BriarcreekFarm

I am sorry to be so late replying to your questions. I only log in here occasionally and today I thought I would do a casual search for parade saddles and your thread came up. What you have is a Ted Flowers parade saddle, Model #599. This was most likely made in Ted Flowers' shop called "The Spot Shop" which was in Alexandria, Indiana. I would think it likely that he made it between the very late 50's and early 70's, sorry I can't narrow it down more than that. This time period was when Ted made the majority of his parade saddles. Since the picture only depicts one side, it's hard to place a true value on it, but I can tell you the 599 sets were his lower end sets in that they were not as detailed or adorned with silver spots as much as his high end sets were. You will not find a maker's mark as Ted didn't mark his sets very often. When he did, he would place an engraved plate right behind the swells on the seat bearing the name of his shop and location. We've been collecting Ted Flowers sets of all types for quite a few years now and I'm sorry to say that the value isn't nearly what it was less than 2 years ago. Judging by only the left side of the set, which looks to be in very good condition (by this I mean no serious dings/dents in the silver, no missing silver spots, no obvious dry rotted leather, etc.), and the fact that you don't mention any accompanying pieces such as a matching bridle or breastcollar, your saddle probably has a replacement value of $2,500 to $3,200. I have seen them sell for less but not in as good of condition as the one in your picture. Insurance value would be about the same as replacement. These saddles are worth hanging on to - if our economy ever shows any good recovery, value will quickly increase on these collectible old sets. So sorry I am so late to reply. I should check in here more often. You might enjoy my website - www.showinstyle.net

Thank you both for your suggestions. I can only dream about Carney Leatherworks being close by as he is well known to us collectors. He is unfortunately in Missouri which means shipping expenses would be incurred on top of all leather work. Bridles and breastcollars aren't too expensive to ship, but the serapes and saddles are pretty pricey to ship which is why I was trying to find someone local. I have also utilized Dusty Johnson (saddler & parade saddle dealer) in the past in Loveland, CO, but again, there is the shipping problem Bondo Bob - I had seen Ted Estes work on his website and it was his turn down to me on the phone yesterday that prompted my post here. I was sure he would be able to do the work and was qualified, but he stated that his true interest now is strictly saddle making and not restoration. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I have found two other leatherworkers on line and if anyone knows anything about them, please let me know your opinions. The first one is Rocky Creek Leatherworks in Toccoa, GA - I haven't talked to them yet as I just found them this afternoon. The second one is in Alabama which might not be too far from me here in GA, and his website sounds like he may know his stuff - he goes by the name of The Saddle Guy. Again, thanks for your suggestions.

Hi - I am very much in need of someone who can do minor to moderate repairs to our collection of Ted Flowers silver parade saddles. I have not had any success finding someone with skills or knowledge of quality leather repair since we lost our local master saddler in our area several years ago. Antique tack needs constant maintenance but it definitely needs to be quality work. I am located 45 minutes east of Atlanta near the Georgia International Horse Park. If you know of anyone within reasonable driving distance (2 to 3 hours max) in this area, please let me know. Thanks!

I'll send him an email today and let him know you would like to talk to him. The Eagle pads are very nice but to tell the truth, we parade saddle traditionalists would not use one that modern in style. I have purchased a few of the more modern ones in the past but they were bought before I really became a "purist" . ArtS - your coronas look very good - I have an older one that has a larger tufted roll on it like yours and I always get compliments on that particular one. I'll come back sometime today and put a link to a gallery page that shows most of our sets. There is a picture on that page of the saddle with the detachable corona roll and I'll point it out too. Thanks to all in allowing me to join the conversation. I don't get to have good parade saddle conversations much and it's a real pleasure! Susan ETA - here's a link to our gallery page. The parade saddle with detachable corona is the 10th set down the page: http://bcfgallery.tripod.com/ (this page is a little slow loading on some computers - my apologies).

Mike - I joined so I could answer your question. SilverSaddle1 and I are personal friends and we are both serious parade saddle collectors. To answer your question concerning Corona pads, most of the original ones made in the Hollywood cowboy era (40's, 50's and 60's) were black and white since T.V.'s were black and white. With the advent of color T.V.'s and also in combination with parade classes being added to many horse shows, colors became more prolific. A true corona pad has a leather center that is in two separate pieces with lacing to join them. Each side had a corona roll stitched around them and the lacing in the center allowed them to be adjusted to fit a parade saddle properly. The leather coronas are no longer made except by a very few custom saddlemakers and if you find one that is an antique, they are extremely pricey now. Due to an increasing popularity in parade saddles in the 60's, the felted or fleeced corona pad became popular because it was less costly, and easier to manufacture. SilverSaddle1 and his wife actually make these and do a very nice job - I think he told me that he could turn one out in a day if they really make the effort. There are some cheaper imitations out there but his are nice quality pads. There were also a few parade saddles made that actually had a corona roll that would snap onto the underside of the saddle itself. I was fortunate to stumble across a model like that a few years back but they are extremely rare. As to how they are made, there is a set of complete instructions that appears occasionally on ebay - you just have to keep diligently checking. I believe SilverSaddle1 purchased a set of those instructions but I don't think that he strictly adheres to them. Hopefully, he'll pop back in and add to what I've posted here as I don't mean to speak for him. Hope this helps to answer your questions, at least in part. This looks like a very interesting board and I plan to lurk a bit and learn.