Supporters of
Richard Caldwell and
Vaquero Horsemanship
Master Braider, Bill Black, is a long time friend of ours, and Richard has known and worked with him spanning back 30 years. He was awarded the Academy of Western Artists Hitcher and Braider of the Year in 2000. His bosals are some of the finest you can find anywhere, and his work is sought after by both working buckaroos and big name trainers. His wife, Teresa, is also very talented with her hitching, engraving, and braiding.
We are proud to represent his products!
CLICK HERE to watch a video on Bill Black
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Krause
Doug Krause is another long time friend of Richard's, and he feels that Doug's mecates are by far the best that one can own. Doug received the "Best of Show" award in the Western Folklife Center's Gathering of Gear show in 1998, and was designated the Hitcher and Braider of the Year in 2001 by the Academy of Western Artists. Richard always has some of Doug's products on hand for those interested.
Click below for video of Doug making a mecate!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Hansen was raised in Montana and worked for a couple of horse ranches in the Billings area while he was in high school. He started building bits and spurs as a hobby in 1987 while working full time as a mechanic and welder and raising his family. In 2004 Todd decided to leave his job to pursue making bits and spurs full-time. Todd is a self-taught artist and has received help and advice from trusted friends. “I couldn’t have done it without advice from other makers I admire, too numerous to mention, but I sure tip my hat to them for their advice and patience with a beginner,” he says.
Richard believes that Todd is one of the most talented makers of silver bits and spurs, as well as other fine western silver. Todd was voted as 2009 Best Bit and Spur Maker at the 14th Annual Will Rogers Awards by the Academy of Western Artists. In that same year he also won The Best in show for the Bit Catagory at the 25th annual Elko Poetry Gathering. His handmade jewelry is also in great demand because of the outstanding craftsmanship that goes into every piece. Now and then we have some of his headstalls that are available for sale. Contact us for information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Ray , saddle and saddle tree maker is recognized as one of the top artists in the trade. His Saddles are working pieces of art, having built over 500 Saddles in his career. Located in the Parowan Valley of Southwestern Utah, Bob and his wife Carolyn have been producing high quality, tradtional horse gear since 1983.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete and Marilyn Bowling are supporters of the Vaquero traditions and have donated a breeding to COWBOY AT HEART as their sponsorship for the Vaquero Fiesta in Alturas, July 31 - August 1 2010. This breeding will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Details for this will be upcoming!!
Thank You!
Oasis Ranch, Inc. is a Quarter Horse breeding and selling operation specializing in American Quarter Horses for use as cutting, reining, and reined cow horses. Oasis Ranch, Inc. always has horses for sale from prospects to finished cutters, reiners and working cow horses. Their breeding program features stallions that are NRHA Futurity Champions, NCHA Futurity Finalists and AQHA World Champions. They are sons of Peptoboonsmal, Reminic, Master Remedy, Smart Little Lena, and King Fritz Two and out of some of the best mares in the horse industry such as Doc's Steady Date, Bueno Chex Kaweah, Gay Sugar Chic and Clay's Little Peppy. Richard and Nancy believe in their breeding program, and almost yearly breed to one of their studs.
OASIS RANCH
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bitmaker Bruce Alan Haener started attending the vaquero show at Santa Paula in the early 1980s and began buying old pieces that needed work. After years of getting bits repaired by others, he started repairing on his own and making new pieces Bruce was born
in Inglewood, California in 1949. He grew up around horses and surfing. In 1971 Bruce moved to San Diego, California and then to San Luis Obispo, California in 1984. He has been repairing bits since 1994 and has been a full time maker since 1999. Richard has many of his spurs and Spade bits, and considers all of them to not only be functional works of art that he uses on a daily basis , but also collectables. Along with his own collection, Richard has a very limited number of Bruce's spurs and/or bits that are available for sale.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shannon Lawlor is a native of Canada, residing in Alberta where traditional bridle horse culture is strong. As an artist, she applies discipline with ability and captures experiences in depth and detail with brush strokes. She is skilled in the saddle and at the easel. Shannon's images protray the working stock horse and pay tribute to authentic working horsemen who follow the old traditions influenced by the early vaqueros in California. Her images help preserve the true western culture and celebrate today's lifestyle of buckaroos in the Great Basin region and north into Canada. Shannon has become a special friend of ours, and not only is she doing the artwork for the rest of the Jaquima a Freno Series DVDS, but she has also doing the Please click HERE to view her site, as she has too
artwork for the Grand Fiesta poster.
many awards to even begin to list!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rodney Allison of North Valley Hat Co. doesn’t believe in mass production and automated equipment to make his high quality custom made felt hats. Matter of fact, he makes one hat at a time and most of his equipment dates back 100 years.
“Most innovations over the last century have only been geared towards production and not hands on quality”, Allison Said. So, he sticks with the tried-and-true technology used during the hatters’ 19th century hey-day. Rodney can be seen at various shows throughout the country. Contact Rodney at www.northvalleyhatco.com , and tell him Richard sent you!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.joellesmith.com
On August 5, 2005, Joelle Smith lost her valiant three year battle with cancer. Though her physical presence here on earth is and will always be greatly missed, her legacy of work will live on. Just days before Joelle lost her long battle with cancer, she received word that she had been invited to participate in the June 2006 Prix de West Invitational Art Show at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. This had been her dream. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum did not hang her work be
cause of her death. HOWEVER, Joelle's bronze, "Waitin" was sold at the invitational art auction during the awards banquet at Prix de West for an astounding sum. The bronze was then donated to the Museum. A very nice tribute to Joelle was printed in the Prix de West Catalog. Her mother, Sally Smith, continues to represent Joelle's work at different venues throughout the year. The work entitled, "Riata Man", shown on the cover of the Jaquima a Freno first DVD, was one of her pieces of artwork that Richard was proud to be a part of, and it will always hold a special place in his heart.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard is proud to be able to call Dave one of his good friends. Cowboys and Indians Magazine has called him “the Charlie Russell of Western Music.” 
Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today.
He has been twice voted Entertainer of the Year, three times Male Performer of the Year and twice Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association, and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. He will also be performing at our VAQUERO FIESTA this year, July 31- Aug 1, in Alturas, CA.
CLICK HERE for a sample and video of Dave and his music!!
www.davestamey.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Williams Hyde is a dear friend of ours, and we have considered her to be our ambassador. She has offerred her help at every turn that Nancy has made while making this website, and quite frankly it could not have been done without her aid. She is a believer in Richard and his abilities and many of the photos on this website have been captured with her camera. Shannon Lawlor based her painting of the 2nd DVD on Mary's photography and future DVD's will also rely on her work. Her camera captures life as it happens and is presented in total honesty, in the true reality of buckaroo life. If you need a picture of someone in your life, Mary probably has one. Thank you Mary for all your time and efforts!!www.buckaroocountry.com
