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  #2 Jerry Arbiter

  Jerry Arbiter-

  Jerry Arbiter spent more than 38 years as an aviator. His career included 20 years as naval aviator flying single seat jet aircraft from US Navy aircraft carriers. His military service included flying more than 200 combat missions from the USS Oriskany in Vietnam and more than 900 carrier landings. Nowadays he’d rather be in the saddle on a good horse than in the cockpit of an aircraft…

   

  After obtaining a copy of Bruce Grant’s book on making horse gear in 1968, Jerry dabbled in braiding, making a few scruffy projects. In 2010 Jerry began braiding in earnest, making reatas, reins, hackamores, bosals, quirts, rein chains and the like. He processes his own hides and strives for continuous improvement. He gives credit to other braiders and friends including Doug Groves, Kirby Orme and Mike Skinner who’ve generously shared their braiding knowledge.

   

  The piece displayed here includes a set of 8 plait, St Ynez style rawhide reins, with a 12 plait romal, and rein chains.  The reins and romal are constructed with rawhide cores.

  42″ Rein

   

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  #3 Mike Skinner

  Mike Skinner-

  Living in Boise Idaho, Mike focuses on building rawhide gear for a broad range of horse owners, including ranch owners, working cowboys and cowgirls, reining competitors and those riding simply for the fun of it. Mike’s interest in hand crafted rawhide gear began early in life and he got his braiding start through the State of Washington’s Folk Arts Apprenticeship program.  Following a 40-year business career, which included executive roles with Shasta Beverages, LaCroix Sparkling Water and Coinstar/redbox, Mike retired in 2022.  Mike is enjoying having more time to spend in his rawhide shop creating custom rawhide romals, under-bridles and quirts.

  Item Description-

  42” x 8 x 12 romals have braided brandy kangaroo bodies over rawhide cores with over 60 natural rawhide buttons.

   

   

   

   

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  #7 Dan Ames

  Dan Ames-

  A native of Utah, Dan Ames began his braiding and leatherwork career in 1971. As a rodeo contestant he
  learned to braid bull ropes to supplement his earnings. In 1973 one of his customers convinced him to
  apprentice in his saddle shop and build ropes on the side.
  Rawhide had always been a mysterious creature and after many attempts to master even the smallest
  project, it was put to the side with only the occasional dabble.
  In 2014 with the help of longtime friend and cohort Kelly Wahlen, he went back trying to master the
  craft. A class with Doug Groves in Elko lit the fire. Continuing with tutelage from braiders such a Kelly,
  Doug, Jack Armstrong, Bret Haskett, and Graeme Quisenberry , along with attending several Rawhide
  Gatherings, his journey continues. In 2018 he was awarded 2nd Place People’s Choice award at the Gear
  Show at Elko’s Poetry Gathering, for his rawhide martingale.
  Dan recently retired as a Wildland Fire Manager for the State of Utah and spends 4 months of the year
  guiding Big Game hunters from all over the world in the fall.
  Braiding gear now takes up most of his time, and he continues to build some leather items such as
  saddles, boots, and various other custom goods.

  Rein description:
  12 plait reins
  16 plait romal
  Caramel color with natural buttons/caramel interweaves.
  Palm concho by Pat Horlacher.

  43″ Rein

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  #5 Kelly Wahlen

  Kelly Wahlen-

  Kelly was born in Clearfield, Utah on December 24^th, 1957. The only child of Jack and Mildred Wahlen. His dad owned a small piece of land in Clinton, where he built a barn, corrals, stalls and a small track flanking the exterior of the land, later to have bucking chutes and a roping box. He kept a few racehorses, running them in flat track races as well as chariot races. From the time he could walk Kelly wanted to be a cowboy. So at the tender age of 8 he was galloping and exercising his dad’s horses, developing a superior sense of balance that would serve him well years later as a rodeo cowboy. Kelly rode race horses on the so called “bush” tracks throughout Utah, winning his first race he ever entered, at the age of 12. He was named the leading jockey at Box Elder County when he was only 13 and 14.

  Kelly competed for the Spikers Rodeo Club while attending Weber High School. He was the 1975 State Champion Bareback Rider and All-Around Champion. At the 1975 National High School Rodeo Finals, held In Gallop New Mexico he was crowned the National Bull Riding Champion and Reserve All-Around Cowboy.

  Kelly competed for Weber State College in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association on a rodeo scholarship. In 1977 he was the All-Around Champion for the Rocky Mountain Region. Competing in Bull Riding, Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Team Roping. In 1978 he was the Rocky Mountain Region Bull Riding Champion and was ranked 3^rd in the nation.

  In 1976 he joined the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association competing in Bull Riding, Bareback Riding, as well as Team Roping. He rodeoed full time for the next 8 years. He was the PRCA Wilderness Circuit (comprised of all pro rodeos in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada) 3 time Bull Riding Champion in 1977, 1978 and 1980. During his Pro Rodeo career he won the bull riding at such rodeos as Reno Nevada, Caldwell Idaho, Amarillo Texas, and Livermore California. He won the All-Around buckle at the Phoenix Rodeo of Rodeos in 1981. He won money at most of the larger rodeos such as Cheyenne Wyoming, Nampa Idaho, San Antonio and Houston Texas, to name a few.

  Following his rodeo career he returned to the race track, most notably, Wyoming Downs, where he was Rider of the Year in 2000. He also rode in stakes races and derby’s in 7 western states as well as Texas. He retired as a jockey in 2005.

  Kelly currently lives in Clinton, Utah. He built a log home on the same ground where he rode his dad’s racehorse over 50 years ago. There are still horses on the place. Kelly’s rope horses, as well as barrel horses and prospects that belong to his wife Julie and their daughter Jessica. He does quite a bit of jackpot team roping and has qualified for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas Nevada on four occasions.

  He is also a talented rawhide braider, horsehair hitcher and buckaroo gear maker. His pieces are in high demand among collectors as well as working cowboys. His work has been exhibited in prestigious competitions and shows, such as The Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko Nevada. Over the years he has made and donated numerous pieces to raffles, benefits and awards for various western organizations.

   

  43″ Rein

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