November 2013:
Hi Bob,
Use mike@perrofeo.com as my email, a lot less traffic than on my office email. Still running my hedge fund, but trying to travel mainly for fun. Just got back from a roping road trip, took the freightliner rig with horses first to Montana then home for 3 days then Southern Cal for two roping events, 8 days driving for 10 days of roping (and 18 days living in the trailer).
My team came in 19th out of 60 in the Brannaman Pro-Am, some of the best ranch ropers in the country were there so I felt pretty good about where we came in, particularly since I was an amateur with a capital A! I was one of the oldest competitors and Sandy wanted to know why wrestling 500 lb steers was so much fun, hard to describe when you and the horse get the job done without much fuss.
I will have to send you some pictures when I get them uploaded from some friends who were there. Everything else is good, healthy at our age is relative, but so far no replacement parts required, just a complete rebuild of my left shoulder.
January 2009: News and some pictures from Mike:
Hi Bob,
Good to hear from you! Durango has been normal; the only addition is a 3 horse living quarter's trailer added to our fleet.
The hope that Sandy has is that it will mean a few road trips with the horses and dogs since we can travel fully self
contained, it even has its own generator! I think she would like it if I retired to the horse business; I had to explain
that the old saying that the way to make a small fortune in the horse business is start with a big one. Hay and diesel sure
got expensive this summer! We are going back to New Zealand again for 3 weeks this April, hunted stag with my bow last
April and wanted to go back for the fly fishing and wine tours. I attached a picture of the stag, took 5 days of hard work
to get close enough with my bow, the Kiwi's thought I was a bit daft! Not as crazy as my lovely wife who decided that
riding bareback up a flight of stairs to see the finishing touches being done to the patio, her mare Cassie is pretty
good about new stuff, but I held my breath I must admit. We still raise Spanish barb horses and I still play cowboy games,
mostly shooting balloons with 45 Colt blanks while navigating a course of 10 balloons and rounding a barrel or two.
Watkins is a great idea for the Vintage races, it was my favorite track while I was racing, had some of my best finishes there in the early 90's in my lotus 18, I still have a bunch of friends racing so we could spend time in the pits. If it does not haul a horse trailer I don't drive it anymore, love those big diesels! We have almost finished the house according to Sandy , although I will believe that when I am no longer on speed dial list of our contractor. There is still plenty of room if any old classmates want to visit; the guest bedroom even has a sauna!
We have had 4 feet of snow this year so no new pictures of the house; everything is white or brown with horse poop. I included several pictures me and my dog Belle, an Aussie heeler that really runs the place, I lost 20 lbs after Sandy showed me these pictures, I could no longer claim it was just the camera angle! I did notice a little extra on you and Jay, it's a bitch to get old and fat! The little filly in the last picture, Isabela, is now 700 lbs and has all the colts eating out of her hoof so to speak.
Glad to see you are keeping up the website! I know it can be a pain, but it certainly is a lot of fun to catch up on other folks. I am going back to Hamilton for my 45th this June so we must be getting close to ours, 2010? I hope you take charge and make some plans!
Regards,
Mike
December 2007: News and some pictures from Mike:
Hi Bob,
Freezing my ass off feeding horses at 5:30 am before the market opens; yes my retirement is going to come when I drop as well. I am having too much fun working 16 hour days, Wall Street 8, Ranch 8, sleep and eat 8 is my normal trifecta. We lost my favorite horse this past summer to colic, now training a new gelding for cowboy action shooting, too long an explanation, just thing riding fast and shooting balloons with blanks while keeping on a pre set course for time. We have a georgous new filly, Izzy, or Isabela del Perro Feo (photo attached) so I guess you could say we have grand kids. To finish up, the bay horse is my new one, the black filly is Izzy.
Sandy and I are going to spend 3 weeks in New Zealand in April, hunting Red Stag with my bow, fly fishing and touring the wine country; Sandy has arranged the hotels, I did not know that hunting and fishing could be done from such luxurious accommodations! We have not had a real vacation in 5 years so we are making up for lost time; besides we are planning 3 foals for 2009 so the year is pretty much committed to the Ranch. We are a big couple and have a great little brother who thankfully likes to ride! We are also the lead sponsors of the fly fishing tournament, The "Dos Moscas" or two fly held every July and the major fund raiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Ranch team won last year, after 6 years of trying so we have no place to go but down!
I went back to Hamilton to dedicate the climbing wall Sandy and I donated to the college and was pleased to see it in active use by the whole college community. After sacrificing my knees and shoulder to Hamilton football I decided that a non impact sport needed to be added to the agenda on the hill. After seeing FA facilities I decided that they did not need any money!
Remember, the 16 horses, 4 mules, 5 dogs, 7 barn cats and both of us are always open to visitors!Healthy, Happy New Year to all!
Regards from Durango .
Mike
February 2007
Mike says "This is a sunset... This is why we live here."
January 2007:
Mike writes:
Hi Bob,
Happy New Year, I have tried several times to send pictures and keep getting the email rejected. Are there any limits on file size?
Otherwise all is well in Durango ; we could use some of the snow they are getting up north, about light normal here. Two mares with foals due in April-May, hay over 6 bucks a bale, glad to have 2,000 bales in the barn! Sounds like it has been super warm with NO snow in the northeast; a friend in VT said Stratton was advertising GOLF!
This picture was taken of Mike, with Jay and Benj, at the 40th reunion.
From: Mike Bruce
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 7:54 AM
To: 'RTilden'
We are still raising/training horses in our spare time. Now working with our Appaloosa filly born this spring that was bottle fed, after mom refused her. Some folks said it was like having a baby, I can assure you that 3am feedings in early spring in a stable that is at 25 degrees IS NOT like feeding in the warmth of your house. Rancho del Perro Feo's Kate thinks that either she is a person or I am her "mom", at 500 lbs it can be problematic.
Added a new quarter horse,"Grady's Woosha Jet", who is keeping me busy until the snow flies. Heading out next week to hunt in the Kaibab for mule deer then out again after Thanksgiving to Texas for another hunt in the hill country.
Glad to see the "fly over" country chose the lesser of two evils for President, voted for Nader myself just to antagonize both my liberal and conservative friends. If you get out this way the house renovation is almost done, plenty of room for visitors.
Best Regards,
Mike Bruce
Subj: Re: Class of '65
Date: 1/23/2004 4:53:31 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: SBruce1120
To: RTilden
Bob,
Happy New Year(late) Sandy and I have moved full time to our ranch in Durango, Colorado, although I still run the Hedge fund my partners understand and let me commute back east once a month, thank god for broadband access!
Just got back from picking up a new mule yesterday, 10 hour drive with two mtn passes and some ice and snow, all in a days work for a cowboy. Mule and I arrived safely along with the two dogs that kept me company. Our herd now numbers 12 horses and 4 mules, although I board 8 horses for others.
A pregnant Appaloosa mare will probably have me sleeping in the stable come late March, but the foal should be worth it as the mare is a roan leopard and the stallion is roan with a full white blanket, not that I expect a pilot to understand much of that, I will have to send some pictures.
Not much news from any FA folks as they are few and far between in the southwest. Anyone coming through Durango should look us up as we have great riding, fishing, mountain and road biking, a glider strip 2 miles away (for you Bob), and plenty of good food!
Best,
Mike Bruce
Subj: Re: Meeing House draft.
Date: 3/5/2003 5:14:22 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: SBruce1120
To: RTilden
Bob,
Nice column, I haven't quite retired yet as I still run a hedge fund, Catalyst Associates, the location is correct as a satellite and the Internet have made it possible for me to work anywhere in the country. We keep adding horses and mules so I will have to keep working just to be able to afford the feed bills. I do some guiding for both rides and fly fishing for friends. Still working on getting back to flying. I will have some pictures for you shortly, of yours truly and various members of the family (when you don't have kids this is what happens, although a few of my horses and mules seem more tractable than some of my friends kids)!
Regards,
Mike Bruce
Subj: Re: the end is near...
Date: 2/15/2003 7:33:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: SBruce1120
To: RTilden
Bob,
Just got back to CT from the ranch in Colorado, house here is on the verge of being sold so CO will be home soon. Have 8 horses, 4 mules and 150 elk wintering on the place, can't wait to get back! Just bought Sandy a nice Canadian bred black mare and have another mare, a buckskin rocky mountain, as a possible addition as well. Went from shoveling horse shit on wall street to shoveling it in Durango. We have lots of space so if you get out our way just call, I can see the glider and light plane strip on the other side of the Animas River from the front door.
Regards,
Mike
Bob,
Sandy and I bought our perfect ranch in Durango and am in the process of moving here full time. Great house in the Animas Valley with 1/2 mile of river and room for 20-25 horses and mules, we now have 12 that I wake up to each morning. Weather has been dry, still alot of fire damage to clean up in the valley, went to the irrigation ditch meeting and the clean up was the major topic, worry about hay crop irrigation. This ranching stuff is really stressful, just like running an investment firm! I will send along some pictures when the renovation is completed.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
Mike
Subj: FA65
Date: 4/5/2002 6:16:53 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: SBruce1120
To: RTilden
Bob,
I am sorry that I lost your last letter, the website is a real treat and I hope to provide some pictures and a little history. By the way my wife did the same aids ride as Dave and I have similar pictures of her. I run a successful hedge fund, Catalyst Associates, in the top 20 last year in the US. I am married with no children, just 2 bulldogs, 2 mules, 1 horse, 1 Boykin spaniel, 1 Spinoni Italiano, and homes in Durango,Colorado and Connecticut. I would think about retiring, but am having too much fun. Still a surplus of hobbies, fly fishing, elk hunting, cowboying in Colorado, competitive clay shooting here and in Europe on occasion. You have way more hair than me as I have shaved my head for the past 8 years. Gave up racing vintage sports cars and the 80+ hour weeks as a partner in an LBO fund in the 1980s and have never looked back!
I will try to send along some pix and news.
Regards,I replied to the email above, and this email followed. Apparently he had read some stories on the other part of the bobtilden site... I didn't know that he was a pilot, and I was quite surprised that he started right in takling about airplanes. Note that this was more a newsy email rather than a formal composition; It is amazing how much info you can transfer when you just say it rather than trying to doll it up!:
Just wish you were closer so I could get my instrument rating from someone I knew. Thinking of starting flying again now that we are spending more time in Durango. Mountain flying has its own hazards and my skills have not been fresh for twenty years.
I have shot in several tournaments with Dave Laemmle, he hasn't been shooting much now that he has a youngster. Have some pictures of Turkeys on the roof of his house in Maine.
How the hell did you ever wind up in Montour Falls? I went to Hamilton as you may recall and was probably the only one of your classmates who knew where it was. I was through the town a few times 34 years ago!
Still active outdoors and will be relaxing this fall guiding and cooking in a high country elk camp.
Married a second time in 1990 and the best thing I ever did!
Looks like quite a construction project you have going on! Having just built a house (actually Sandy did all the work) and now considering another project (not sure why yet, guess we survived the last one).
I will try to get some pictures to you, have to get my mule Clyde on your site.
Regards,
Mike
I wrote back to Mike, asking more questions, and suggesting that with race cars and airplanes, a younger Michael had a need for speed. I also asked if Clyde was a racing mule or if he is an affirmation that life is better slower. He replied:
Subj: Re: FA65
Date: 4/8/2002 9:10:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: SBruce1120
To: RTilden
Bob,
Started to fly in college and couldn't afford the rates at NYC airports. Raced some SCCA, moved to vintage cars and raced a 1951 Swallow Doretti, 1954 Aston Martin Gt. in the Carrera Pan America (2200 miles in 7 days from Tuxtla Guiterrez to Nuevo Laredo), D production Triumph Spitfires, Lotus Elan series 2 with a 2 liter ford BDG engine (twin cam 385 bhp in a dry sump 11000 RPM redlined setup, car weighed 1200 lbs wet, eat your heart out Jay!), and a lotus 18 1959 formula junior. Also formula fords etc., too much wasted time at the track for the time racing and a 120 mph quadruple flip at Lime Rock when an idiot hit me from behind on a practice lap had me slow down. Mule is a real benefit for mountain work and they have a much smoother gait than a horse, also have fantastic endurance when we are hunting in the high country. My wife Sandy rides an appaloosa that is 15 and a great horse. We are pretty active outdoors and have a house and a lot of land in Durango where we intend to move full time in the next several years. Fly fishing and competitive clay shooting as well as cowboy action shooting round out my competitive repertoire for now. Sandy has gotten me back into road biking, and we both have traveled extensively in Africa with 6 trips over the past decade, mostly on safari in the real wild country. Been very lucky to have found someone as special as Sandy to share life with, got married in 1990 (her first and me second), no children. Have been healthy, but for the aches and pains of my football and lacrosse careers that has left me with a hip and knee replacement in my future. Got a real kick looking at the old pictures, a little surprised at 4 dead, knew about Jeff and Tom, guess just the actuarial tables catching up, but 4 out of 50 seemed a lot. Just went to the service for a good friend on Sunday who died at 57 of leukemia, getting too close.
Regards,