Rare Gems
by Howdy-Nocona Fowler
Photograph by Danielle Gallo
T
reasure comes in many differ-
ent forms. For some it is gold,
silver, or precious stones, for
others it can be antique glassware,
coins, tools, cars, guns, or art of all
kinds. In my case, my passion is for
rare and antique bridle bits and spurs.
I always have my eye open for the next
big find. Whether in a dark dusty cor-
ner, in a second hand store, flea mar-
ket, or yard sale, I try to leave no stone
unturned as I travel across the country
in my quest.
In 1976, while cowboying in
18
Arizona, I was exposed to a revolution-
ary spur design. It was unlike any I had
ever seen before. Known as a
Blanchard spur, this spur design was
sleek and “ultra modern,” as one
writer described it. I became an instant
Blanchard spur fan and wanted to
know more about the history of its
design and the maker.
E.F. Blanchard of New Mexico
developed the design in the very late
1930s or early 1940s. Blanchard set-
tled in Arizona and his spurs sold like
hot cakes in that part of the world. I
Cenizo
Fourth Quarter 2016
learned you could spot a true Arizona
“brush popper” right away because of
how the Blanchard spurs hang on the
heels of boots. It would not be until the
mid to late 1960s that the rest of U.S.
cowboy culture would discover the
Blanchard-style spur.
Catering to working ranch cow-
boys, Blanchard was a one-man show.
He only produced so many spurs each
year. He was not interested in expand-
ing his operation in order to capture a
larger portion of the spur market with
his revolutionary new spur design.
By 1967 the demand for Blanchard-
style spurs was so great that many spur
makers discontinued making other
styles of spurs and started specializing
in building only spurs based on his
designs. By 1968, even the larger bit
and spur companies started offering
Blanchard-style spurs in their catalogs.
Blanchard’s designs are easy to spot:
the forward slanted spur buttons, the
rounded bottom edge on the spur’s
heel bands, 1 1/4'' to 1 1/2'' wide heel
bands, short spur shanks and the sleek
manner in which the spur shank con-