The Spirit of La Cense and the La Cense Team
There is a spirit about the place. When humans and horses are free of the predator behavior that causes issues of control and rebellion to surface, then the humans are freer, kinder, more at ease - and so are the horses.

You can feel the spirit of the place in the way the horses carry themselves, proud and free in their natural ranch setting. Our horses roam open pastures and timbered mountains on this working cattle ranch, all under the majesty of Montana's Big Sky. They learn to trust and learn to become partners, their spirits free to grow.

That's because it's La Cense; that's because it's the La Cense team at work. The spirit of the place starts with our La Cense people, and we invite you to meet them.

Bud Griffith, manager of La Cense, was born and raised in Vermont on a dairy farm. The summer after his junior year in high school, he had a chance to ride out to Montana on a trip with his high school baseball coach and his wife. They went to the Gallatin Canyon, the area that is now Big Sky Resort (but wasn't then - this was in 1955). Bud went back to Vermont to finish his senior year in high school, then headed straight back to Montana, to the Gallatin Gateway area, where he worked on various guest ranches in the area through 1957. In 1958, he was hired on at the Flying D Ranch, and worked there and at the Spanish Creek Ranch over the next few years. He was manager of the Flying D for 35 years. Ted Turner bought the Flying D in 1989, and kept Bud on as the manager. In January of 2000, Clark Wheeler (Norman Wheeler and Associates in Bozeman) approached Bud and asked him if he'd fill in as interim manager at La Cense while William was buying the ranch. Bud said yes, and made the transfer - and when the sale was completed, he stayed on as the permanent ranch manager. Bud and Cheryl Griffith have two grown sons and four grandchildren, all living in the Gallatin Gateway area.

Steve Byrne, Horse Program Manager, oversees the training and development of the La Cense horses. Steve, having grown up in rural Australia on cattle and sheep stations, attended his first natural horsemanship clinic in 1993. At this clinic he was given a glimpse of what was possible with horses. This fueled a fire within Steve to chase his dream of becoming a horseman. Parelli Natural Horse.Man.Ship gave him the pathway to follow. Hand picked by Pat Parelli, Steve served an apprenticeship for over two years with Pat and Linda, often traveling with them. His achievements as a Parelli Professional include Level 3 in Parelli Natural Horse.Man.Ship, Parelli endorsed 4* Star Premier Instructor, and Parelli 4* Star Senior Young Horse Trainer.

Dani Wiederkehr, Horsemanship Instructor/Trainer. Born and raised in Switzerland, Dani left home at the age of 20 to travel throughout Asia and Australia. While in Australia he worked on a ranch where he was first introduced to natural horsemanship and the PNH method. When he returned to Europe, Dani enrolled in the professional horsemanship school at Haras de Cense in France and proved that he was a stellar horseman. Dani earned his degree as a 2-star instructor in 2002 and set out on his career as a professional instructor at Haras de la Cense, where he has demonstrated a truly exceptional talent for teaching. Dani joined the La Cense Montana team in 2003 and is in charge of the continuing development of the professional natural horsemanship program.

Dick Chaffin, cow boss at La Cense, was born and raised in Dillon. He grew up on a family owned ranch in Beaverhead County where he worked for 30 years. Dick then went to work for his neighbor the Selkirk Ranch. Dick has been with the ranch for over 15 years starting with previous owners of La Cense Montana ground, Transmountain Land and Livestock, and Zenchiki Land and Livestock. Dick and his wife Carleen have two daughters and one grandson.

Beth Stefani, customer service/marketing manager, was born and raised in Michigan where she earned a bachelors degree in liberal arts and a masters in business. Beth has had a successful career in entertainment marketing and sales, including twelve years with Showtime Networks, the cable programming organization. Her career took her from Michigan to Chicago to Cincinnati and back to Michigan. But her love for horses and Montana caused her to search for a way to combine her passion and her profession. Beth left the corporate world behind to join the La Cense Montana team in November of 2004 and oversees marketing, customer service, and office operations.

Tim Atkinson, farm foreman, was born in the east and grew up in Northern California. In his early years, Tim worked in the construction business and has run many types of heavy equipment. He worked his way through college while employed as a diesel mechanic for International Harvester; he earned a degree in Animal Husbandry and another in General Agriculture. Tim, his wife Christine, and their son Chance moved to Nevada, where he managed the farm division of a large cattle ranch. Tim and Christine added a second son, Cash, to the family. In April of 2003, they moved to Montana, where he brings to LaCense many skills and diversity needed for this operation.

Tim Boose, maintenance manager and safety coordinator, was born and raised in the Northwest where he began working on farms and ranches at the age of 12. Upon completion of high school, Tim served in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. After the army, Tim earned a degree in Agricultural Mechanics and also became an ASE Certified Master Automotive and Truck Technician. After moving his family to western Montana, Tim received extensive training in forestry and fire management and is certified through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Services as an Emergency Medical Technician. Tim and his wife Traci have three daughters, three sons, and two grandsons.