Executive Leathers
Back in the Saddle
Conner's interest in restoring saddles dates back 25 years, when he bought his first vintage saddle. It needed a lot of work. Sticker shock prompted him to learn the tricks of the trade himself. "Somebody put a lot of time and effort into building that saddle," he says. "I can't stand to see that little bit of history go to waste."
Since then, Conner's restored saddles -- including some by famed makers like Florida's Floyd Lingle, SC Gallup and the Collins Brothers -- have wound up in the Smithsonian, the American Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Museum, the American Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage and in senior executives' offices. He recently turned down a $5,000 offer for that first vintage saddle he bought for $150.
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