George Mauae Purdy Sr.
Year Inducted: 2024
1913 - 1991
Parker Ranch | Hawaiʻi
George Mauae Purdy Sr. was born to John Purdy Jr. and Anna Keliʻihaʻaheo Ikaia on August 22, 1913 in Waipio, Hawaiʻi. He and his siblings were raised at Mānā, which was a 10-mile hike from their school in Kukuihaele.
To help take care of his siblings, George went to work for Parker Ranch at the young age of 15 (1928). His first job was working at Waikiʻi picking corn. He became a part of the Plaster Gang. This was the name given to those who picked and shucked the corn, because of the effect the process had on their hands and the need to protect them with bandaging tape or adhesive bandages.
George was selected by A.W. Carter in 1931 to work in the Breaking Pen under the mentorship of James Palaika. During this time, George learned that patience was the key to successfully training a horse. George would take the job of Breaking Pen Foreman in 1945. He and his young cowboys had the daunting task of training horses that were 8, 9 or even 10- years old. Not young fillies or colts, but older ornery horses. George was known for his ability to fix problem horses. Those horses that threw themselves down on the ground, pulled back on the hitching rack, kickers, biters, etc.
Not long after, he was assigned to the Cowboy Gang. A prestigious cowboy group lead by Willie Kaniho. George held the role of alakaʻi, which was the rider whom the cattle would follow down the trail. Because of his skills, George became one of the hoʻau ropers, whose job was to swim cattle out to the ships anchored just outside the breaking waves at Kawaihae.
He would also spend time up on the slopes of Mauna Kea at Humuʻula sheep station when they needed help shearing sheep.
In 1965, after 20 years of mentoring young cowboys and training horses, George was transferred to the racetrack stables. There he would halter break colts until he retired after nearly 45 years at Parker Ranch.
George was gentle and quiet and spoke with his actions rather than words. He was skilled with his hands and was an excellent rawhide or ʻili (skin rope) braider. He was a cowboy who could dance the hula and was often asked to do so at luaus.
In retirement, he took a part-time job training Hartwell Carter’s prize bulls with his friend Yutaka Kimura. He also raised his own cattle on his Hawaiian Homes leased land with his son George Purdy Jr. George Sr. was able to share his wealth of knowledge and love for the cowboy lifestyle with his son and grandsons. George Sr. married Anna Kawahinehanaumoku Kawai and had one son George Mauae Purdy Jr. At his time of death, George Sr. had 4 grandsons, George Mauae Purdy III, Jeffrey Kawai Purdy, Kenneth Aliʻi Purdy, and Paul Miki Purdy and 2 great-grandsons George Mauae Purdy IV and Weston Manaʻoʻiʻo Purdy. George passed away on June 27, 1991.