SPORTS & OUTDOORS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
A9
A life in wrestling
Prairie City man’s
contributions to sport
earn a place in Hall
of Fame
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
T
Contributed Photo
The author with his hard-earned Barbary sheep.
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
Barbary Sheep rhapsody
E
hese days, 82
year old Tobe
Zweygardt oper-
ates a ranch outside
Prairie City.
Before getting into ranching,
however, Zweygardt was a fi x-
ture on the wrestling scene, in
Oregon, nationally and interna-
tionally. His accomplishments
on the mat and his lifetime of
service to the wrestling commu-
nity have led to his selection for
inclusion in the Oregon chapter
of the National Wrestling Hall
of Fame.
Zwygerdt started wrestling
in the small town of St. Fran-
cis, Kansas, when he was in
the sixth grade. Back in those
days, a children’s wrestling pro-
gram didn’t exist, so Zweygardt
didn’t get his start in the sport
until he was in middle school.
The middle school and high
school wrestling programs in
the area were run by Maynard
Skinner, a former Colorado
standout wrestler and eventual
California Wrestling Hall of
Fame inductee.
When Zweygardt was a
senior, Skinner departed the
St. Francis wrestling program
and was replaced by coach
Frank Brown. Zwygerdt
would go on to win a Kansas
state wrestling championship
under Brown.
Following his high school
wrestling career, Zweygardt
headed out West to wrestle for
Oregon State University in
1958. Oregon State was coached
by eventual Hall of Fame wres-
tler and coach Dale Thomas at
the time. Zweygardt says the
presence of Thomas at Ore-
gon State was one of two rea-
very once in a while
At last, the moment
a hunting opportu-
of truth. The only prob-
nity comes along
lem was, I couldn’t shoot
through a barrier of brush
that simply seems too
from any field positions.
good to be true. Growing
Thankfully I had brought
up in the areas that I did,
along my Bog-pod, a
we regularly saw Califor-
lightweight, col-
nia bighorn sheep
lapsible hunting
roaming the hills.
tripod. Slowly I
Being as bighorns
placed my .30-06
are a once-in-a-
over the rest and,
lifetime draw here
kneeling behind it,
in Oregon, that
still found myself
had cast a shadow
unable to take the
upon my enthusi-
Dale Valade
shot.
asm for hunting
The sheep were get-
sheep altogether. Work-
ing closely with my friend ting nervous, uncertain of
what we were. Locating a
Zach Bruce of AOA Out-
small window in the brush
fitters, a sheep hunting
through which to pilot
adventure finally came to
my bullet while simulta-
pass.
neously arranging myself
The Barbary sheep —
and my rifle to the proper
or aoudad, as they are
angle for the shot proved
more commonly called
difficult. Finally, Zach set
— is seen throughout the
my pack between my legs
Western United States.
Places like Texas and New and bottom which propped
me up to the exact neces-
Mexico have especially
sary angle.
seen huge booms in Bar-
Flicking off the safety,
bary sheep proliferation.
I held the crosshairs on the
The dry, rocky and steep
center of the shoulder on
terrain is perfect for these
the largest ram. Taking in a
and other implanted spe-
breath, I started to slowly
cies of sheep, such as the
exhale as I squeezed the
ibex of Arizona and mou-
trigger.
flons here in Oregon. As
At the shot, the ram was
they are not indigenous to
down in an instant. I cycled
these areas, some states
By JAYSON JACOBY
the action but there was
consider these animals to
Baker City Herald
no need — he was done as
be feral and don’t regu-
late them with tags or sea- the rest of his band disap-
ANTHONY LAKES —
peared in a fl ash. As I stood
son limits, but a hunting
It wasn’t the snowiest winter
license for whichever state up, the quivers of excite-
on record, but Anthony Lakes
ment caused my hands to
you choose to hunt will
Mountain Resort had plenty
shake. I uttered a short
still be required.
on its slopes to keep skiers and
prayer of gratitude as I bent
For hours we glassed
snowboarders sliding all season.
down to pick up my empty
rims, hillsides, thickets,
“Overall we had a great sea-
saddles and draws. Seeing brass case. Zach smiled
son,” said Chelsea Judy, mar-
and patted me on the back,
bighorn sheep and mule
keting director for the ski area
deer was encouraging, but the unspoken congratula-
in the Elkhorn Mountains about
tions between old friends
there was no sign of the
35 miles northwest of Baker
and fi nally said only, “That
elusive aoudad. Hiking
City.
will do!”
around in the rocks, my
A dearth of early storms
After getting pictures
old friend and I were able
delayed the start of the season
and dressing the ram, we
to catch up on all man-
until Dec. 18.
ner of subjects, from fam- loaded him onto our packs
But once the resort was open,
ily matters to major world and started the descent back
the snow base was suffi cient,
to our vehicle.
events. Fair-skinned as
despite a prolonged dry stretch
This will forever live as
I am, I felt like the wind
that lasted for most of February,
a special hunt in my heart.
and the sun were in a
to keep Anthony Lakes on its
The uniqueness of the aou-
deeply contested race to
usual schedule through the fi nal
dad, the physical require-
see who would be first to
day, Sunday, April 3.
ments of the hunt, the
redden my skin. Half the
The importance of the
resourcefulness required
day passed, and we hiked
resort’s elevation — 7,100 feet
for the shot and, most of
back to the truck thinking
at the lodge, the highest base
all, the camaraderie of
our hunt was over.
elevation among Northwest ski
two country boys getting
After reflection, Zach
areas — proved itself yet again,
thought of one other place to share yet another great
Judy said.
adventure together.
he wanted to check out
Anthony Lakes’ lofty posi-
Do you love to hunt
before we threw in the
tion largely insulates it from
sheep? Write to us at shoo-
towel. Finding a conso-
thaws that can force less-ele-
tingthebreezebme@gmail.
lation prize in the form
vation ski areas to temporarily
com and check us out on
of a shed forked-horn
close or reduce operations due
Facebook!
mule deer antler, our luck
to a lack of snow.
Dale Valade is a local
was about to completely
Much of the winter’s snow
country gent with a love for
change. As we traveled to
fell in December and early
the outdoors, handload-
the area to do our one last
January.
ing, hunting and shooting.
check, I thanked him for
the day and expressed my
gratitude for our chance to
be out in the hills hunting
together just like old times.
A MAN
Nearly instantly after
WAKES
setting up his Swarovski
spotting scope, Zach excit-
UP in the
edly spotted a group of
morning
Aoudads feeding on a
after sleeping on...
rim. They looked stun-
ning stretched out across
an advertised bed, in advertised
the hillside, rams, ewes
pajamas.
and lambs. After plan-
ning a stalk, I took every-
thing superfluous out of
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
my hunting pack to mini-
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
mize weight, grabbed my
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
rifle and shooting sticks
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
and off we went. Our stalk
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
was slow and methodical
Then it’s too late.
as we made our approach.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
We were reduced to crawl-
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
ing the last few yards to
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
set up a shot. The wind
Blue Mountain Eagle
was right, allowing us to
MyEagleNews.com
get within 150 yards of the
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
small herd.
petitive wrestling days were
done. He reff ed in the Oregon
School Activities Association
wrestling championships and
Pacifi c Coast Intercollegiate
Championships before three
consecutive years as a referee
in the NCAA Division I Wres-
tling Championships. In 1980,
Zweygardt was the co-fl oor
director of the NCAA Division
I championship tournament
held in Corvallis.
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle
Zweygardt was just as
Tobe Zweygardt at his home in Prairie City on Thursday, April 14, active in his community as he
2022. Zweygardt will be inducted into the Oregon chapter of the was around the mat, spending
National Wrestling Hall of Fame in October.
four years on the Prairie City
School Board, serving as pres-
sons he sought to wrestle for the as an assistant coach under ident of both the Lions Club
program.
Thomas following his time with in Prairie City and the Grant
“I loved hunting and fi sh- the Peace Corps in 1965 was County Ranch and Rodeo
ing and Thomas was at Oregon Zweygardt’s next coaching Museum. Zweygardt was also
State, so I came out. It was a gig. After the season at Ore- voted the Grant County Tree
good move on my part.”
gon State, Zweygardt transi- Farmer of the Year in 1990 and
Under the coaching of tioned to head wrestling and the Grant County Stock Grower
Thomas, Zweygardt would go track coach at Hedrick Junior of the Year in 2007.
Zweygardt will be inducted
on to be the Pacifi c Coast Inter- High School in Medford for
into the Oregon State Wrestling
collegiate runner-up in 1960 and the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
the Pacifi c Coast Intercollegiate
After moving to Grant Hall of Fame in a banquet at the
champion in 1961 and 1962.
County in 1971, Zweygardt Embassy Suites in Portland this
The year 1962 would also would work on various ranches October.
Zweygardt says he never
see Zweygardt become an alter- throughout the county before
nate on the USA world champi- starting the wrestling program thought he’d be inducted into
onship wrestling squad in Gre- at Prairie City High School the Oregon Wrestling Hall of
co-Roman wrestling as well while simultaneously directing Fame and credits his childhood
as coaching the South African the youth wrestling program in community for giving him a
good start in the sport. “I grew
Springbok Greco-Roman team 1978.
at those same world champion-
Zweygardt’s fi nal act as up in western Kansas, and for-
ships. The spot on the Greco-Ro- a head coach saw him travel tunately it was a wrestling
man world championship team back to Africa in 1982 with the community.”
His size growing up had a
was even more special than it Collegiate Cultural Exchange
lot to do with why Zweygardt
normally would be because tour in South Africa.
Zweygardt had no exposure to
Apartheid still held sway chose wrestling over other sports
Greco-Roman wrestling before in South Africa at the time, early on. “Being so small, bas-
his time in college.
but Zweygardt says Thomas, ketball was out of the question. I
His foray into coaching in the Oregon State wrestling played football, but I wasn’t ever
1962 came about because the coach, saw sport as a way to very big. I weighed 145 pounds
South African team lacked a break down the country’s sys- my senior year. I didn’t think I
coach at the world champi- tem of racial oppression. The would succeed much in the col-
onships. Zweygardt was sug- result was a team composed legiate level in football, so wres-
gested as a potential coach and of college-aged wrestlers from tling was a good option.”
“I’m honored and humbled
accepted the responsibility. After around the Pacifi c Northwest
coaching the South African team traveling to South Africa to by the selection into the Hall of
in 1962, Zweygardt joined the compete against club teams Fame. There is a saying, ‘Hum-
ble thyself in all things, for he
Peace Corps and coached for the throughout the country.
Federation of Youth and Sport in
Zweygardt found other who knows himself is a rich
the Ivory Coast and Senegal in ways to stay connected to the man.’ Being selected to join this
West Africa.
sport as well. He refereed on a group, I’m humbled and I’m a
A return to Oregon State regular basis after his own com- rich man,” Zweygardt said.
S286526-1
Anthony Lakes wraps
up successful ski season
March, which in many
years brings the biggest storms
of the winter, was something
of an anomaly this year, with
only about two feet of total
snow.
Nonetheless, “we had great
skiing all year and the snow-
pack held up great,” Judy said.
She didn’t have visitor num-
bers available, but Judy said this
season was “defi nitely quieter
than last year.”
During the fi rst year of the
pandemic, outdoor recreation
proved popular across the West
as the cancellation of most large
events prompted people to seek
other forms of entertainment.
Camping and hiking in the
summer were attractive since
social distancing was simpler.
And the trend continued into
the winter of 2020-21, with ski-
ers, both downhill and cross
country, fl ocking to Anthony
Lakes and other resorts.
This winter was more typ-
ical in terms of attendance,
Judy said, although last winter’s
growing popularity of cross
country skiing continued this
year.
SPORTS SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
SATURDAY, APRIL 23
3 p.m.: Grant Union
softball, doubleheader @
Lakeview
11 a.m.: Grant Union
baseball doubleheader vs.
Dufur
FRIDAY, APRIL 22
TUESDAY, APRIL 26
10 a.m.: Grant Union golf,
1A/2A Invite @ Buff alo Peak
Golf Course, Union
2 p.m.: Grant Union track,
Wayne Invitational @ Vale
High School
2 p.m.: Grant Union soft-
ball, doubleheader @ Elgin/
Imbler
2:30 p.m.: Grant Union
softball vs. Baker/Powder
Valley
4 p.m.: Grant Union track,
Crane Invitational @ Crane
High School
4p.m.: Grant Union base-
ball vs. Pilot Rock
Home games in bold
2022
I
Northeast Oregon
PHOTO
CONTEST
Visit bluemountaineagle.com and enter today!