- Date Of Birth: April 6, 1923
- Date Of Death: February 14, 2014
- State: Idaho
“SEASONED POLO PLAYER RIDES OFF”
John Mehler Barringer was born in Boise on April 6, 1923. He died at home on Valentine’s Day while getting ready for his daily walk on the ditch bank. He was the only child of Grace and Charles Barringer. His father had been one of the original Polo Players from Boise and fittingly to announce John’s birth, the Idaho Statesman headline read, “A New Polo Player Arrives.” His family home was at Avenue B and Bannock, and he lived there with his parents until St. Luke’s bought the block. John loved Boise and led an idyllic childhood, being pulled down the block in a wooden cart by his beloved dog Fuzzy; hiking through the foothills; and most importantly, riding horses.
He attended Boise High School, with one of his proudest moment being crowned “king of ditch’em!
John enlisted in the Army on Nov. 18, 1942 and served as a Technician Fifth Grade. He was shipped to the China-Burma- India Theatre of Operations and ended up in Ramgarh, India where Gen. Stillwell had set up a camp to train the Chinese soldiers. John was responsible for training horse management, riding, and packing machine guns and mortars. He later went to Burma as a liaison officer and contracted falciparum malaria. With the U.S. Army Remount Unit, he helped produce the First Rodeo in Asia. John then travelled to the village of Dunkou and ended up with a “Surrender Team” in Changsha. John was honorably discharged on Jan. 11, 1946.
John returned to Boise where he trained and rode polo horses (he was a three goaler) and managed River Wind Arabians. John also gave free riding lessons at the Simplot Stables and helped form the Highland Saddle and Jump Club. He was the breeding manager at Wayne Newton’s Arabians near Las Vegas and later set up a training center in San Luis Obispo, CA for Spanish Andalusion Horses. Again returning home, he leased the Simplot Stables and trained hunter, jumper and dressage horses and riders. His last job was with the Boise Public Library. In 2010, John received the “Horseman of the Year Award.”
John had a reverence for all life. Daily he would thank the “Boss” for the Boise River, the evergreens, the mountains and all things in nature. He always referred to Mother Earth, Father Sun, and Brother Moon. John quoted the Rubaiyat and Gandhi; he had a poem for almost any occasion; and he loved jazz. John worked to improve the earth through membership in the Idaho Conservation League, the Boise Front Coalition, Boise Saddle and Jump Club, Idaho Hunter Jumper Association, the Boise Pony Club, Special Olympics, the Idaho Humane Society and many others. He served briefly as the director of the Idaho Humane Society. John started the Association for More Humane Animal Trapping because he could not bear the thought of defenseless animals being left for days caught in a trap.
John loved well and was well- loved. Although he never married, he had a huge extended family. He leaves behind Joe and Annette DeAngelis and family; Lynn and Jim Johnston and family; Leslie Nona; Allison Phillips; Ester Simplot: Jeff and Andrea Symmonds and family; Christina Latta; Laura Johnston; Jennifer Faltings; many other friends; and cousins Barbara Corn, John LaFordge, and Cherie Martin. A special thank you to Dr. Bill Thompson, Josh, Donna, and the entire staff at the Boise VA. To Marva from the Agency on Aging and the Ada County Paramedics, you are miracle workers.
John wanted a party with all his friends.
