In 1988, on the heels of the Calgary Winter Olympics, I decided it was time to expand my horizons. To that point, most of my 40 years had been spent in marketing...as a graphic and commercial artist.

My maternal grandfather George Schwindt had been spent his career as a harness maker in Edmonton and worked for the Chapman Brothers and Marshall Wells. Eventually he opened his own place, Market Harness Shop on 99th Street and 101 Avenue.

About the time that George was building harness for the RNWMP, my father (Alex McLeod) lived in a place called Barkerville, BC.

In 1938, he and a group of contemporaries decided to reenact a BX-Stage coach hold up as part of the Labour Day celebrations. Dad would be Sheriff McLeod....and Howard Harris would become the outlaw 'Black Harris'. Years later, Harris would author a book entitled Ten Golden Years about his adventures in the Cariboo country...which included two chapters detailing the stage hold-ups of 1938 and 1939.

With the help of Bill Ward, we set to the task of redoing the event...50 years to the hour! Two of the originals (Bill Ward and the Judge 'Hub' King) would play the same rolls they had in 1938/9....the rest of the cast was made up of sons and daughters of the original cast. For more information on the original hold up, visit Tim Cushman's site. If you are interested in a fabulous Pack Trip, He is definately the guy!

In 1989, a well known Cariboo character, Dr. Al Holley joined the show as the Deputy Sheriff. As we mounted our trusty steeds and rode up the main street in pursuit of the nefarious Black Harris (Tim Cushman), we rounded the corner at a full gallop, his horse lost it's footing and Al took a nasty fall....which resulted in an ambulance ride to Quesnel with a few broken bones and assorted contusions.

I had the loan of a .45 Colt revolver for the part, but not a very convincing holster. Following the hold up in September, I established a relationship with one of the finest saddle makers in the business....Chuck Stormes. "How much for a good holster?" I asked. "About $300" said he. "How much if I build the holster...and you coach?" said I. Recognizing that this might be an interesting challenge, Chuck said "About $100...plus materials". A deal had been struck.

Chuck introduced me to Don Wudel...a trail-wise cowboy poet and the owner of Caledon Leather in Calgary. He and manager Ken Murray coached me through the art of hide selection and have always come through in a pinch with superior product and good prices.

Alberta is a haven for Hollywood westerns because of the spectacular scenery and the lack of unions. I found a wonderful niche and have built holsters for a number of movies that were filmed in Alberta's foothills.

My first saddle, under the tuition of Chuck Stormes, was completed in time to ride in the 1989 Barkerville Stagecoach Hold-up. It was done in basket stamp and Scottish thistles. The conchos were domed 1958 BC Centennial Silver Dollars to commemorate the opening of Barkerville as a National Historic Park.

I bought a beautifully reconditioned Landis 3 Harness Stitcher from John Leighton in 1990. It has given me miles of hassle free sewing on a wide range of projects. This machine came with it's own history. Built about 1919, it came into Canada in the mid-1960's along with 2 other stitchers from Don King of Sheridan Wyoming.

That was two saddles and a lot of holsters ago! I consider myself very fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to have a bench at Chuck's shop in Calgary. For about 18 months (on a part time basis), I was able to learn a bit about the art of saddlemaking...from a recognized master of the craft. The general philosophy and horse sense lessons were greatly appreciated.

In 1995, I built a second saddle which was donated to the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians). It was in turn used as a fund raiser for the regiment's Ceremonial Mounted Troop. This resulted in additional revenues of $10,000 for the troop which helped them acquire several new saddles.

When the time comes to retire, I look forward to being able to relax and work on a few leather projects.