The saddle has become an American icon. Wranglers rely on
saddles every day, but discerning outsiders favor them for image
enhancement and self-expression. Thus saddles turn up in paintings,
films, even advertisements for cigarettes and automobiles. In the
marketplace of western memorabilia they have great value.
Saddles--sometimes intricately and exquisitely carved--are no
longer merely cowboy paraphernalia. At their most elaborate, they
have a highly developed aesthetic. In America, saddlemaking can be
regarded as one of the most complex and distinctly regional of
western crafts.
One of the most famous saddlemakers is Donald L. King of
Sheridan, Wyoming. His Sheridan-style saddle, one of the finest of
all western saddles in craftsmanship and beauty, is commissioned
regularly for championship rodeo trophies and is prized by
collectors.
The son of an itinerant cowboy, King was immersed in the
traditions of ranch life and crafts from an early age. Today he is
acknowledged as the creator of the most influential style in
western leathercraft. His intricate, hand-tooled works bear his
signature emblem, the wild rose, and other floral elements. By the
1960s saddle aficionados had discovered him, and King's Saddlery
became the center of a large community of saddlemakers. Within the
following twenty years King had so profoundly influenced the
aesthetics of his craft that he began to create saddles that were
art objects for collectors, galleries, and museums.
This fascinating study of the Sheridan saddle and its creator
not only highlights King's contributions but also traces the
origins of the western saddle to its roots in Mexico and Spain.
Timothy H. Evans, former Wyoming state folklorist, is coauthor
of "The Wyoming Folk Arts Handbook."
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