[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PAYING TRIBUTE TO BILL OTTO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable 
man named Bill Otto who epitomizes the true cowboy in the spirit of the 
west. He has led an amazing life and I am privileged to stand here 
before this body of Congress and this nation today to recognize his 
accomplishments.
  Bill comes from a rich western history where he grew up on his 
father's ranch that had been homesteaded since 1904. His family had 
been in the ranching business for years and his grandmother used to 
cook for Teddy Roosevelt and helped bury Calamity Jane. As Bill's 
brothers and sisters went to school, he trained horses, and by the time 
Bill was fifteen he was rated as one of the best horse trainers in 
North Dakota.
  Bill gained a reputation for riding the wildest horses as he spent 
the summers working for the Civilian Conservation Corps. After running 
the family ranch for a short period at age eighteen, Bill moved to 
California. He earned his living by grooming horses and working at a 
boarding stable, and later for a company that owned and rented horses 
used in the movies. Through a stroke of luck Bill ended up filling in 
for Jack Conners in a film with Roy Rogers. In 1943, Bill left 
Hollywood to work at a thoroughbred ranch in Valejo, California where 
he met his first wife Rella. Bill has spent the remainder of his life 
working in the Rodeo, training horses, and raising his four kids.
  Mr. Speaker, Bill Otto is a talented horse trainer and dedicated 
family man who brings the heart of the west to life. I am honored to 
recognize Bill for his great zest for life and his dedication to 
keeping western traditions alive, and I wish him all the best in his 
future endeavors.

                          ____________________