A good roping saddle is an essential part of any cowboy's tools of the trade. But not just any saddle will do. Roping saddles have to be made from the finest materials available, and be rugged enough to take punishment day after day.

There are some saddle makers that stand out from the crowd. Their saddles have stood the test of time and are a cut above the crowd.

Edward "Skeeeter" Hembry

This Virginia saddle maker started making saddles in the mid 1960's. He opened his first shop in Fairfax, Virginia in 1970. In 1978 he moved his operation to Warrenton, Virginia and is still in operation there. Hembry designs, hand tools and stitches his famous saddles and other leather gear. Known for high quality and superb craftmanship, Hembry's saddles have been featured in movies and shows around the world.

Billy Cook

The name Billy Cook is legendary in the roping saddle world. Cook first started making his world famous saddles in Greenville, Texas. For years the Texas saddle maker produced some of the finest roping saddles in the world. Cook designed and tooled his own saddles and each saddle was hand sewn. The famous "Billy Cook Maker" stamp is known worldwide. In 1992 Billy Cook opened shop in Sulphur, Oklahoma where he still makes his famous saddles.

Don King

Don King was born in Wyoming in 1923. He began learning the saddle maker's trade at age 14. By the time he was 15 he was selling small hand crafted leather goods he had made. In the 1940's King became an apprentice to expert saddle maker Rudy Mudra. In 1957 King became a full time saddle maker. Although King became more well known for his superbly crafted trophy saddles than roping saddles, he is well known for his distinctive tooling designs.

His best known saddle design is known as the "Sheridan style".This saddle in it's original design is a classic high plains roping saddle. This saddle features short, square skirts; a low cantle with a broad Cheyenne roll; large swells and a prominent horn; small side jockeys; and relatively narrow fenders that are at a 90 degree angle to the skirt.
King also had several well known apprentices that learned the trade under him including Billy Gardner, Chester Hape, and Bob Douglas.

These are only a few of the more prominent roping saddle makers who have influenced today's roping saddle designs. Dedication, commitment to quality, and innovation has made these names legendary.

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Billy managed the operation himself for many years. He designed all the saddles, made patterns, and had a complete set of dies for each design.
The company later set up corporate offices in Dallas. After the death of Bill Potts in the late 1980's, the company fell upon hard times. The management filed for bankruptcy, and the company went up for auction. The sale was made to the parent company of Action, Simco, and Tex Tan saddles.

The sale of the company included the Billy Cook name, although Billy never actually sold the Billy Cook name. It was included in the terms of the bankruptcy sale. Genuine Billy Cook saddles are branded "Billy Cook Maker", and the first two digits before the model number, located under the fender, indicate what year the saddle was made. Saddles with this stamp were made in the Billy Cook shops either in Texas or Oklahoma.
In 1992 Billy Cook set up shop in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Although now in his late 70's, the legendary roping saddle king still plies his trade there.

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