It’s a quote that can be read and reread and each time has a new meaning. There are people that we come across in our lifetime that will leave a lasting impact on others, and this past week really hit home.
Nestled in the tough terrain of Paradise Valley, NV, was one of the neatest Polled Hereford herds in the Western U.S. Stringent breeding decisions, calculated objectives and disciplined culling practices helped shape a herd that placed Lilla Bell directly into the American Hereford Association’s Hall of Fame. I had known Lilla and Woody Bell, and then later their entire family, as I started traveling for the American Angus Association in 2007, but it wasn’t until I moved to Western Livestock Journal that it was OK for me to go pay them a visit. After that first stop, I had close friends immediately and spent quite a bit of time out there taking pictures and helping them build ads. But aside from this, our friendships grew deeper.
Lilla carried herself with extreme professionalism and etiquette. She was always humble and always caring about the other person before you ever got to ask how she was doing. She was the epitome of Western class, and her cattle carried that same aura. They did their duty with intention and purpose.
In the summer of 2020, Lilla called with two very upsetting pieces of information. First, she needed to sell her cow herd and second, she was sick. Throughout that fall, I was able to see Lilla a few times as we gathered up the necessary paperwork and started working on a private treaty herd dispersion. There are two things I am grateful for: she didn’t have to suffer long, and she didn’t have to see her cows leave home. She passed a few weeks before the cows were shipped to their new home in Torrington, WY. It was bittersweet to say the least. The cow herd stayed together and has continued in their new operation, but it’s definitely somber without her around.
Lilla was deeply proud of her entire family. Her son, Dean, is an excellent hand in western California, and Lilla was always proud of her grandkids’ achievements, especially the talented granddaughter who carried on her name, Lilla.
Lilla the younger has been a standout in all things horses. While in high school, she placed third in the nation at the National High School Finals Rodeo before transitioning to reined cow horses under the guidance of future Hall of Fame trainer Justin Wright of Santa Maria, CA.
Like her grandmother, Lilla has taken on her education with a level of humility and honesty. Wright, along with professional trainers Kelby Phillips and J.D. Johnson, have helped mold Lilla’s training. As trainers enter the professional realm in the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s (NRCHA) events, riders start at Level 1 before moving to Intermediate and then on to open riders.
By the time this publication is printed, the annual NCRHA’s Snaffle Bit Futurity will have concluded. The show’s roots started in Fresno, CA, then Reno, NV, and now is located in Fort Worth, TX, and brings out the best reined cow horses and trainers in the world. The three-phase event consists of reining, cutting and cow work, where riders most notably “go down the fence.”
Lilla Bell, now 22, in her first time showing a horse she owns and trained herself, was named the Level 1 champion. Beyond that, her scores were competitive against the biggest and best names in the industry. This isn’t her first championship and certainly won’t be her last.
To see her name garner recognition brings a level of joy with a fond humility. When we lay our heads down in our final resting place, three things are displayed below our name, two dates and a dash. What means the most? To me, the dates are irrelevant, but the dash, and everything it represents, means everything. That singular dash represents a lifetime of memories, stories and experiences, but above all, your legacy. As Pericles stated, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
As the young Lilla told me, her namesake “blazed trails for women in the Western way of life and I am so honored to be able to carry on her name. She has painted the picture of a strong independent successful woman and I strive to be like her every day.”
Lilla the elder touched so many lives and now her name is being carried on. Her legacy is well represented. May seeing a legacy carried on give us all appreciation to those who impacted us and a chance to reflect on how we influence others. — LOGAN IPSEN
