Ronnie Quelland passed away peacefully at his residence in California on March 31. He was 77 years old.
Ronnie was born in Englewood, Colorado to Carroll and June Quelland. He grew up in the Englewood and Littleton suburbs of Denver and also lived in Lakewood. From a young age, Ronnie's heroes were Western icons including Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix and Gene Autry. He carried his love of Ol' Hoppy to his death.
Ronnie embraced the cowboy ideal and spent almost all of his years working with Thoroughbred race horses. Tuffy was his first horse and he learned to ride at his dad's ranch in South Park, Colorado.
After graduating from Littleton High School in 1960, Ronnie immediately traveled to Alaska, the first of several trips to the Land of the Midnight Sun. He said rather than attending his graduation, he hopped the first flight there where he just happened to run into one of his favorite high school teachers. His life was like that. Often unexpected and unbelievable.
In the early 1960s, Ronnie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was appointed Private First Class in 1962. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California and spent his leave traveling around the Golden State and exploring the border towns of Mexico. There were no conflicts at that time so after fulfilling his duty and receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Alaska, this time with his boot camp buddy T.E. They participated in one of the first rodeos in Alaska and Ronnie liked to tell a story about drawing the wildest horse there. The rodeo promoter told him "I never seen no one ride a horse like that!"
After roughing it around Alaska, Ronnie returned to Colorado but soon found his way to the bright lights of Las Vegas. He arrived without two nickels to rub together and his car broke down outside of town. He walked barefoot into Vegas and made his way to the Flamingo. When he sat down at the bar and told the bartender, "I need a job," the bartender looked him over and replied, "You sure do!" He was hired at the Flamingo and worked there for some time.
Colorado remained home though and he'd returned by 1964.
In 1964 he was briefly married to a woman named Vanette who he may have met in Vegas. Little is known by his family about that period of his life.
He attended Yampa Valley College (now Colorado Mountain College) in Steamboat Springs and spent time skiing.
Later he would own and operate the historic der Steinkeller, a popular 3.2 bar located at 818 Lincoln Street in Steamboat Springs. (That address would later become home to the Cantina Mexican Restaurant which closed around 2017 and currently houses Bésame, a popular Latin restaurant that opened in 2018.) It was then and there that he met the love of his life, his future wife, Nancy and they married in 1969.
Ronnie's first race horse was Flying Kori and she won a few stakes races at Centennial Race Track in Littleton. His interest in Thoroughbred horses and Thoroughbred racing led him to Kentucky where he and Nancy settled on 200 acres outside of Bardstown, a town consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful small towns in America. They named their ranch "The Brass Ring Farm." There Ronnie, who had learned the art of brick laying in Colorado, built the family's home: a traditional two-story red brick English house. Though he never completed the interior, the house still stands to this day.
In May of 1975 Ronnie and Nancy welcomed their daughter Sarah into the world.
Ronnie had big dreams of becoming a successful horse trainer and had several horses in serious training, including Rainbow Bennie and Rainbow Hank. He was a regular at regional tracks including Churchill Downs and Keeneland and saw Spectacular Bid win the Kentucky Derby in person.
Though Kentucky had been home for many years, the state of Texas was beginning to take more interest in Thoroughbred horse racing and planned on giving the Bluegrass State a run for its money. Wanting to get in on the ground floor, in 1987 he sold the property in Kentucky and acquired a 170-acre horse and cattle ranch in Midway, Texas, which he also dubbed, "The Brass Ring Farm." He lived in Midway for the next 25 years.
Ronnie's last push in his training career was a Thoroughbred filly named Air Devilress. He took her training very seriously, working with her daily at the local training facility. When he'd taken her as far as he could, he drove her to Kentucky where his business partner Dan was going to work to further her racing career. Dan's life ended tragically when he was shot by a disgruntled patron at his bar while he was trying to defuse a bad situation. Ronnie never knew what happened to the filly and for a variety of reasons, never returned to training.
After that, Ronnie acquired a dump truck and owned and operated a small hauling business. When his business partner Kevin was killed in a solo vehicle accident, that business died too.
Ronnie then took over the Midway Trading Company, an old store on Highway 21 in Midway where used goods were traded. He bought the establishment from his friend Vernon when he retired. Mostly it was just a place to hang out, shoot the breeze, drink beer and watch the cars go by.
Though his early family remembers him as "quiet" and a "loner," anyone who knew him as an adult would find that assessment hard to reconcile with the man they knew. Ronnie was a social person who made friends easily. He was generous to a fault and forgave many trespasses on his goodwill.
Ronnie was an old soul full of knowledge and wisdom but at the same time he was young at heart and never seemed nearly as old as his years. He was generally warm, kind and engaging and people were drawn to him. He had a great sense of humor.
Ronnie was a born storyteller and his adventurous, unconventional and often reckless ways gave him many interesting and funny anecdotes to share. Most of his truths were stranger than other people's fiction. He was a smart and witty man who was always ready with a quick comeback in almost any situation. He also had a funny way of never giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to any question posed.
For most of his adult life, Ronnie's daily uniform was bootcut denim jeans and a Western-cut shirt. He wore nothing but cowboy boots, usually black or brown Tony Lama's, and was almost never without his cowboy hat. Though Larry Mahan hats were a favorite for many years, at some point he switched brands. His last hats were black custom felt and came from Catalena Hatters in Bryan's historic district. He and his daughter once got a private tour of the facility with detailed demonstrations of how they steamed and shaped the hat forms just because he asked.
Ronnie knew about everything there was to know about all the famous Indian chiefs and the heroes and outlaws of the Wild West. He often told the story of the great Shawnee warrior and leader Tecumseh and his prophecy of the great earthquake that was meant to bring the tribes together. He would say, "And when I stomp my foot..." and tell the story of the massive quakes of 1811 on the New Madrid fault in Missouri that reportedly made church bells ring in Boston and caused the Mississippi River to run backward for a time.
Willie Nelson sings "Cowboys like smoky old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings." Ronnie did. He liked classic cars (which weren't necessarily classics at the time), pickup trucks, betting horses and drinking beer. He also loved playing cards, especially gin and poker, and had a weekly poker group for a time. Though Texas Hold 'Em was popular with his circle, he preferred five card draw and seven card stud. A variation locally known as "Waxahachie" was usually his game of choice when he dealt the cards.
As a Colorado native, Ronnie was a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. John Elway was his favorite quarterback of all time. On Nov. 22 in 2001, the day after his 60th birthday, he went to see the Broncos play live against Dallas on Thanksgiving. The seats were nosebleed and the beers were expensive, the weather was chilly and the stadium was so big he could barely see the players on the field. It was an experience he didn't care to repeat and he had no interest in going again, instead preferring to watch the games live on TV from the comforts of home. Football was always a big interest of his. He looked forward to football season every year and paid close attention to the games and the news of the NFL.
Ronnie loved country music, especially Willie and Waylon and the Boys, the Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Roger Miller. Willie was always his favorite and he saw Willie Nelson perform several times, including a small concert at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas, Willie's Fourth of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, the Woodlands Pavilion outside of Houston, a venue in Bryan College Station, another Fourth of July Picnic at the Fort Worth Stockyards (this one featuring Bob Dylan!) and a post-picnic festival appearance at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. His last chance to see Willie was at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, Ca. with his daughter and son-in-law.
Ronnie liked other artists as well, including Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Bob Dylan, the Traveling Wilburys, the Doors, the Rolling Stones and Elvis and was familiar with most classic country songs.
Ronnie rarely passed up watching a John Wayne movie and probably knew most of the old cowboy movies by heart. He was also a fan of Clint Eastwood (especially as Dirty Harry), Robert Redford, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery and Humphrey Bogart and enjoyed action stars Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone (particularly "Rocky" and "Rambo") as well. He counted "The African Queen" ("Well then do so Mr. Allnutt") and "Casablanca" among his favorite films of all time. He also liked modern classics like "Tombstone," "Easy Rider," ("Nick! Nick! Nick!"), "The Electric Horseman," and "Thelma and Louise."
Ronnie had a special place in his heart for Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of all time. Murphy was a family friend who Ronnie knew growing up and spent time with on his family's ranch in Colorado. Ronnie was proud to have known Murphy personally and was affected by his death. Ronnie would lose many, many dear friends and important and valuable family members along the way to illnesses and tragic circumstances.
Ronnie suffered from glaucoma and COPD and by 2013 his situation forced him to leave Texas to be close to his daughter and her family. He arrived eight days before his second granddaughter was born.
By the time Ronnie got to California his health had declined significantly and he was almost completely blind and had limited mobility. Still, he maintained his independence for several years with the help of his family and lived comfortably.
Ronnie was interested in politics and world affairs and was always well-informed about current events. He listened to his favorite radio programs every morning. He also devoured audio books and listened to nearly every Shakespeare recording available, as well as works by John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, Ayn Rand and biographies about any Wild West figures and Indian chiefs the library system had to offer. Despite his physical limitations, his mind was as sharp as ever until the day of his death.
Ronnie liked strong black coffee, hot peppers ("The hotter the better!"), apple pie (particularly Dutch apple pie) and vanilla ice cream, tacos, Shredded Wheat with heaps of sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, diner food and down-home cooking. He pretty much refused to eat anything he couldn't pronounce.
He enjoyed watching "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family" and "The Rockford Files," and in the last year of his life, watched "Gunsmoke" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" almost every night.
Ronnie adored every minute spent with his two granddaughters. They nicknamed him Papa, Poppy, Peppy and Pepper and loved to jump on his bed. He always had an ice cream cone, a powdered donut or a chocolate bar for them whenever they asked Papa if they could have a treat.
Ronnie was well-liked by many and misunderstood by others but he always stayed true to himself. He had a soft spot for those less fortunate than him. He was generally charismatic, considerate, polite and a gentleman. He was a lifelong horseman, a caring father, a doting grandfather and a rare friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He maintained lifelong friendships with those close to him. He was a member of the Jockey Club and various horse racing associations throughout his life.
His family remembers him as a sensitive, sentimental man with a romantic soul. He was truly one of a kind and among the last of a dying breed. Ronnie's daughter once described him by saying "My dad is like a Willie Nelson song." And it was true.
Ronnie passed peacefully and quietly with dignity and grace. He was ushered into the afterlife by songs sung by his old friend Jon from his Steamboat Springs days, a collection of vintage gunslinger ballads, dirges and laments that arrived that very day. It was a poetic, symbolic and spiritual end to a storied, adventurous and interesting life well-lived.
Ronnie was preceded in death by his mother Virginia June Quelland in 1975 and his father Carroll Gordon Quelland in 2004. He is survived by his daughter Sarah, his son-in-law Eric, his granddaughters Claire and Sadie, his ex-wife Nancy, his sister Shaaron, his faithful dog Lucy, and various uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews as well as his remaining friends in Texas, Colorado, Kentucky and elsewhere. No services were held. Ronnie's remains have been cremated and will be kept with his family. He will be forever remembered and missed by those who knew and loved him.
Ronnie was born in Englewood, Colorado to Carroll and June Quelland. He grew up in the Englewood and Littleton suburbs of Denver and also lived in Lakewood. From a young age, Ronnie's heroes were Western icons including Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix and Gene Autry. He carried his love of Ol' Hoppy to his death.
Ronnie embraced the cowboy ideal and spent almost all of his years working with Thoroughbred race horses. Tuffy was his first horse and he learned to ride at his dad's ranch in South Park, Colorado.
After graduating from Littleton High School in 1960, Ronnie immediately traveled to Alaska, the first of several trips to the Land of the Midnight Sun. He said rather than attending his graduation, he hopped the first flight there where he just happened to run into one of his favorite high school teachers. His life was like that. Often unexpected and unbelievable.
In the early 1960s, Ronnie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was appointed Private First Class in 1962. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California and spent his leave traveling around the Golden State and exploring the border towns of Mexico. There were no conflicts at that time so after fulfilling his duty and receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Alaska, this time with his boot camp buddy T.E. They participated in one of the first rodeos in Alaska and Ronnie liked to tell a story about drawing the wildest horse there. The rodeo promoter told him "I never seen no one ride a horse like that!"
After roughing it around Alaska, Ronnie returned to Colorado but soon found his way to the bright lights of Las Vegas. He arrived without two nickels to rub together and his car broke down outside of town. He walked barefoot into Vegas and made his way to the Flamingo. When he sat down at the bar and told the bartender, "I need a job," the bartender looked him over and replied, "You sure do!" He was hired at the Flamingo and worked there for some time.
Colorado remained home though and he'd returned by 1964.
In 1964 he was briefly married to a woman named Vanette who he may have met in Vegas. Little is known by his family about that period of his life.
He attended Yampa Valley College (now Colorado Mountain College) in Steamboat Springs and spent time skiing.
Later he would own and operate the historic der Steinkeller, a popular 3.2 bar located at 818 Lincoln Street in Steamboat Springs. (That address would later become home to the Cantina Mexican Restaurant which closed around 2017 and currently houses Bésame, a popular Latin restaurant that opened in 2018.) It was then and there that he met the love of his life, his future wife, Nancy and they married in 1969.
Ronnie's first race horse was Flying Kori and she won a few stakes races at Centennial Race Track in Littleton. His interest in Thoroughbred horses and Thoroughbred racing led him to Kentucky where he and Nancy settled on 200 acres outside of Bardstown, a town consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful small towns in America. They named their ranch "The Brass Ring Farm." There Ronnie, who had learned the art of brick laying in Colorado, built the family's home: a traditional two-story red brick English house. Though he never completed the interior, the house still stands to this day.
In May of 1975 Ronnie and Nancy welcomed their daughter Sarah into the world.
Ronnie had big dreams of becoming a successful horse trainer and had several horses in serious training, including Rainbow Bennie and Rainbow Hank. He was a regular at regional tracks including Churchill Downs and Keeneland and saw Spectacular Bid win the Kentucky Derby in person.
Though Kentucky had been home for many years, the state of Texas was beginning to take more interest in Thoroughbred horse racing and planned on giving the Bluegrass State a run for its money. Wanting to get in on the ground floor, in 1987 he sold the property in Kentucky and acquired a 170-acre horse and cattle ranch in Midway, Texas, which he also dubbed, "The Brass Ring Farm." He lived in Midway for the next 25 years.
Ronnie's last push in his training career was a Thoroughbred filly named Air Devilress. He took her training very seriously, working with her daily at the local training facility. When he'd taken her as far as he could, he drove her to Kentucky where his business partner Dan was going to work to further her racing career. Dan's life ended tragically when he was shot by a disgruntled patron at his bar while he was trying to defuse a bad situation. Ronnie never knew what happened to the filly and for a variety of reasons, never returned to training.
After that, Ronnie acquired a dump truck and owned and operated a small hauling business. When his business partner Kevin was killed in a solo vehicle accident, that business died too.
Ronnie then took over the Midway Trading Company, an old store on Highway 21 in Midway where used goods were traded. He bought the establishment from his friend Vernon when he retired. Mostly it was just a place to hang out, shoot the breeze, drink beer and watch the cars go by.
Though his early family remembers him as "quiet" and a "loner," anyone who knew him as an adult would find that assessment hard to reconcile with the man they knew. Ronnie was a social person who made friends easily. He was generous to a fault and forgave many trespasses on his goodwill.
Ronnie was an old soul full of knowledge and wisdom but at the same time he was young at heart and never seemed nearly as old as his years. He was generally warm, kind and engaging and people were drawn to him. He had a great sense of humor.
Ronnie was a born storyteller and his adventurous, unconventional and often reckless ways gave him many interesting and funny anecdotes to share. Most of his truths were stranger than other people's fiction. He was a smart and witty man who was always ready with a quick comeback in almost any situation. He also had a funny way of never giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to any question posed.
For most of his adult life, Ronnie's daily uniform was bootcut denim jeans and a Western-cut shirt. He wore nothing but cowboy boots, usually black or brown Tony Lama's, and was almost never without his cowboy hat. Though Larry Mahan hats were a favorite for many years, at some point he switched brands. His last hats were black custom felt and came from Catalena Hatters in Bryan's historic district. He and his daughter once got a private tour of the facility with detailed demonstrations of how they steamed and shaped the hat forms just because he asked.
Ronnie knew about everything there was to know about all the famous Indian chiefs and the heroes and outlaws of the Wild West. He often told the story of the great Shawnee warrior and leader Tecumseh and his prophecy of the great earthquake that was meant to bring the tribes together. He would say, "And when I stomp my foot..." and tell the story of the massive quakes of 1811 on the New Madrid fault in Missouri that reportedly made church bells ring in Boston and caused the Mississippi River to run backward for a time.
Willie Nelson sings "Cowboys like smoky old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings." Ronnie did. He liked classic cars (which weren't necessarily classics at the time), pickup trucks, betting horses and drinking beer. He also loved playing cards, especially gin and poker, and had a weekly poker group for a time. Though Texas Hold 'Em was popular with his circle, he preferred five card draw and seven card stud. A variation locally known as "Waxahachie" was usually his game of choice when he dealt the cards.
As a Colorado native, Ronnie was a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. John Elway was his favorite quarterback of all time. On Nov. 22 in 2001, the day after his 60th birthday, he went to see the Broncos play live against Dallas on Thanksgiving. The seats were nosebleed and the beers were expensive, the weather was chilly and the stadium was so big he could barely see the players on the field. It was an experience he didn't care to repeat and he had no interest in going again, instead preferring to watch the games live on TV from the comforts of home. Football was always a big interest of his. He looked forward to football season every year and paid close attention to the games and the news of the NFL.
Ronnie loved country music, especially Willie and Waylon and the Boys, the Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Roger Miller. Willie was always his favorite and he saw Willie Nelson perform several times, including a small concert at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas, Willie's Fourth of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, the Woodlands Pavilion outside of Houston, a venue in Bryan College Station, another Fourth of July Picnic at the Fort Worth Stockyards (this one featuring Bob Dylan!) and a post-picnic festival appearance at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. His last chance to see Willie was at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, Ca. with his daughter and son-in-law.
Ronnie liked other artists as well, including Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Bob Dylan, the Traveling Wilburys, the Doors, the Rolling Stones and Elvis and was familiar with most classic country songs.
Ronnie rarely passed up watching a John Wayne movie and probably knew most of the old cowboy movies by heart. He was also a fan of Clint Eastwood (especially as Dirty Harry), Robert Redford, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery and Humphrey Bogart and enjoyed action stars Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone (particularly "Rocky" and "Rambo") as well. He counted "The African Queen" ("Well then do so Mr. Allnutt") and "Casablanca" among his favorite films of all time. He also liked modern classics like "Tombstone," "Easy Rider," ("Nick! Nick! Nick!"), "The Electric Horseman," and "Thelma and Louise."
Ronnie had a special place in his heart for Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of all time. Murphy was a family friend who Ronnie knew growing up and spent time with on his family's ranch in Colorado. Ronnie was proud to have known Murphy personally and was affected by his death. Ronnie would lose many, many dear friends and important and valuable family members along the way to illnesses and tragic circumstances.
Ronnie suffered from glaucoma and COPD and by 2013 his situation forced him to leave Texas to be close to his daughter and her family. He arrived eight days before his second granddaughter was born.
By the time Ronnie got to California his health had declined significantly and he was almost completely blind and had limited mobility. Still, he maintained his independence for several years with the help of his family and lived comfortably.
Ronnie was interested in politics and world affairs and was always well-informed about current events. He listened to his favorite radio programs every morning. He also devoured audio books and listened to nearly every Shakespeare recording available, as well as works by John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, Ayn Rand and biographies about any Wild West figures and Indian chiefs the library system had to offer. Despite his physical limitations, his mind was as sharp as ever until the day of his death.
Ronnie liked strong black coffee, hot peppers ("The hotter the better!"), apple pie (particularly Dutch apple pie) and vanilla ice cream, tacos, Shredded Wheat with heaps of sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, diner food and down-home cooking. He pretty much refused to eat anything he couldn't pronounce.
He enjoyed watching "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family" and "The Rockford Files," and in the last year of his life, watched "Gunsmoke" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" almost every night.
Ronnie adored every minute spent with his two granddaughters. They nicknamed him Papa, Poppy, Peppy and Pepper and loved to jump on his bed. He always had an ice cream cone, a powdered donut or a chocolate bar for them whenever they asked Papa if they could have a treat.
Ronnie was well-liked by many and misunderstood by others but he always stayed true to himself. He had a soft spot for those less fortunate than him. He was generally charismatic, considerate, polite and a gentleman. He was a lifelong horseman, a caring father, a doting grandfather and a rare friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He maintained lifelong friendships with those close to him. He was a member of the Jockey Club and various horse racing associations throughout his life.
His family remembers him as a sensitive, sentimental man with a romantic soul. He was truly one of a kind and among the last of a dying breed. Ronnie's daughter once described him by saying "My dad is like a Willie Nelson song." And it was true.
Ronnie passed peacefully and quietly with dignity and grace. He was ushered into the afterlife by songs sung by his old friend Jon from his Steamboat Springs days, a collection of vintage gunslinger ballads, dirges and laments that arrived that very day. It was a poetic, symbolic and spiritual end to a storied, adventurous and interesting life well-lived.
Ronnie was preceded in death by his mother Virginia June Quelland in 1975 and his father Carroll Gordon Quelland in 2004. He is survived by his daughter Sarah, his son-in-law Eric, his granddaughters Claire and Sadie, his ex-wife Nancy, his sister Shaaron, his faithful dog Lucy, and various uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews as well as his remaining friends in Texas, Colorado, Kentucky and elsewhere. No services were held. Ronnie's remains have been cremated and will be kept with his family. He will be forever remembered and missed by those who knew and loved him.
Ronnie Quelland passed away peacefully at his residence in California on March 31. He was 77 years old.
Ronnie was born in Englewood, Colorado to Carroll and June Quelland. He grew up in the Englewood and Littleton suburbs of Denver and also lived in Lakewood. From a young age, Ronnie's heroes were Western icons including Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix and Gene Autry. He carried his love of Ol' Hoppy to his death.
Ronnie embraced the cowboy ideal and spent almost all of his years working with Thoroughbred race horses. Tuffy was his first horse and he learned to ride at his dad's ranch in South Park, Colorado.
After graduating from Littleton High School in 1960, Ronnie immediately traveled to Alaska, the first of several trips to the Land of the Midnight Sun. He said rather than attending his graduation, he hopped the first flight there where he just happened to run into one of his favorite high school teachers. His life was like that. Often unexpected and unbelievable.
In the early 1960s, Ronnie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was appointed Private First Class in 1962. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California and spent his leave traveling around the Golden State and exploring the border towns of Mexico. There were no conflicts at that time so after fulfilling his duty and receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Alaska, this time with his boot camp buddy T.E. They participated in one of the first rodeos in Alaska and Ronnie liked to tell a story about drawing the wildest horse there. The rodeo promoter told him "I never seen no one ride a horse like that!"
After roughing it around Alaska, Ronnie returned to Colorado but soon found his way to the bright lights of Las Vegas. He arrived without two nickels to rub together and his car broke down outside of town. He walked barefoot into Vegas and made his way to the Flamingo. When he sat down at the bar and told the bartender, "I need a job," the bartender looked him over and replied, "You sure do!" He was hired at the Flamingo and worked there for some time.
Colorado remained home though and he'd returned by 1964.
In 1964 he was briefly married to a woman named Vanette who he may have met in Vegas. Little is known by his family about that period of his life.
He attended Yampa Valley College (now Colorado Mountain College) in Steamboat Springs and spent time skiing.
Later he would own and operate the historic der Steinkeller, a popular 3.2 bar located at 818 Lincoln Street in Steamboat Springs. (That address would later become home to the Cantina Mexican Restaurant which closed around 2017 and currently houses Bésame, a popular Latin restaurant that opened in 2018.) It was then and there that he met the love of his life, his future wife, Nancy and they married in 1969.
Ronnie's first race horse was Flying Kori and she won a few stakes races at Centennial Race Track in Littleton. His interest in Thoroughbred horses and Thoroughbred racing led him to Kentucky where he and Nancy settled on 200 acres outside of Bardstown, a town consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful small towns in America. They named their ranch "The Brass Ring Farm." There Ronnie, who had learned the art of brick laying in Colorado, built the family's home: a traditional two-story red brick English house. Though he never completed the interior, the house still stands to this day.
In May of 1975 Ronnie and Nancy welcomed their daughter Sarah into the world.
Ronnie had big dreams of becoming a successful horse trainer and had several horses in serious training, including Rainbow Bennie and Rainbow Hank. He was a regular at regional tracks including Churchill Downs and Keeneland and saw Spectacular Bid win the Kentucky Derby in person.
Though Kentucky had been home for many years, the state of Texas was beginning to take more interest in Thoroughbred horse racing and planned on giving the Bluegrass State a run for its money. Wanting to get in on the ground floor, in 1987 he sold the property in Kentucky and acquired a 170-acre horse and cattle ranch in Midway, Texas, which he also dubbed, "The Brass Ring Farm." He lived in Midway for the next 25 years.
Ronnie's last push in his training career was a Thoroughbred filly named Air Devilress. He took her training very seriously, working with her daily at the local training facility. When he'd taken her as far as he could, he drove her to Kentucky where his business partner Dan was going to work to further her racing career. Dan's life ended tragically when he was shot by a disgruntled patron at his bar while he was trying to defuse a bad situation. Ronnie never knew what happened to the filly and for a variety of reasons, never returned to training.
After that, Ronnie acquired a dump truck and owned and operated a small hauling business. When his business partner Kevin was killed in a solo vehicle accident, that business died too.
Ronnie then took over the Midway Trading Company, an old store on Highway 21 in Midway where used goods were traded. He bought the establishment from his friend Vernon when he retired. Mostly it was just a place to hang out, shoot the breeze, drink beer and watch the cars go by.
Though his early family remembers him as "quiet" and a "loner," anyone who knew him as an adult would find that assessment hard to reconcile with the man they knew. Ronnie was a social person who made friends easily. He was generous to a fault and forgave many trespasses on his goodwill.
Ronnie was an old soul full of knowledge and wisdom but at the same time he was young at heart and never seemed nearly as old as his years. He was generally warm, kind and engaging and people were drawn to him. He had a great sense of humor.
Ronnie was a born storyteller and his adventurous, unconventional and often reckless ways gave him many interesting and funny anecdotes to share. Most of his truths were stranger than other people's fiction. He was a smart and witty man who was always ready with a quick comeback in almost any situation. He also had a funny way of never giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to any question posed.
For most of his adult life, Ronnie's daily uniform was bootcut denim jeans and a Western-cut shirt. He wore nothing but cowboy boots, usually black or brown Tony Lama's, and was almost never without his cowboy hat. Though Larry Mahan hats were a favorite for many years, at some point he switched brands. His last hats were black custom felt and came from Catalena Hatters in Bryan's historic district. He and his daughter once got a private tour of the facility with detailed demonstrations of how they steamed and shaped the hat forms just because he asked.
Ronnie knew about everything there was to know about all the famous Indian chiefs and the heroes and outlaws of the Wild West. He often told the story of the great Shawnee warrior and leader Tecumseh and his prophecy of the great earthquake that was meant to bring the tribes together. He would say, "And when I stomp my foot..." and tell the story of the massive quakes of 1811 on the New Madrid fault in Missouri that reportedly made church bells ring in Boston and caused the Mississippi River to run backward for a time.
Willie Nelson sings "Cowboys like smoky old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings." Ronnie did. He liked classic cars (which weren't necessarily classics at the time), pickup trucks, betting horses and drinking beer. He also loved playing cards, especially gin and poker, and had a weekly poker group for a time. Though Texas Hold 'Em was popular with his circle, he preferred five card draw and seven card stud. A variation locally known as "Waxahachie" was usually his game of choice when he dealt the cards.
As a Colorado native, Ronnie was a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. John Elway was his favorite quarterback of all time. On Nov. 22 in 2001, the day after his 60th birthday, he went to see the Broncos play live against Dallas on Thanksgiving. The seats were nosebleed and the beers were expensive, the weather was chilly and the stadium was so big he could barely see the players on the field. It was an experience he didn't care to repeat and he had no interest in going again, instead preferring to watch the games live on TV from the comforts of home. Football was always a big interest of his. He looked forward to football season every year and paid close attention to the games and the news of the NFL.
Ronnie loved country music, especially Willie and Waylon and the Boys, the Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Roger Miller. Willie was always his favorite and he saw Willie Nelson perform several times, including a small concert at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas, Willie's Fourth of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, the Woodlands Pavilion outside of Houston, a venue in Bryan College Station, another Fourth of July Picnic at the Fort Worth Stockyards (this one featuring Bob Dylan!) and a post-picnic festival appearance at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. His last chance to see Willie was at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, Ca. with his daughter and son-in-law.
Ronnie liked other artists as well, including Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Bob Dylan, the Traveling Wilburys, the Doors, the Rolling Stones and Elvis and was familiar with most classic country songs.
Ronnie rarely passed up watching a John Wayne movie and probably knew most of the old cowboy movies by heart. He was also a fan of Clint Eastwood (especially as Dirty Harry), Robert Redford, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery and Humphrey Bogart and enjoyed action stars Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone (particularly "Rocky" and "Rambo") as well. He counted "The African Queen" ("Well then do so Mr. Allnutt") and "Casablanca" among his favorite films of all time. He also liked modern classics like "Tombstone," "Easy Rider," ("Nick! Nick! Nick!"), "The Electric Horseman," and "Thelma and Louise."
Ronnie had a special place in his heart for Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of all time. Murphy was a family friend who Ronnie knew growing up and spent time with on his family's ranch in Colorado. Ronnie was proud to have known Murphy personally and was affected by his death. Ronnie would lose many, many dear friends and important and valuable family members along the way to illnesses and tragic circumstances.
Ronnie suffered from glaucoma and COPD and by 2013 his situation forced him to leave Texas to be close to his daughter and her family. He arrived eight days before his second granddaughter was born.
By the time Ronnie got to California his health had declined significantly and he was almost completely blind and had limited mobility. Still, he maintained his independence for several years with the help of his family and lived comfortably.
Ronnie was interested in politics and world affairs and was always well-informed about current events. He listened to his favorite radio programs every morning. He also devoured audio books and listened to nearly every Shakespeare recording available, as well as works by John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, Ayn Rand and biographies about any Wild West figures and Indian chiefs the library system had to offer. Despite his physical limitations, his mind was as sharp as ever until the day of his death.
Ronnie liked strong black coffee, hot peppers ("The hotter the better!"), apple pie (particularly Dutch apple pie) and vanilla ice cream, tacos, Shredded Wheat with heaps of sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, diner food and down-home cooking. He pretty much refused to eat anything he couldn't pronounce.
He enjoyed watching "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family" and "The Rockford Files," and in the last year of his life, watched "Gunsmoke" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" almost every night.
Ronnie adored every minute spent with his two granddaughters. They nicknamed him Papa, Poppy, Peppy and Pepper and loved to jump on his bed. He always had an ice cream cone, a powdered donut or a chocolate bar for them whenever they asked Papa if they could have a treat.
Ronnie was well-liked by many and misunderstood by others but he always stayed true to himself. He had a soft spot for those less fortunate than him. He was generally charismatic, considerate, polite and a gentleman. He was a lifelong horseman, a caring father, a doting grandfather and a rare friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He maintained lifelong friendships with those close to him. He was a member of the Jockey Club and various horse racing associations throughout his life.
His family remembers him as a sensitive, sentimental man with a romantic soul. He was truly one of a kind and among the last of a dying breed. Ronnie's daughter once described him by saying "My dad is like a Willie Nelson song." And it was true.
Ronnie passed peacefully and quietly with dignity and grace. He was ushered into the afterlife by songs sung by his old friend Jon from his Steamboat Springs days, a collection of vintage gunslinger ballads, dirges and laments that arrived that very day. It was a poetic, symbolic and spiritual end to a storied, adventurous and interesting life well-lived.
Ronnie was preceded in death by his mother Virginia June Quelland in 1975 and his father Carroll Gordon Quelland in 2004. He is survived by his daughter Sarah, his son-in-law Eric, his granddaughters Claire and Sadie, his ex-wife Nancy, his sister Shaaron, his faithful dog Lucy, and various uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews as well as his remaining friends in Texas, Colorado, Kentucky and elsewhere. No services were held. Ronnie's remains have been cremated and will be kept with his family. He will be forever remembered and missed by those who knew and loved him.
Ronnie was born in Englewood, Colorado to Carroll and June Quelland. He grew up in the Englewood and Littleton suburbs of Denver and also lived in Lakewood. From a young age, Ronnie's heroes were Western icons including Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix and Gene Autry. He carried his love of Ol' Hoppy to his death.
Ronnie embraced the cowboy ideal and spent almost all of his years working with Thoroughbred race horses. Tuffy was his first horse and he learned to ride at his dad's ranch in South Park, Colorado.
After graduating from Littleton High School in 1960, Ronnie immediately traveled to Alaska, the first of several trips to the Land of the Midnight Sun. He said rather than attending his graduation, he hopped the first flight there where he just happened to run into one of his favorite high school teachers. His life was like that. Often unexpected and unbelievable.
In the early 1960s, Ronnie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was appointed Private First Class in 1962. He was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California and spent his leave traveling around the Golden State and exploring the border towns of Mexico. There were no conflicts at that time so after fulfilling his duty and receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Alaska, this time with his boot camp buddy T.E. They participated in one of the first rodeos in Alaska and Ronnie liked to tell a story about drawing the wildest horse there. The rodeo promoter told him "I never seen no one ride a horse like that!"
After roughing it around Alaska, Ronnie returned to Colorado but soon found his way to the bright lights of Las Vegas. He arrived without two nickels to rub together and his car broke down outside of town. He walked barefoot into Vegas and made his way to the Flamingo. When he sat down at the bar and told the bartender, "I need a job," the bartender looked him over and replied, "You sure do!" He was hired at the Flamingo and worked there for some time.
Colorado remained home though and he'd returned by 1964.
In 1964 he was briefly married to a woman named Vanette who he may have met in Vegas. Little is known by his family about that period of his life.
He attended Yampa Valley College (now Colorado Mountain College) in Steamboat Springs and spent time skiing.
Later he would own and operate the historic der Steinkeller, a popular 3.2 bar located at 818 Lincoln Street in Steamboat Springs. (That address would later become home to the Cantina Mexican Restaurant which closed around 2017 and currently houses Bésame, a popular Latin restaurant that opened in 2018.) It was then and there that he met the love of his life, his future wife, Nancy and they married in 1969.
Ronnie's first race horse was Flying Kori and she won a few stakes races at Centennial Race Track in Littleton. His interest in Thoroughbred horses and Thoroughbred racing led him to Kentucky where he and Nancy settled on 200 acres outside of Bardstown, a town consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful small towns in America. They named their ranch "The Brass Ring Farm." There Ronnie, who had learned the art of brick laying in Colorado, built the family's home: a traditional two-story red brick English house. Though he never completed the interior, the house still stands to this day.
In May of 1975 Ronnie and Nancy welcomed their daughter Sarah into the world.
Ronnie had big dreams of becoming a successful horse trainer and had several horses in serious training, including Rainbow Bennie and Rainbow Hank. He was a regular at regional tracks including Churchill Downs and Keeneland and saw Spectacular Bid win the Kentucky Derby in person.
Though Kentucky had been home for many years, the state of Texas was beginning to take more interest in Thoroughbred horse racing and planned on giving the Bluegrass State a run for its money. Wanting to get in on the ground floor, in 1987 he sold the property in Kentucky and acquired a 170-acre horse and cattle ranch in Midway, Texas, which he also dubbed, "The Brass Ring Farm." He lived in Midway for the next 25 years.
Ronnie's last push in his training career was a Thoroughbred filly named Air Devilress. He took her training very seriously, working with her daily at the local training facility. When he'd taken her as far as he could, he drove her to Kentucky where his business partner Dan was going to work to further her racing career. Dan's life ended tragically when he was shot by a disgruntled patron at his bar while he was trying to defuse a bad situation. Ronnie never knew what happened to the filly and for a variety of reasons, never returned to training.
After that, Ronnie acquired a dump truck and owned and operated a small hauling business. When his business partner Kevin was killed in a solo vehicle accident, that business died too.
Ronnie then took over the Midway Trading Company, an old store on Highway 21 in Midway where used goods were traded. He bought the establishment from his friend Vernon when he retired. Mostly it was just a place to hang out, shoot the breeze, drink beer and watch the cars go by.
Though his early family remembers him as "quiet" and a "loner," anyone who knew him as an adult would find that assessment hard to reconcile with the man they knew. Ronnie was a social person who made friends easily. He was generous to a fault and forgave many trespasses on his goodwill.
Ronnie was an old soul full of knowledge and wisdom but at the same time he was young at heart and never seemed nearly as old as his years. He was generally warm, kind and engaging and people were drawn to him. He had a great sense of humor.
Ronnie was a born storyteller and his adventurous, unconventional and often reckless ways gave him many interesting and funny anecdotes to share. Most of his truths were stranger than other people's fiction. He was a smart and witty man who was always ready with a quick comeback in almost any situation. He also had a funny way of never giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to any question posed.
For most of his adult life, Ronnie's daily uniform was bootcut denim jeans and a Western-cut shirt. He wore nothing but cowboy boots, usually black or brown Tony Lama's, and was almost never without his cowboy hat. Though Larry Mahan hats were a favorite for many years, at some point he switched brands. His last hats were black custom felt and came from Catalena Hatters in Bryan's historic district. He and his daughter once got a private tour of the facility with detailed demonstrations of how they steamed and shaped the hat forms just because he asked.
Ronnie knew about everything there was to know about all the famous Indian chiefs and the heroes and outlaws of the Wild West. He often told the story of the great Shawnee warrior and leader Tecumseh and his prophecy of the great earthquake that was meant to bring the tribes together. He would say, "And when I stomp my foot..." and tell the story of the massive quakes of 1811 on the New Madrid fault in Missouri that reportedly made church bells ring in Boston and caused the Mississippi River to run backward for a time.
Willie Nelson sings "Cowboys like smoky old pool rooms and clear mountain mornings." Ronnie did. He liked classic cars (which weren't necessarily classics at the time), pickup trucks, betting horses and drinking beer. He also loved playing cards, especially gin and poker, and had a weekly poker group for a time. Though Texas Hold 'Em was popular with his circle, he preferred five card draw and seven card stud. A variation locally known as "Waxahachie" was usually his game of choice when he dealt the cards.
As a Colorado native, Ronnie was a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. John Elway was his favorite quarterback of all time. On Nov. 22 in 2001, the day after his 60th birthday, he went to see the Broncos play live against Dallas on Thanksgiving. The seats were nosebleed and the beers were expensive, the weather was chilly and the stadium was so big he could barely see the players on the field. It was an experience he didn't care to repeat and he had no interest in going again, instead preferring to watch the games live on TV from the comforts of home. Football was always a big interest of his. He looked forward to football season every year and paid close attention to the games and the news of the NFL.
Ronnie loved country music, especially Willie and Waylon and the Boys, the Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Roger Miller. Willie was always his favorite and he saw Willie Nelson perform several times, including a small concert at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas, Willie's Fourth of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, the Woodlands Pavilion outside of Houston, a venue in Bryan College Station, another Fourth of July Picnic at the Fort Worth Stockyards (this one featuring Bob Dylan!) and a post-picnic festival appearance at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. His last chance to see Willie was at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, Ca. with his daughter and son-in-law.
Ronnie liked other artists as well, including Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Bob Dylan, the Traveling Wilburys, the Doors, the Rolling Stones and Elvis and was familiar with most classic country songs.
Ronnie rarely passed up watching a John Wayne movie and probably knew most of the old cowboy movies by heart. He was also a fan of Clint Eastwood (especially as Dirty Harry), Robert Redford, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery and Humphrey Bogart and enjoyed action stars Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone (particularly "Rocky" and "Rambo") as well. He counted "The African Queen" ("Well then do so Mr. Allnutt") and "Casablanca" among his favorite films of all time. He also liked modern classics like "Tombstone," "Easy Rider," ("Nick! Nick! Nick!"), "The Electric Horseman," and "Thelma and Louise."
Ronnie had a special place in his heart for Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of all time. Murphy was a family friend who Ronnie knew growing up and spent time with on his family's ranch in Colorado. Ronnie was proud to have known Murphy personally and was affected by his death. Ronnie would lose many, many dear friends and important and valuable family members along the way to illnesses and tragic circumstances.
Ronnie suffered from glaucoma and COPD and by 2013 his situation forced him to leave Texas to be close to his daughter and her family. He arrived eight days before his second granddaughter was born.
By the time Ronnie got to California his health had declined significantly and he was almost completely blind and had limited mobility. Still, he maintained his independence for several years with the help of his family and lived comfortably.
Ronnie was interested in politics and world affairs and was always well-informed about current events. He listened to his favorite radio programs every morning. He also devoured audio books and listened to nearly every Shakespeare recording available, as well as works by John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, Ayn Rand and biographies about any Wild West figures and Indian chiefs the library system had to offer. Despite his physical limitations, his mind was as sharp as ever until the day of his death.
Ronnie liked strong black coffee, hot peppers ("The hotter the better!"), apple pie (particularly Dutch apple pie) and vanilla ice cream, tacos, Shredded Wheat with heaps of sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, diner food and down-home cooking. He pretty much refused to eat anything he couldn't pronounce.
He enjoyed watching "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family" and "The Rockford Files," and in the last year of his life, watched "Gunsmoke" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" almost every night.
Ronnie adored every minute spent with his two granddaughters. They nicknamed him Papa, Poppy, Peppy and Pepper and loved to jump on his bed. He always had an ice cream cone, a powdered donut or a chocolate bar for them whenever they asked Papa if they could have a treat.
Ronnie was well-liked by many and misunderstood by others but he always stayed true to himself. He had a soft spot for those less fortunate than him. He was generally charismatic, considerate, polite and a gentleman. He was a lifelong horseman, a caring father, a doting grandfather and a rare friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He maintained lifelong friendships with those close to him. He was a member of the Jockey Club and various horse racing associations throughout his life.
His family remembers him as a sensitive, sentimental man with a romantic soul. He was truly one of a kind and among the last of a dying breed. Ronnie's daughter once described him by saying "My dad is like a Willie Nelson song." And it was true.
Ronnie passed peacefully and quietly with dignity and grace. He was ushered into the afterlife by songs sung by his old friend Jon from his Steamboat Springs days, a collection of vintage gunslinger ballads, dirges and laments that arrived that very day. It was a poetic, symbolic and spiritual end to a storied, adventurous and interesting life well-lived.
Ronnie was preceded in death by his mother Virginia June Quelland in 1975 and his father Carroll Gordon Quelland in 2004. He is survived by his daughter Sarah, his son-in-law Eric, his granddaughters Claire and Sadie, his ex-wife Nancy, his sister Shaaron, his faithful dog Lucy, and various uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews as well as his remaining friends in Texas, Colorado, Kentucky and elsewhere. No services were held. Ronnie's remains have been cremated and will be kept with his family. He will be forever remembered and missed by those who knew and loved him.
