Updated:
Thursday May 17, 2012
Pure Cowboy
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Member: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America
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Pure Cowboy
Member: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America
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Item #SA100 / $1,800.
101 Ranch Wild West Show Custom Saddle About this antique 101 Ranch saddle
and it's owner, Harry Doll: What a piece of history! Both sides of this saddle are embossed with the 3 x 3 basket-weave pattern border that is used throughout the pieces of this saddle. Within the circle of engraving are the words: "101 WILD WEST SHOW" in 1/2" high block lettering. Our research has given very strong indication that this was actually the touring saddle of 101 Wild West Show performer Harry Doll (born Kurt Fritz Schneider; April 3, 1902 - May 4, 1985) - a famous 'midget' performer in the show. The Doll family was a group of four performing Little People, siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and sideshows in the United States from the 1920's until their retirement in the mid-1950's. In 1914 they were discovered in Germany, by Bert W. Earles, who brought Harry to the US to tour with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. This saddle measurements are those of an adult person whose legs are proportionally short for the size of the torso: 14" seat / Fenders 14" Long / Wooden Stirrups 5" Wide X 6" High. Harry Doll was one of the major attractions of the Wild West Show, so successful that he was shortly joined in his performance by his sisters, Grace, Tiny and Daisy. Condition: This saddle is in good condition with a very few flaws. The leather is holding up very well. Only two of the leather tie strings are intact, the rest either missing or short. There is some surface cracking of the leather and one crack that goes through. The tree is solid and true. The fenders are exceptionally well preserved in very fine condition and the decorative tooling is very deep and well-defined. The wooden stirrups have some period repairs made and have a few dents and cracking at the top. In place of fleece, this saddle is lined with very worn grey woolen blanket material. The overall length of this tremendous piece is 20 & 1/2". About The 101 Wild West Show: The 101 Ranch, established by Col.
George W. Miller in 1879 on the banks of the Salt Fork River southwest of what
is now Ponca City, began with thousands of acres of land which Miller both
leased and purchased from his friends — the Ponca, Tonkawa and Osage tribes. The
Colonel, who died in 1903 at the age of 61, and the ranch, which was already
successful came into the capable hands of his sons, George, Joe and Zack. The ranch continued to operate while
the Wild West Show toured the country and the world to huge crowds and great
acclaim. They eventually merged with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (see
Buffalo Bill & 101 Original
Banner) available in the
Pieces of
Interest section of this site. 101 Wild West Show Saddle / Item #SA100 /$1,800. Click Here To E-mail Us About This Saddle! Contact Us To Arrange Your Purchase
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Please contact us at your convenience: michael@purecowboy.us or sarah@purecowboy.us Members: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association The American West is celebrated and collected by people all over the world -- we offer easy international shipping, by either the US Postal Service, UPS, Federal Express or Container. Pure Cowboy, 1770 West State Street, # 315, Boise, Idaho 83702 208.342.5019 or toll free: 888.575.1890 All items sold by Pure Cowboy are for decorative purposes only. All other uses are exclusively the buyer's responsibility Copyright © 2008-2014 Pure Cowboy |