Taking the reins
Justin Kuck of Athens has persuaded his father, Richard Kuck, to come out of horse show retirement this summer in time for the Athens Fair on Aug. 14-17.
Justin and Richard are instructing Richard’s grandsons, 13-year-old Mason and eight-year-old Korbin, on his Five Oaks Belgians farm in the town of Bern, on how to compete in the horse shows at the fair this year.
It’s been a difficult year for Richard. His wife, Julie, passed away one day after last year’s Athens Fair, Aug. 19, after a 2-1/2 year battle with ovarian cancer.
Mason and Korbin are learning about the amount of work that Julie did to prepare the Belgian horses for the fair shows.
“She was quite the woman that did a lot of work behind the scenes of braiding the manes and tails,” Richard said.
Richard and Julie were well known for driving a cart and wagon pulled by their large Belgian horses in the hitch classes on Saturday nights during the Athens Fair.
The couple retired in 2016 from competing in the horse shows. Their grandsons Mason and Korbin will now be showing Belgians in the youth cart and halter classes during the fair this year. Belgian mares Karley, age 15, and Sierra, 14, with foal Sienna will be on display.
“I hope Julie will be watching us and cheering on her grandchildren in the horse show classes at the Athens Fair this year,” Richard said.
Richard recalled the fond memory of when he and Julie drove their four-hitch team of Belgian horses to pull their Buffalo Bill Ticket wagon in the final Great Circus Parade held on July 12, 2009, in downtown Milwaukee. It was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. They had three geldings named John, Jack and Charlie and a mare named Kate with her colt, King, hitched to their wagon in the parade.
“That was by far the best thing that we had ever done,” Richard said.
Richard and Julie started Five Oaks Belgians in 1990 when they bought their town of Bern property. The late Earl Prochnow, who owned the former Prochnow Tavern & Ballroom at the intersection of CTH A and H, mentored Rick and Julie on how to show Belgians. Richard and Julie started breeding Belgian mares in 1995-96.
Richard’s niece, Jenny Lipinski, made a quilt in honor of Julie that will be displayed in the horse barn at Memorial Park in time for this year’s Athens Fair.
