I grew up in Teller County, Colorado graduating from Woodland Park HS in 1989. I have worked for several ranches through the years I began doing leather work on the side. I built my first saddle in 1997 for the ranch owner in Gillette, WY. I continued to build them on the side while working at other ranches. We moved to Hugo, Colorado in August 1998. We had a saddle shop and boot repair shop in Hugo for about a year around 2000. After 17 years of working for the Withers Ranch and building saddles on the side with a list of saddle orders I made the decision to retire from ranching and becoming a full-time saddle maker. Since then, it has developed into a 4-year waiting list for cowboys to have a custom saddle made.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I married my high school sweetheart, Tina, in June 1989 and we have 3 kids: Jessica and husband Travis Casteel, Chance and wife Tayla and Caleb and wife Cat. We also have 3 grandchildren, Haddie Ann, Tapadero and Declan.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Having been a ranch hand for years I now enjoy building saddles for ranch cowboys that make their living out of them as I did for many years.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Oscars and Jenny’s
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Moved here in August 1998
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Wendall Kidder, an old Lincoln County Cowboy
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
The Curse of Oak Island -tv Comes a Horseman-movie.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Excuses make today easy but tomorrow harder. Discipline makes today hard, but tomorrow easier.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Withers Ranch, est. 1948 and other local family-owned cow/calf ranches in Lincoln County
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Tony Vick and we’d meet in the saddle shop, as long as Gene brought a casserole.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
The way neighboring ranches work together to help each other in the spring and the fall.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Almost caught up on saddle orders
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Most people don’t know I like cats.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Sunrise gathering of a pasture of cows and calves for a day of branding.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Saddle maker Terry Henson, Friend Buster Frierson
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Neighbors, Grasslands and Cows
