm put a lot of stress on cow herds with more open cows than normal. One family that had had bought bulls from the Reinholds brought a couple of nice Hereford heifers. They still have some of her calves in the herd.
From Larry’s perspective, families stayed on the ranch no matter what. And because of what happened during Storm Atlas, they are closer than ever. The ranch will always hold a special place in their hearts. They lost living, breathing creations of God. “I think there will always be a softer heart towards livestock and each other.”
The storm and aftermath could harden the heart or make it more tender. Larry thinks it made hearts more tender. “There isn't an old guy who wouldn't tear up sharing their story. The brevity of life provides a whole different perspective.”
“I’m blessed to work with my family at the ranch,” Larry said. “All of our family is still on the ranch except for one daughter. We work together, we enjoy each other’s company, enjoy working with livestock. The storms of life can make joy easy to miss.”
“My staff are in their upper teens and they have a different perspective on life. I get the good ones. Some people complain about the modern generation—I tell people I wish you could meet the kids I work with. We have 400 kids from all over the country and love their energy. We finished our 44th year of camp this year. I wouldn’t want to ranch without the camp as the ranch offers something special to kids.”
As campers came back in the summer of 2014, some would ask about their favorite horses, “Where is Rosie?” Larry shared how they broke the news about the deaths of favorite horses, “We’d have to explain that she died in the blizzard and we could feel their hurt. The campers loved those horses. Sharing news about the deaths gave the kids a taste of real life and how they could handle it. It’s a hard lesson to learn at any age.”
The animals lost in the storm continue to be remembered. “In one spot on the top of the breaks where we had to bury 30 of the horses, we put a fence around the area and planted a tree belt. We call it Remuda Ridge.”
The storm provided some positive opportunities. “We had the privilege of telling the story of Rainbow Bible Ranch on BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) twice. There were articles in magazines and newspapers that allowed us to share our story about life in western South Dakota. The real story in South Dakota is on the ranches and farms, and not about how much money you make. It’s raising family and doing it right. We are glad to tell our story and still do.”
Larry believes, “When God writes your story; you’d better share it.”
SOUTH DAKOTA MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER 2013
THE CATTLEMAN’S BLIZZARD
The Cattleman's Blizzard
Editor’s Note: On Oct. 4-5, 2013, western South Dakota was pummeled by one of the worst blizzards in the state’s history. Winter Storm Atlas was unexpected and deadly. It began as rain, but then temperatures plummeted and winds began to howl. When the clouds cleared 2 to 4 feet of snow blanketed the Black Hills and surrounding prairie. Ranchers lost cattle, horses and sheep in the tens of thousands. We toured the storm-ravaged West River Country just weeks after the blizzard. Here are stories from the men and women we found struggling to recover.
By Bernie Hunhoff
THE CATTLEMAN’S BLIZZARD
SOMEWHERE UNDER THE RAINBOW (ARTICLE FROM 'HEREFORD WORLD')
SOMEWHERE UNDER THE RAINBOW
REINHOLDS GARNER TOP PHOTO AWARDS JUNE 28, 2017
BY CHASTITY JULSON
NEW UNDERWOOD POST
Read article
It was a double win in the Reinhold home when the results of the annual Farm Bureau photo contest were announced.
Mother-daughter duo Robin and Kiersten Reinhold proved victorious in their respective age group contests, with Robin’s photo taking the overall champion title.
Successful photography is nothing new to Robin, whose photos, in addition to winning other similar awards in the past, have also been featured in outh Dakota Magazine. Though Reinhold describes herself as having an artistic, creative bent, she did not begin to manifest that creativity in photography until 15 to 20 years ago, when she began taking pictures of the family’s livestock for the purpose of marketing their horses.
She quickly gained experience. In addition to operating a Meade County ranch, the Reinhold family hosts summer camps throughout June, July and August in their camping facilities – Rainbow Bible Ranch. Here children from six years old through high school can experience ranching and God in a real way.
Robin and her husband, Larry, publish a magazine called the Rainbow Reflector to keep camp families and supporters abreast of the happenings at the ranch. Robin also compiles a calendar used for promotional purposes. “We are required to come up with a lot of good photos,” Robin said.
For her winning shot this year, Robin was out with much of the rest of western South Dakota, trying to dig out after the Christmas Day Blizzard of 2016. She happened to catch sight of her daughter, Molly, working with a newborn calf.
“This one chose to hunker down behind a big cedar post and windbreak rather than going into the shed or calf shelter. As I watched our daughter, Molly, look him over, I was blessed by her attentiveness and tenderness,” Robin said.
Most of Robin’s photos come from just such moments. She is rarely without her camera, and she tries to capture the real-life moments that occur on their ranch.
“I try to capture more than just a pretty scene – I love to catch the feeling, the mood, the emotion, the heart. I prefer the candid shots and action shots that tell a story,” said Robin.
She has nearly perfected that art, and her photos travel around the world via print publications and social media. In addition to representing Rainbow Bible Ranch, these photos represent a way of life of whose existence most people in the nation are unaware.
“The day-to-day things that we do on the ranch are so unknown to the majority of the world, and it’s fun to open that window for them to see,” Robin said.
Whether on foot or on horseback, Robin and her Canon EOS 6D capture real life. With her years of experience, Robin has learned that lighting and position play a large role in the effectiveness of a picture.
“Lighting can make an ordinary scene a magical one. Even a dry August day that looks hot and deserty at high noon can look soft and beautiful if you capture it just after sunrise or just before sunset.
“Another tip would be to get down on your knees. When photographing livestock or people, you’ll get a better perspective from a lower vantage. It may sound simple, but it really makes a difference,” said Robin.
While Robin proved the champion in the 35 plus age category of the photo contest, nine-year-old Kiersten took first place in her age category with her photo “Milking the Cow.”
Having just finished third grade, the homeschooler is already well on her way to following in her mother’s footsteps.
“Mom started letting me take pictures with her camera when I was pretty young,” Kiersten said.
When looking for subject matter, she does not have to look further than her daily activities.
“Living on the ranch gives me lots of opportunities to take pictures. I like taking pictures of things that I know, things that are a part of who I am,” said Kiersten.
Such was the case with “Milking the Cow.” “Milking the cow is part of our daily chores. Usually my brothers do it, but sometimes my sister and I do it, too. When I took this photo, my brother, Caleb, was doing the milking, and I shot this picture over his shoulder. I like how the milk foams and bubbles when it goes into the bucket, and I like the sound of it, too,” Kiersten said.
“Milking the Cow” is the first of Kiersten’s photos that has won an award, though many of the Reinhold family’s social media followers have seen Kiersten’s work on Facebook.
When she is not shooting award-winning photos, Kiersten can be found riding horses, doing chores and enjoying time with her family. She also appreciates the fun of having hundreds of friends come visit each summer as campers. And, like any South Dakota ranch girl, she is kept busy with her responsibilities.
“My main job with the camp is being in charge of the kitty herd. I also help in a lot of other areas, like gardening, horses, sheep, goats, calves and chickens,” Kiersten said.
Watching her daughter blossom as a photographer is a crowning achievement for Robin. This delight far outweighs the fun of winning a photo contest.
“It is a joy for me to see our children, whose ages span from 23 to nine, pick up the camera and go out to photograph the sunset or anything else. To see them develop their skills and capture creative shots that I wouldn’t have thought of really is rewarding,” Robin said.
