Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Belt Buckle

You ain't no cowboy, unless you have a belt buckle collection. Even if you didn’t win them at a rodeo, sport them with pride. Whether they were given to you or you picked them up at a special event, belt buckles carry a lot more meaning with them than just the britches they hold up. 


You can't wear them all at once, so setting them up as a reminder of happy days is always a good option. 


This one I got on my first trip to the NFR. Even though I was sitting in the pews, the trip was still worth the memento. As a side note, NFR belt buckles are a good first starter. Many of us have had them over the years. My first buckle as a kid was one from 1987. 


Some buckles have a depth of meaning that words can't contain. This is my buddy John's. It was his Grandpa Armando's, who is John's name sake, Armando John Flocchini III. 


It was made for his grandpa by relatives in 1966, years after they had full reins of the Durham Bison Ranch. 


This guy is a neat treasure. I just received it today from my buddy Jim. Classic 1960's style. 


Jim Walport was given it after he and his buddies put on an exhibition of rough stock rides back in his younger days. Thanks pard. We'll take good care of her. 


This one is on loan from my buddy Chase Williams. He got it after he and buddies won the Moorcroft Ranch Rodeo.  


I feel I earned this one, though it is second hand. Dcn. Kim Carroll gave it to me just last year. I rode in this rodeo, though not long enough I guess. We'll call it my participation buckle. 


This was my Grandpa Lloyd's. Though I never saw him wear it, it is classic Grandpa. He was alway bending his brand out of a brazing rod or something, and sticking it on a buckle. 


Grandma felt sorry for me getting bucked off in Ten Sleep, so she gave me this buckle. It does make me feel better. Actually, it's more precious than a rodeo win. The Lungren family has been growing Coors malt barley in the Big Horn Basin since it was introduced to the area in 1972. After being the top grower in 1984, Grandpa was given this buckle. He only wore it on special occasions. 


I've been wearing it ever since I received it in 2020. Somewhere along the way I lost the Coors emblem. So in good Grandpa fashion, I bent and glued on the Rockin' Chi Rho


Giddy up!

Cowgirls like belt buckles just as much as cowboys do. It's standard western attire. But even if you don't wear one, you can still set them on the shelf to remind you of the good ole days. "It ain't the years," says Chris Ledoux, "it's the miles!" Cowboy belt buckles stand the test of time. Whether it's the miles you've put on them, or someone before you, a cowboy's belt buckle is a reminder of the good times had and those yet to come. Sit tall in the saddle, partner. The ride ain't over! 

2 comments:

  1. I like your collection of buckles. Without the buckle (and belt), there's nothing to hold up those britches. They hold everything together. Ephesians 6:14a

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  2. My first one was a CNFR buckle from back when it was at MSU-Bozeman. Thanks for sharing. Dave from Colorado

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