Tooke Bucking Horses

Exhibit

Tooke Bucking Horses

A lifelong horseman, Feek came up with the idea to cross Shires with Thoroughbreds after purchasing Pat O’Kane’s horses in 1936. In 1938, he bought a shire stallion and mares and then added King Larrygo to the herd in 1943. Their breeding program was the first of its kind and pioneered the bucking horse stock industry. Over 6,000 bucking horses have been produced from Tooke stock, including 80 percent of the horses selected for the NFR. Today, bronc match rides and the world famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale can trace their inspiration back to Feek Tooke. The company continues to produce award winning stock and operates outside of Ekalaka, Montana. Donated by the Tooke family, the Tooke Bucking Horse collection contains plaques, Hall of Fame and other trophies, branding irons and the rubber flank cinch – a Feek Tooke invention that is still used for bucking horse stock today. Photographs from the collection are available to view on the Montana History Portal.

In 2017, Carter County Museum partnered with Ken Howie Studios and the Tooke Family for the Feek’s Vision documentary project to tell this remarkable, old west story of ingenuity and hard work so that others may learn Feek Tooke’s contribution to history and its roots in Ekalaka, Montana. Previews of Feek’s Vision were held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the National Finals Rodeo and in Ekalaka in 2018. The documentary premiered in Ekalaka on May 13, 2023. Click here for more information on the documentary.