Tracy Hsu is a horse trainer and captain of the popular carriage rides that clop down Main Street in Medora, North Dakota.
Tracy hails from Elgin, southeast of Medora. Like Teddy Roosevelt himself, Tracy’s father, George, was an East coast transplant who just couldn’t shake the romanticism of the rugged beauty of this region.
After initially moving to the area to ranch, George, who immigrated to the U.S. from China as a child, served America during the Vietnam War. Later, he decided to give back to his rural community in one of the most needed professions.
"He ended up going back to med school at UND. He was teaching to supplement his farm income. Rural medicine, he was not impressed with, and saw a need for rural doctors. When he got done with med school, he moved to Elgin because it had a hospital," Tracy said.
Despite not coming from a long ranch line or growing up in the rodeo, Dr. Hsu knew enough to teach Tracy the ropes.
"I’ve always loved working with horses. It’s an art, really, always perfecting my craft. Every horse I get teaches me something new."
Listen above to hear more of Tracy’s story as Tom joins her on a carriage ride around Medora.
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This segment is from The Great American Folk Show, Episode 85. New episodes air Saturdays at 5pm on Prairie Public.
