Tonight, my mind is kinda wandering off… I’m wondering who else will make the trip? Everybody, I hope.
I’m thinking about my life list. Maybe this year, I can sneak off and learn a bit about saddles? Do I keep a list of all the hands I shake? …that seems a little weird. Can I come up with the money in the next few months for a really great camera? Should I drive up from Austin… or down from OKC? I owe Mark Candela a steak dinner… I should fix that. Maybe a live Twitter feed? Oh yeah, cricket season… ugh, cricket season. Remember the year we shared the hotel with that clown convention?
How big a cowboy boot fan are you? Well, I know Monday’s a holiday… but I want you to get up early, grab a cup of coffee, and go sit in your truck. Tune that space-age radio of yours to Sirius 112 or XM 157 at 8am ET on Monday, 18 January 2010.
You’ll hear me talking about… cowboy boots.
(You can listen online with a free 7-day trial, or hear a replay at 2am ET.)
This year was extra special with two days of seminars/classes on bootmaking, clowns, and a night of karaoke (I kid you not.) Next year’s show will be October 2-3, 2009… you may need to bring your own clowns, so call ahead. See you there!
Here are the winners of this year’s boot contest…
Journeyman (built fewer than 15 pairs:)
Winner – Ephraim Glueck (Waco, TX)
Runner up – Bruce Bowers (Krum, TX)
Working Cowboy Boot:
Winner – Mike Vaughn (Bowie, TX)
Runner up – Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)
Artistry:
Winner — James Redman (Mertzon, TX)
Runner up – Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)
Dress Boot:
Winner — Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)
Runner up — C.E. “Cowboy” Loveless (Hugo, OK)
Master’s Class:
Winner — Carl Chappell (Saint Jo, TX)
Professional’s Choice:
Winner — Alfred Reynolds (Wickenburg, AZ)
Like many custom bootmakers, Lisa Sorrell must personally measure your foot before she will take your boot order. Fortunately, she’s willing to meet you partway.
Lisa ventures out of Guthrie, Oklahoma twice a year; once each January to the High Noon Show in Phoenix, AZ. and once in September to the Western Design Conference.
This year, I joined Lisa for the show in Phoenix. I signed books and bragged about Lisa’s bootmaking. Lisa measured feet and answered many many questions about cowboy boots and bootmaking.
Lisa’s boots were a naturally “fit” with all the fine Western art that filled the room. Her cowboy boots are “suitable for framing” as you can see from the photos of her booth, but I can personally attest that they are more fun to wear on your feet.
(For more photos of Lisa Sorrell’s boots please visit her website at www.customboots.net)
The boots sit on the tables unmarked. Everyone who visits the show gets to vote for their favorite boots and saddles. Sometimes I can figure out which boot belongs to who, either from design features…or the sometimes the buzz in the room. This year I had a difficult time because there were so many entries.
As I’ve been bounty-huntin’ cowboy boots for my book… I’ve discovered that a handful of the boots I want to photograph are currently being “held hostage” in Houston’s Center for Contemporary Craft …part of an exhibit called COWBOY: Craft of the American West.
The show features handmade cowboy gear …including cowboy boots crafted by Ray Dorwart (Guthrie, OK), Stephanie Ferguson (Millsap, TX), Bob McClean (Sedona, AZ) and Gary & Clara McGlasson (Spokane, WA.)
Visit the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft before March 26th, 2006 ….or catch a glimpse of a few of the items included in this photo slideshow.
Otherwise you may have to wait until my book comes out next Spring!
Contact Numbers:
· Ray Dorwart (405) 282-1258 (Click here for website)
· Stephanie Ferguson (817) 341-9700
· Bob McLean (520) 281-0512 (…now at Paul Bond Boots)
Here’s the informal schedule…Friday morning, you get a quick nod, hug, or handshake from even your closest friends… ‘cuz everybody is staring down at the asphalt searching around for the good swapmeet stuff. After 3pm on Saturday everybody’s too busy looking for last minute deals on leather, no time for long goodbyes.
Ahhh… but in all that time in-between, there’s plenty of room for drinking coffee and catching up with all the folks you haven’t seen since last year.
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