Hank Krynen was born Sept. 14, 1932 in Bussum, Holland.
During the Second World War, the occupying soldiers would let a young Hank feed and groom the army horses starting a love for horses.
He would also harness and drive any animal that would allow it.
Liberated in 1945 by the Canadians, Hank always wanted to see where those “tough buggers” came from.
Well, in 1950 at the age of 18, he did just that. While attending Utrecht University, he had the opportunity to come to Canada to work on a farm in Ft. Langley. He left Holland on a Troop Transport ship and made his way across Canada by train.
Working his way across B.C., Hank made it to the Cariboo where he first worked on the Fox Mountain Ranch for Jim Fox and then for Harold Robson. One spring in the early 1950s his good friend Lenny DeRose took him to a rodeo at Alkali Lake ... he loved it there and took a job as cowboy for Mario Riedemann, and cow boss Bill Twan, at the Alkali Lake Ranch, a place where he was to spend most of his working life.
In 1961, Hank took a short diversion from Alkali Lake to the Circle S Ranch at Dog Creek. He then rode for Hugh and Sonia Cornwall at the Onward Ranch, always referring to Hugh as a “true gentleman.”
When Martin Riedemann took over ownership of the Alkali Lake Ranch from his father in the early 1960s, Hank was appointed foreman and continued in that role for 15 years, until he left the ranch in 1978 when Martin passed away.
By this time, Hank had married Julia Dakin and they had two children, Andrew and Joanna.
An avid rodeo competitor in his youth, Hank participated in the calf roping and team roping events at local rodeos and the wild cow milking in the Williams Lake Stampede. In his late 70s, Hank was driving teams in the Williams Lake Stampede Parades with Inductees of the Cowboy Hall of Fame.
At the age of 70 he drove a team and wagon from Chezacut to Quesnel for the Mulvahill Wagon Train and he also took guests for wagon rides at his own surprise 80th birthday party.
Hank, at age 83, now has his own place on the west side of the Fraser where he still ranches.
He acquired a new saddle horse at the age of 80 and a Percheron draft horse at age 82.