Rene’ Vyvey was the 9th child born July 21, 1916, on the VX homestead ranch near Encampment to Belgian immigrants Charles and Emma Vyvey. He was rarely without a horse in his life. His dad taught his children how to breed, raise, train, and sell their Belgian and Percheron horses. They had over 40 brood mares and stallions plus a prize stud named Mark.
He went on his own at fifteen to hire out as a ranch hand for the large neighboring ranch where he was a cowhand by day and a horse handler by night. He broke horses to ride and some to become tie skidding horses for timber companies or a member of a team to help other ranches do their daily ranching operations. He was the one most ranchers and veterinarians called to help with difficult births, castrations, injuries or illnesses of many horses and cattle, and a favorite farrier of many.
He had his own horses that he used for irrigation, branding, roundups, fixing fences to others for running haying equipment, wagons for hauling, sleds for feeding and rodeoing for most of his 75 years. His joy was sending a horse out ready to teach a youngster how to ride and care for their animal.
Rene’ married Betty Jean Everist in 1941 and they had three children, Dixie, Ray, and Tammy spending most lives within miles of his birthplace.
He taught many young men how to be a man, be in a family, ride a horse, work cattle, brand, put up a hay crop from irrigating to baling and selling the crop, be a mechanic, birth an animal, cook a good meal, respect a woman and their elders, but still have time to go dancing, play the guitar, tell a tall tale and enjoy everyone he ever met.