Chronicler:    
Interviewer:    
Location:        
Date:  
Faustino "Frosty" Alzola
Mikel Chertudi, Toni Berria, Helen Berria
Mountain Home, Idaho
15 April 2002
 

Copyright 2002, Alzola Family Collection

Frosty was born in Mountain Home, Idaho in 1918 to Faustino Alzola and Eusebia Elguezabal.  He and his brother, Arsen Alzola, explain how their parents came to the United States, married, and helped run the Bruneau Sheep Company.  They describe what it took to manage the large company and its multiple divisions, a job his father did for about 40 years.  Growing up under the tutelage of their father and other other Basques, Frosty and his brothers learned the joys of hunting, fishing, breaking horses, riding, and the value of hard work.

The Alzola brothers each had talents that complemented the others'.  Working with horses and mules, especially breaking and training them, became Frosty's specialty.  He was working on a cattle ranch in Battle Mountain, Nevada when he received his draft notice to fight in World War II.  Frosty served in the 699 Remount Service of the US Army, breaking horses, mules, and donkeys in Burma for use by officers and artillery divisions.  In Burma and India Frosty hunted elephants, tigers, and leopards upon request by villagers, played polo against the British Army, and participated against some of the first rodeos outside the United States.

After five years in the service, Frosty returned to Mountain Home to help his brothers sell the Bruneau Sheep Company and move to the TM Ranch in Nevada.  He enjoyed working with children who came from all over the United States to learn about horses and life on a ranch.  Fifty years later, Frosty retired after a lifetime in the saddle.

Frosty Alzola Read the interview summary

Burma (1:42)

A dangerous canyon (1:16)
                                                     

Rodeo

Hunting elephants

The 699 Remount Service


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