2025 Bit Entries
All photos by Nicole Poyo Photography except Bit #19
#1: Jon Peters
This bit is as clean and classy as it comes! My inspiration was to create a timeless piece featuring clean engraving and detailed craftsmanship. It has 24 carat gold and pure silver inlay. The steel features deep relief engraving. The steel is finished in French gray to make the engraving stand out. The jello mold concho is sterling silver. The mouthpiece is a high port spoon design with copper ferrules and a copper inlay design in the spoon.
#2: Jeremiah Watt
The title of this year’s show just begs for a Biblical interpretation. For this year’s exhibition I chose to make one leg the Saint and the other plays the part of the Sinner, because that is the manner that I think most of us find salvation in life. There are some things which are subtle and may go unnoticed by the person walking by and wondering if there is something more behind the design. For a mouthpiece on this bridle bit, I chose one which offers some soft palate contact via a hooded port. The port is inlaid with silver and heat blued. Almost 2 inches of vertical height should give good palate response, with a boisterous noisy cricket making it presence known much the same as the person saved through the gift of “Salvation and Redemption from Sin”.
#3: Dennis Domingos
With Sinners and Saints being the theme for this contest, I went to the latter. I am very proud to follow up with this cheek after last year’s Nose Cone Pin Up Girls. Both Bolin’s Cute Cowgirls and the popular lady legs have been part of our western culture.
Read more about Dennis Domingos
#4: Larry Lorang
In designing this bit, I kept thinking about the theme “Sinners and Saints” and how maybe those two can be hard to tell apart at first glance. That is why the outsides of the bit cheeks look the same. But, if you look closely on the inside, one is hiding a pistol in her garter and the other is holding a cross. Just like real life, don’t judge a book by the cover.
#5: George Elsner
This year’s bit is a different take on the gal leg, paying homage to the hardworking women in ranching who ride for the brand with chaps covering most of the leg. The gold boots and sparkling silver spurs showcase her feminine style.
#6: Connor Garwood
When I found out we were doing the lady leg shank, I remember an old lady leg that a neighbor had that was all steel. I thought it was so cool, but I had to add a new twist to it with the Nike sock as well as playing into my style of deep steel engraving on the concho.
Read more about Connor Garwood
#7: Ryan Erickson
The struggle of good and evil. This bit is my interpretation of Genesis 3, the deception of Eve by the serpent. The sterling silver scroll, a representation of the Tree of Knowledge. Centered in the scroll, an apple with one bite taken, representing not only the location of the tree in the garden, but also the moment man’s eyes were opened. The engraved scroll on the inside of the bit shank, representing the Tree of Life, hidden from Adam and Eve. The reason for the expulsion from the garden. The lower shank, a serpent wrapping itself around the boot introducing the grip of doubt to Eve, as well as the relationship between man and serpent from then on. The concho with a circle of fine silver gallery wire representing God as all encompassing. Based on the “gal leg” cheek pattern, this bit has a forged 5” w x 7/16” diameter spooned port mouth and copper inlay, steel cricket. This bit is number matched (#277) to the spurs in the contest/auction.
#8: John Wright
This bit is donated with headstall and Bret Haskett rawhide romal reins. The bit is NOT auctioning off by itself, only as part of the complete set up as pictured on the 2025 Auction page.
My Lady Leg bit is fully contoured with sterling silver overlay and western bright cut engraved. Copper and sterling guarder. Concho is copper and silver flower. Mouthpiece is a square modified San Joaquin. Headstall has matching silver and conchos.
#9: Chris Cheney
This year’s bit features short skirts, boots, inlays, and filigreed legs. The inside of the cheeks are also engraved. Copper and sterling conchos add a little contrast. It has a narrow 2.75″ high port with a cricket and rollers. Handmade slobber and rein chains and a gun blue finish. You’ll either be forgiven or branded as a sinner if you get caught peeking under her skirt!
#10: Chad Cunningham
I’ve always been fascinated by gal leg gear. Almost all of the old time makers made something gal leg at some point in their careers. The silver and copper on this bit were inspired by some of the Texas style greats such as Boone, Kelly, and Johnson. I enjoy doing things not many others are doing with damascus steel. The fittings are made using 1018/nickel. The mouthpiece using 1018/copper. The roller is copper and nickel silver.
Read more about Chad Cunningham
#11: Ryan Looper
I would start with the inspiration for the piece, this came from Gerry Gesell’s short story entitled “Festival Day”, about two sisters. Both having hand made boots, but one takes a more functional/practical approach to her boots. The other being a little more flamboyant and fancy in her boots, matching each personality. The sister that has the flashier boots also has a more flirtatious side to her and keeps a custom made flask tucked in her garter. To give a tip of the hat to Gerry for allowing me to use his story, I included his “Broken 3” brand engraved on her flask. To lend more to the “Saintful” side of the theme, I included the Cross inlaid in 24k gold, along with the Trinity inlaid in fine silver on the spoon of the spade, above both sisters, always watching over them. The rein chain stirrups have a sterling pin cap engraved with a 7 petal flower, representing the seven days of creation. Along with 7 shade lines per petal for the biblical importance of the number 7. The bit includes fine silver and 24k pin stripe inlays on the edges, along with fine silver and 24k inlays on the boots. And finally, sterling sliver inlaid bridal rings with the Carlos border engraved in them. Hand sculpted flask, and derringer pistol of sterling silver and high relief engraving throughout the shanks as well as the solid sterling silver conchos. 10” hand made rein chains, swivel rein attach, and forged S hooks. The title of this piece has been dubbed “Popcorn & Confetti “ after the two sisters’ names.
#12: Chad Helmick
Brass and silver inlay and overlay with metal concho a swinging slobber bar and spade mouth piece hot gun blue finish.
#13: Riley Wells
It was an honor to be able to build this bit for this contest and fundraiser. It was a lot of fun, made me stretch some of my abilities, and helped me learn some new things. This bit has an antique brown finish, sterling silver conchos and brass overlays. The fishnet stockings are inlayed with fine silver. It is hand engraved on the outside and inside of the cheeks as well as on the hood of the 2 inch tall Salinas mouthpiece.
#14: Ann Duce
My fourth bit, and this year’s entry in the “Sinners and Saints” theme. I went with a tattooed leg look; featuring filigree sterling silver overlay. Each concho portrays a “sinner” and “saint” respectively. The three rays above the saint represent the sun, and the moon above the sinner, for each brings her own celestial beauty to the world. I know a few guys that use this square mouth piece for their working bits and really like them! I hope you enjoy this unique bit and all the other entries for this years contest!
#15: Stephen Hoyt
Loose jaw Halfbreed with copper and steel cricket 5 3/16” width. Sterling silver conchos and swivel caps. Fine silver inlays on cheeks and slobber bar.
#17: Jake Brown
I forged the spade out of a 1/2”x 1 ½” x7” rectangular piece of mild steel by splitting it up the center using a coal forge to make a one piece mouthpiece. I added and subtracted steel on the cheek to give it a more feminine look.
#18: Matt Wilson
My understanding is that the gal leg bit originated early in the 1900s in Texas and the Southwest. It seems it is unknown who built the first, but as it grew in popularity, many commercial builders of the time created their own design and mass produced them. At the turn of the century, many things in our nation were chaning. It was an era where just seeing a woman’s ankle was deemed inappropriate. The idea of a piece of horse tack showing the woman’s entire leg and garter would have been the equivalent of a naked lady today. Yet cowboys bought them! It seems cowboys have always loved the ladies. This year’s Sinners and Saints theme got me to thinking. The difference between a saint and a sinner can often times be obvious, yet at other times, it is near impossible to tell who is which by looking at the outside. What truly is the gauge is the condition of the heart. At times we are all sinners, and occasionally we are a saint. There is only one who can make the final call. I do know as long as cowboys are still cowboys, they will always love a naked lady.
#19: Tell Deatrich
This year’s bit is a silver overlay with simple single point engraving. The sinners and saints theme fits the bit only for the several engraving “sins” that many craftsmen may notice and for the lettering employed on the inside of the bit cheeks.
This is the sixth bit I have made, and I wanted to do something simpler and more straight forward for me. I did use a simple geometric design to accentuate the lady leg design on the lower portion of the bit with the Carlos border treatment across the knee to divide the scroll from the geometric pattern.
Excerpts from the book of Titus are engraved on the inside portion of the cheeks. The verses declare to us not only that we all have fallen short of the perfection of God and are in need of a savior but that God Himself has also provided and accomplished a way for us to be right with God through Jesus; justified by His grace.
#20: Richard Brooks & Leighton Brooks
The bit cheek piece was not a style that we would typically build so we struggled with ideas to make unique to what we’d normally build. We chose to stay close to the original designs and build really clean and classy to honor the original patterns. The bit has fine silver inlayed panels and fine silver inlayed wire borders with a touch of engraved steel.