Each generation mourns the passing of the cowboy way of life as they knew it. But cowboys continue to work cattle from horseback, and quality western gear is still in high demand. Some cowhands skimp and save for years to purchase a custom-made saddle by a maker they admire ~ with full knowledge it might take them five years for their order to make it to the top of the master craftsman's list.
A few gear makers gathered in 1998 in Elko, Nevada and began sharing their concerns that saddle making, bit and spur making, rawhide braiding, and western silversmithing were facing serious challenges. There is an aging core of master-level makers, a shortage of emerging new talent, and a lack of public education and recognition regarding these highly prized and collectible tools of the cowboy trade.
Convinced these problems could best be addressed by a small organization of master artists highly regarded by their peers, calls went out and several interested individuals from across the American and Canadian West met on the border of northern Idaho. This historically unique assembly of makers, meeting in May of 1998, laid the groundwork for the formation of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.
The founding TCAA members are: Mike Beaver, rawhide braider; Mark Dahl, bit and spur maker; Mark Drain, silversmith; John C. Ennis, bit and spur maker; Scott Hardy, silversmith; Dale Harwood, saddlemaker; Bill Heisman, bit and spur maker; Don King, saddlemaker; Ernie Marsh, bit and spur maker; Al Pecetti, silversmith; Cary Schwarz, saddlemaker; Chuck Stormes, saddlemaker; and Al Tietjen, bit and spur maker.
A few business professionals who admire the work of these artisans, strongly believed in the need for this organization and volunteered their services to help charter and promote the association. Don Bellamy is the Secretary-Treasurer. Other affiliates are Rick Beard, Mike Nicola, Jim Liley, and J. Kent McCorkle. Members of the TCAA meet each spring to plan future exhibitions and educational programs. The members are anticipating accepting new members in the future and will review applications annually.
In most instances, a maker of saddles or spurs cannot invest the number of hours in a piece to make it truly extraordinary. To make an adequate return on their time, they would price themselves out of the cowboy market. This exhibition and sale provides a market place for gear makers who desire to stretch their abilities and create functional but exquisite gear that a working hand could only dream of owning.