HURON — They were, arguably, the two biggest celebrities in South Dakota on Wednesday. And they don’t even have names. Yet.
Two tom turkeys, plucked from among the masses at Riverside Colony north of Huron, made the rounds in Huron on Wednesday, before departing for Washington, D.C. and the White House next week. For the first time in the 71-year tradition, the turkeys that will receive the Thanksgiving pardon from President Donald Trump are coming from South Dakota.
South Dakotans and people across the country will have an opportunity to help provide a pair of names for this year’s turkeys on the South Dakota Department of Tourism’s website and social media channels. The top pairs of names will be sent on to the White House for final consideration and selection. Last year, President Trump pardoned Drumstick and Wishbone and, in 2016, President Obama saved Tater and Tot.
After the pardoning, the turkeys head to “Gobbler’s Rest” at Virginia Tech to live out the rest of their days in comfort. Names for the turkeys can be submitted at: woobox.com/ebi6ht.
Jeff Sveen of Aberdeen, the chairman of the board of the National Turkey Federation, who also chairs the board at Dakota Provisions in Huron, is the conduit from which the opportunity came for South Dakota to provide the turkeys.
“This is the first time that we have been presented the opportunity to send turkeys to the White House,” Sveen told a small, but hardy crowd that formed at the Huron Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau’s parking lot to send the turkeys out on a tour of the city. “These two turkeys were among a group of about 50 who were chosen shortly after they were hatched.”

Sveen said that Ruben Waldner, from Riverside Colony, raised the turkeys and interacted with the birds throughout their lives. The field of 50 was narrowed to 12 and later to six birds. The two who made the cut were chosen because of personality, temperament and their reaction with humans. For the past several weeks, Waldner has been handling the birds, lifting them and placing then on a table and doing other activities to accustom them to human interaction. The turkeys are approximately 19 months old and tip the scales at about 40 pounds.
“The other four turkeys are our backups,” Sveen said, “in case we need them.”
Sveen encouraged people to suggest names for the birds. “Right now,” he said with a chuckle, “they seem to be Jeff and Ruben!”
After departing the Chamber, the turkeys visited the elementary schools in Huron, to allow the students an up-close-and-personal opportunity to meet the birds.
On Saturday, Waldner, with a helper, will load the birds in an SUV that will provide the birds a comfortable ride to the nation’s capitol.
“They’ll be more comfortable than Ruben will be,” Sveen quipped.
When the birds arrive on Sunday, they have a room reserved at the Willard Hotel, which Sveen said has a 5-star rating and a $500 per-night price tag. “We’re getting a better rate,” Sveen joked, “although I think the handlers will sleep on the floor and the birds will get the beds.” After a day of rest, the birds will appear in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday for their presidential pardon.
“The White House will actually choose the names for the birds,”Sveen noted.
After their pardon, the birds, with their new names, will be whisked away to a place called “Gobbler’s Roost,” Sveen said, “at Virginia Tech, whose nickname is the Hokies, and their mascot is a turkey.”
From then forward, the birds will live a life of leisure, with others that have received the presidential pardon.