Saddle Up! Paniolo Preservation Society dinner honors John Wayne

“Buy a ticket, save a cowboy,” says Robby Hind, organizer for the Paniolo Preservation Society’s Biennial Paniolo Heritage Dinner and Live Auction which takes place Saturday at the Paniolo Heritage Center at Pukalani Stables in Waimea.

In cooperation with John Wayne’s family, the fundraiser celebrates Wayne’s commitment to ranching culture and his personal connection to Hawaii’s paniolo.

“Every two years, the Paniolo Preservation Society recognizes someone who has preserved and promoted the cowboy culture and values through media, whether it be film, books, or some form of media,” said Hind. “This year, we chose to honor John Wayne, who was such an icon, and has ties to the paniolo and Hawaii.”

Wayne, also known as “The Duke,” was a Hollywood ambassador for the cowboy lifestyle. With more than 175 film credits during his 50-year acting career, he was best known for his roles in Western film genre where he was a popular silver screen icon for decades. Also an accomplished horseman and outdoorsman, Wayne became a symbolic icon for those in the ranching industry.

“When you think about the cowboy, you think about John Wayne and the things he represented about the cowboy,” said Hind. “The thing that’s unique, is that he was also tied to the paniolo through his relationship with Parker Ranch, so it made sense for us to honor him. Many people think of him as only being tied to the mainland, but he was really was tied to Hawaii through Parker Ranch and Richard Smart and the cowboys there.”

Wayne was a frequent visitor to Hawaii and married his third wife, Pilar Palette, at the Royal Hawaiian Hilton on Oahu. During the 1960s, he visited Parker Ranch and hung out with owner Smart and the local cowboys. Smart was an accomplished Broadway star in the 1940s and ‘50s, and when Wayne came to visit him at Parker Ranch, they spent the evenings over dinner and drinks, then saddled up the horses the next day and worked the ranch.

Willie Kaniho Sr., one of Hawaii’s famous paniolo, also befriended Wayne during his visits, and Wayne subsequently attended the Parker Ranch Rodeo in 1965 to honor his lifetime service to the ranch.

“John Wayne loved Hawaii ranching. He visited here and made friends with local paniolo. This year we are proud to honor him as an actor who defined the cowboy image, and as a friend of Hawaii’s cowboy culture,” said Pono von Holt, president of Paniolo Preservation Society.

The society’s mission is to preserve and promote the heritage of the Hawaiian cowboy through the Paniolo Cultural Center at Pukalani Stables. The Paniolo Preservation Society celebrates the Hawaii ranching industry and the accomplishments of the generations of paniolo that made that industry possible. The focus of the organization is statewide and represents all cowboys from the Hawaiian Islands. It also raises awareness of the historical, present-day and future significance of Hawaii’s ranching industry and the honored traditions of its paniolo.

“We refurbish the buildings that were so important for the raising of cattle and horses for the paniolo in Hawaii,” said Hind. “We are also trying to develop a museum in one of these old buildings, and the funds we raise from this event will go toward building the museum. Also, one of our projects we want to work on in the future is building a website for anyone who has had a relative who worked for a ranch. They would be able to go the website, type in a name, and it would come up where they worked, the history of the ranch, what he did for the ranch, and their years of service.”

The evening fundraiser includes paniolo pupu and dinner, as well as a live auction of paniolo- and John Wayne-related items. There will be live classic country music by local favorites Willie-Joe and Damien, as well as dancing. Tickets are $150 per person or $1,500 per 10 person table. They can be purchased from any Paniolo Preservation Society Board member, or at Parker Ranch Store (cash or check only), Kamuela Liquor Store, and KuaAina Saddlery at Pukalani Stables. All proceeds benefit the 501(c)(3) Paniolo Preservation Society.

For more information, call 854-1541 or email paniolo@paniolopreservation.org. To join the society, or contribute, visit www.paniolopreservation.org.