BOB KLENDA Bob Klenda began working with leather in 1959, completing his first saddle in 1961. Kermit Lyons, Duane Soderquist, and Bud Grant, all accomplished saddle makers, commanding only the highest quality of work, tutored Bob. In 1962, after having worked with saddle maker Duane Soderquist of the Newton Brothers saddlery, Bob opened his own shop at Fruita, Colorado, where he was practically a neighbor to Bud Grant, who learned saddle making from C. H. Nelson in Grand Junction, Colorado. Bud was a big influence in Bob’s journey down the saddle making trail. Today, after having made nearly 500 saddles, Bob continues the tradition of making only the highest of quality saddles, chaps, and accessories. Klenda’s Custom Saddlery is located in Northwest Colorado along Highway 13 between Meeker and Rifle. Just over the ridge is the famed Piceance Basin, known for its cattle and deer hunting. It is range country where horseback is still in style, a country that makes good horses and cowboys.