January 2024 - Note From the Saddle Bench

Photo Courtesy of Mattie Sargent

 

Hi folks,

Hope everyone's doing well after the holiday season. It was warm in the Big Bend country. Unseasonably warm right up until Christmas and then it's finally gotten cold. The wind's been blowing the last few days and the temperature is not that cold (like in the upper 30s or 40s) but man it'll blow right through you. It's blowing some tin off the roofs. 

I didn't see many mule deer in the back of pickups leaving the country, but I did see a picture of a buck shot south of Marfa. They said he was 38 inches wide. I don't think I've ever seen a deer or a picture of a deer that big from this country. It's the largest one I've ever seen from this part of the world.  Don't know who shooting or who's country they were on, but the guy in the picture was sure smiling just like I would've been if I had shot him. 

We will be leaving next week to set up a booth out at Queen Creek, Arizona for Art of the Cowgirl. This is a really good show and if you want to see what cowgirls can do, this is the place to find out. They've got the best of the best there and man they are handy. There are more than 20 all girl teams in the Ranch Rodeo, the World's Greatest Horsewoman contest, cutting horse clinics, spur making clinics, leather carving clinics, and a lot more! Just about anything a cowgirl or a cowboy can do they have a competition or a demonstration of it. It's a really cool deal if you're interested in that sort of thing you should make an effort to go. The dates are January 17th Through January 21st. 

Well, our Sul Ross cowboy, Ky Hamilton really put on a show with the NFR this year. He is one tough kid. I don't see how he rode those bulls after he got hurt that bad.  I heard he is sitting out Denver and Odessa but will be back at Fort Worth. We wish him well along with Tristan Hutchings. Tristan had kind of a slow start to the NFR but once he got going did real well we're real proud of him. Sul Ross also had the rookie of the year in the single steer roping. 

We just bought a couple of boxes of Elmer Kelton books out of a collection in New Mexico. They are all hardback, mostly first edition, and some of them are signed copies. As soon as we receive them will put them on the website. It's getting harder to find Elmer's books. We also have a new Otter brand knife made in Solingen, Germany. It will be on the website soon as well as some Argentine steak knife sets. These are really nice with braided rawhide handles.

Hope everyone has a good month and stays warm!

Adios for now,

Gary Dunshee