Donley Rawhide
Written by Doreen Shumpert This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.41 Acclaimed rawhide braider Vince Donley grew up in Ohio, which may seem a strange place to develop a love of custom cowboy …
Doreen Shumpert
Joe Kreger: Cowboy Poet
Written by Doreen Shumpert This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.40 One day in 1994, the nationally syndicated agricultural-based radio show AgriTalk was talking about another “real-life issue, the kind nobody else would …
Buckaroo Gear: A Way Of Life
Written by Doreen Shumpert This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.39 Carlos Macias is cowboy through and through, but he’s not sure where it came from. Born in town to a completely non-agricultural …
Jeremiah Watt: Something Different
Written by Doreen Shumpert This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.38 The courage to do something different places you in a different position. Being a little bit of a risk taker has its …
The Double Diamond Halter Co.
Written by Doreen Shumpert “It’s tougher than you think.” With that simple statement, the “gauntlet had been thrown down” as Pete Melniker said, the challenge was on, and the seed was planted for what would …
Hagel’s Cowboy Gear
Written by Doreen Shumpert This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.35 What once started out as a summer job for teenage Wyoming ranch cowgirl Sara Douglas has blossomed into a full-time business for …
Tooling of the Trade
Written by Doreen Shumpert Known best for his rich and beautiful Sheridan-style, wild-rose tooling patterns on his leather work and saddles, Ray Arthun originally hailed from Montana and Wyoming and was a bronc-ridin’ rodeo cowboy. …
The Family Man of Frecker’s Saddles
Written by Dorreen Shumpert If you’ve got your eyes on one of Kent Frecker’s custom saddles, get in line. For a long time. Try until about 2016 because that’s how long he’s booked out as …
The Mecate Master
Written by Doreen Shumpert The horsehair mecate is as traditional to Spanish-influenced horsemanship as fireworks are to the Fourth of July. However, master craftsmen like Doug Krause, who can produce modern-day quality hair ropes, aren’t …
Gary Wiggins, Cowboy Gear Maker
Written by Doreen Shumpert Gary and Cynthia Wiggins (Wiggins Bits and Spurs) transplanted one year ago from the hustle and bustle of Castle Rock, Colo. to the quieter side of life in Brewster, Kansas. The backdrop …
