SPECTACULAR SILVER SADDLE IS GRAND PRIZE IN
HAPPY TRAILS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
OPPORTUNITY DRAWING TO BENEFIT ABUSED CHILDREN
Buy five, get one free

     Apple Valley, CA. A gorgeous classic silver mounted parade saddle valued at more than $65,000 will be given away in a special drawing scheduled for Saturday night, April 20, 2013, at the Friends of Happy Trails Banquet in Victorville, CA. Tickets for the saddle are on sale now and cost only $20 each or buy 5 tickets and get 1 free. THE WINNER NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN. Proceeds from the drawing benefit the Cooper Home for abused children, a project of the Happy Trails Children’s Foundation. The foundation is a charitable non-profit organization providing residential care and treatment services to children-at-risk, located in Apple Valley, CA, the long-time home of legendary Western entertainers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
     This saddle is reminiscent of an earlier period many years ago when Hollywood cowboy heroes such as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix, Johnny Mack Brown, The Lone Ranger and many others rode the silver screen range on beautiful horses that had names such as Trigger, Champion, Topper, Tony, Rebel and Silver. The fancy gun rigs and flamboyant saddle outfits were a trademark for these popular heroes of the fictional west. Today, many of those fancy silver saddles and gun rigs from that era are very valuable and reside in museums or private collections throughout the country. A few can still be seen in use in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.
There were several makers who provided these wonderful outfits. By far the most prolific and well-known was Edward H. Bohlin of Hollywood, CA. As a young man, Bohlin came to this country from Sweden to be a cowboy. He worked on ranches in Montana and Wyoming, learning to ride and rope. At the same time, he was learning leather crafting and silversmithing. Soon he opened a saddle shop in Cody, WY and later moved to Hollywood at the suggestion of silent movie cowboy star Tom Mix.
     The Legendary Classic Silver Saddle is a tribute to the magnificent leather and silver work that came from the Hollywood shop of Edward H. Bohlin. Based on Bohlin’s San Gabriel design, the saddle is built on a Modified Association bull-hide covered tree with Quarter Horse bars, three-quarter flat plate rigging, a 16” seat with 5 ½” cantle and 15” swells. The tapaderos are 24” long. The saddle is beautifully hand-carved and finished in a rare and handsome rich brown color by Bob Hickman of Post Falls, ID, one of the finest custom saddle makers in the country today. Master engraver and silversmith Conrad Anderson of Kingston, ID used more than 310 ounces of heavy gauge sheet sterling silver to handcraft more than 500 custom conchas, corner plates, buckle sets and spots for this superb outfit. Anderson spent more than 1,500 hours creating the silver!
     “Even if you don’t own a horse, this is a saddle that anyone would be proud to own and display in their living room, den, game room, office or business,” said Joel Dortch, Executive Director of the Happy Trails Children’s Foundation. The outfit includes a matching bridle with a vintage silver bit, reins, breast collar, custom brown and white corona saddle pad and a beautiful and unique deluxe saddle stand created by Terry Kirk of Riverside, CA, that displays the bridle and breastcollar with the saddle.
This saddle is truly a museum quality cowboy collectible and is one of the World’s greatest conversation pieces. It is also a functional piece of usable art that can be ridden and admired in any parade in America!
The Happy Trails Children’s Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You may order tickets by mail, phone (760)240-3330 or on-line, www.happytrails.org. American Express, Discover, MasterCard and VISA accepted..