King’s Saddlery - Sheridan, Wyoming
Written By: Sarah Reish
One of our first stops when we arrived in Sheridan was to King's Saddlery. We were met by Don King - the grandson of the original, Don King who was the founder of the store. Today, the store is run by the same family. The store has expanded and grown, but one of the additions was the Don King Museum. Don was a cowboy, horse trainer, bronc rider, roper, and saddle maker. His life and legacy live on through his family and community.
Don King’s Life
Young life
Firstly, I think it is important to begin with a recap of Don King and his life. Don was born on August 26, 1923. As a small child his parents divorced. His father took him and together, father and son road the trails as cowboys, young Don was only 4 or 5 years old. They moved cattle throughout Texas, Arizona, and California. At only 13, Don was given a horse from his father and sent off on his own. He had an 8th grade education.
We were told that Don began his leather work while riding these trails. He would be given scrap leather from saddleries and tack stores and using crude leather tools, such as nails, he was creating designs for the belts and wallets he made. He then would sell them to cowboys on the trail.
The Early Years of King’s Saddlery
After serving in the Pacific during World Ward II Don moved to Sheridan. Don met his wife, Dorothy while he was working as a cowboy at Eaton’s Ranch, where she was, incidentally, a “dude”. He still dabbled in leather and worked for a few stores in town. When he felt he could learn no more he opened Kings Saddlery. In 1961 he opened in the back of the Ritz Sporting Goods. It was in 1972 that the current location was purchased. From 1977-78 they expanded due to demand.
The Ropes
Many cowboys came into his shop looking for ropes and Don realized there was a market for an industry he would soon be leading. Thus the famous King’s Rope was born. He was the first to make the left hand twist for left handed ropers. Today, the process to break in the ropes hasn’t changed. 600 feet per row, ropes are stretched across the field at King Ranch. They are left for a minimum of three weeks in all weather, to break them in. The are then cut to size and brought back to the shop to be prepared for sale. The King name is put on a small patch that is hand sewn onto every rope.
The Store
The Museum at King’s Saddlery
The museum is located in the back building where they work on the ropes. To get there, head to the back of the store and use the back door. Next, just cross the alley and head into the adjacent building. Upon entering the museum we were met with, well saddles and glass cases. There were buggies and a variety of historic western artifacts throughout the space. We won’t give away all of the details, you need to visit and see for yourself.
The saddles were collected by Don King, he would find them and upon purchasing he would collect the owner and saddle makers information. The saddles surround the outer walls of the museum, both upstairs and down. Starting with the family saddles and moving on to saddles from around the world. There are simple saddles with little embellishment to saddles with intricate designs and silver inlay.
King’s Saddlery is no stranger to fame and royalty. In the museum are albums showcasing these famous visitors. Most famous is the 1984 visit of Queen Elizabeth II. The photos show a much younger Queen being introduced to western roping and the western saddle.
The Museum
Celebrate Don King Days!
Each Labor Day weekend, 5,000 to 6,000 people show up for Don King Day which is an equestrian event celebrating the west with an old style rodeo, the kind that built Wyoming. No corals or fences, this old school rodeo will take you back in time. This year it is being held on Sunday, September 4 - Monday, September 5, 2022. It is held at the Bighorn Equestrian Center.
Stop By King’s Saddlery
We were told this is a must see location while in Sheridan and we could not agree more. All of the staff were kind and helpful and the history blended so well into the modern functioning business. It is still a tack store with some extra inventory for the odd shopper. Be sure to share your visit with us on social media, tag us @LiveWYldMag and use #LiveWYld