Custom saddle-making
The Desert Caballeros Museum hosts an annual exhibition of cowgirl artists, called Cowgirl Up! I saw the 2007 show, but it wasn't up last month when I was in Wickenburg for Gold Rush Days.
After I made the photos I wanted, I had some time to kill before my next appointment. As I wandered toward the main intersection in search of refreshment, a pair of boots, embroidered with "Cowgirl Up!" caught my eye, as did the window sign that said "Karen Lamontagne" and "saddlemaker." As I opened the door, the proprietress herself greeted me, and we made a few photos at Riata Custom Saddlery before she sold me my very own cowgirl boots.
Tools of the trade
Karen showed me the most amazing set of chaps she made. She had saddle trees lined up along one wall, and some leather spread out on her worktable. The scribing and scoring of the leather was fascinating, as were her stories of learning the trade and the people who commission her work.
Karen Lamontagne, saddle-maker
