The Bigfork Equestrian Center
Featured in The Lakeshore Country Journal

Story & Photos by Jim Jackson
Early this summer Lori Bunyea stopped by the office with an advertisement about the Bigfork Equestrian Center. It's a new business that she and her husband Steve recently purchased. The equestrian center is just off McCaffery Road near Echo Lake on a short road called Sandy Lane. The Bunyeas purchased the facility formerly known as Venteicher Training from the Venteichers, and they were excited about having a business in Bigfork.
Step back more than 20 years and let me give you a little history. Lori and Steve met in Bigfork, when Lori's parents, Pat and Jerry Molen moved here from California. Steve, a native of Bigfork, was working as a carpenter and he just happened to be working on our house in Crestview when he and Lori decided to get married. Marlene and I went to the wedding and it wasn't long after they were married that the Bunyeas headed to California to work in the film industry. Steve has a successful career in films, working in special effects. But that's another story.

Buck Brannaman lopes his horse during the clinic.


The farrier's area where the horses go to get new shoes.

 The Bunyea's have two children BreeAnn and Austin and as they got older, they decided it was time to come back to Montana. When they first arrived back in Bigfork, Lori did some parent volunteering, but she soon became tired of not having something to keep her busy on a full time basis. One of her dreams as a young girl was to have a horse, and to live an equestrian life style.
When this property came up for sale, the Bunyea’s decided that this might be a great opportunity to get into a business that Lori would enjoy and at the same time, allow Steve to spend more time at home than the movie business allows. "That is one of the down sides to the movie business, when you’re working, it is usually far away from home on location," explained Steve. "Don’t get me wrong, it has been a great career and I enjoy it. It's just that when your kids get older, it becomes more important to spend time with them and be at home."

So this spring, they made the plunge into the world of horses and purchased the property, giving it the name of the Bigfork Equestrian Center.
One of the major events of the summer at the equestrian center was a multi-day seminar given by the man who was the inspiration for the movie The Horse Whisperer, Buck Brannaman.
Back in June when Lori came in and placed the ad, August seemed so far away, then suddenly, August was here and so was Buck. Lori called to invite Marlene and me out to the center for a barbecue and to meet Buck and see the amazing things he does with horses. Marlene is a cowgirl from way back, having grown up with horses, and she was very interested in finding out more about the famous horse whisperer.
After a busy Saturday morning and afternoon, we headed out to Sandy Lane to see the Bunyeas and Mr. Brannaman.

The spacious and well lighted indoor riding arena.

The Bigfork Equestrian Center is located in the beautiful Flathead Valley of Montana. The Swan Mountains
stand in the background.

 It was late in the afternoon and he had just finished classes for that day so we were able to sit down with him and talk for a while. It was a very interesting conversation/interview. Buck is in great demand and travels extensively throughout the United States and all over the world. He has been a famous horse trainer since long before the movie The Horse Whisperer was ever produced. I asked him if the movie changed his life in any way.
"Not really, when I was young, I was so poor that I couldn't afford the steam off a TV dinner but it didn't really matter because all I ever wanted to do was be a good hand with horses. Once I started working as a ranch hand for my foster parents, that was when my life started getting better and better. By the time that movie came along, my career was already well established and people in the horse world already knew who I was. I did get to work on the movie as a consultant which was a great experience and one I will never forget. But working with people and horses is always what I have done."
Buck is known as a horse "gentler." He doesn't "break" horses, he teaches people how to understand their horses so that they can work together as a team. His approach to horse training has revolutionized the equestrian world and his seminars touch people and horses in a fundamental way that changes them forever. There is a calm quietness to Buck whether he is talking to a large crowd of people on horses or sitting in a chair talking to a newspaper guy like me. The immediate impression that you get is that he is the real deal, an honest, down-to-earth guy, who walks the walk and lives his life the same way he trains his horses.

The indoor round pen for training and groundwork.
Marlene was curious about how he got into the business of training horses. Buck explained that it just kind of happened. "I've been starting horses since I was 12 and I've been bit, kicked, bucked off and run over. I've tried every physical means to contain horses simply to avoid getting killed. I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does. This method works for me because of the kinship that develops between horse and rider. Horses and life, it's all the same to me. The teaching thing just kind of happened when I started having success with difficult horses. I've never met a horse I couldn't work with. I've seen some bad horse-people combinations but I've never really had a problem with a horse. It's like they say, there are no problems in life, only opportunities. I feel honored and humbled to work with people and their horses for a living."

It had been a long day for Buck and after a short conversation, he was eager to get his boots off and relax a little before the barbecue. Lori asked us if we would like a tour of the facility and we gladly accepted. The Bigfork Equestrian Center is a top notch facility. The stalls are large, clean and comfortable even on a hot August day. I know this is going to sound strange coming from a person who knows nothing about horses, but the horses all seem happy to me; there is an air of contentment about the place and the horses are all very relaxed and friendly. Our tour took us to the wash room, which features a heated floor so the horses will be comfortable when getting bathed, even in cold weather. I was amazed by the cleanliness of the place and I knew that it must take many hours of hard work to keep up a place of this size.


Lori greets one of the residents.
After our tour we made our way to the shady side of the large building that serves as an indoor riding arena, for a delicious barbecue. People who had been in Buck's seminar were gathered there and sitting around talking horses. We joined Jerry and Pat Molen and the rest of the Bunyeas for the BBQ. Lori and Steve invited us back for the Sunday classes, assuring us that we really had to see Buck in action to understand his unique and revolutionary approach to horse training.
Returning to the Bigfork Equestrian Center on Sunday, we watched Buck teaching a large group of riders how to handle their horses using his techniques. Lori and Steve were right, what Buck teaches is much more than just about handling horses. His techniques impart an attitude of gentleness that extends way past the horse and into life itself. Listening to Buck is like listening to an inspirational speaker. There are lessons about life hidden in the way he works with horses. He fosters understanding between man and animal so that the rider and the horse become one unit, working together toward a common goal. Even for a non horse kind of guy like me, it was a rewarding experience to listen and watch the real horse whisperer at work.
Congratulations to Steve and Lori Bunyea on their venture into the world of the horse and the purchase of the Bigfork Equestrian Center. They have a beautiful, world class, facility and are learning from and associated with, some of the very best horse trainers on the planet. I believe the future holds great promise for this young family, and once again, we here in Bigfork are blessed with the positive energy of good people who have made the choice to invest their time and money in a local business and to raise their family in our little corner of the last best place. Thanks Lori and Steve for sharing your story with Journal readers and for sharing the experience of the real horse whisperer with Marlene and me.
If you own a horse and have been thinking about boarding it out during the upcoming winter season, the Bigfork Equestrian Center would be the perfect place. I know that if I was a horse, I would want to stay there.
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