Rather than constantly crafting new stories to tell, TV and filmmakers often rely on the human experience to inspire their work. This isn’t necessarily true for Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s Paramount series Yellowstone. However, the premiere episode of season 5B did include a noteworthy piece of Americana that any cowboy historians tuning in didn’t take long to pick up on. Amid the drama surrounding Kevin Costner’s departure from the Western drama, a surprise appearance from the late Billy Klapper was a warm welcome on the small screen this week. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the famous loriner, whose craftsmanship was truly one of a kind.
Billy Klapper Passed at Age 87 Just Months Before His ‘Yellowstone’ Episode Aired
Klapper hails from Pampa and spent his younger years working at Buckle L Ranch in Childress before moving on to the Y Ranch in Paducah. Sadly, the 87-year-old died in September before catching his Yellowstone debut. “Billy will be remembered as a good man, a friend to all, and most of all a true cowboy,” his obituary states. “He is going to be deeply missed by his family and friends. Billy put the ‘western’ in western heritage for years and now he is a part of the heritage.”
On-screen, Rip (Cole Hauser) visits a loriner (someone who makes and sells bits, bridles, spurs, stirrups and other minor metal items from a horse’s harness) to purchase a bit for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith). While at the shop, Rip admires a particularly beautiful pair of spurs created from a single piece of metal. As Independent notes, this design was created by Klapper, who became well known in the cowboy community thanks to his artistry and dedication to his craft.
Lornier Trained With Adolph Bayers Before His Rise to Fame
In 1966, Billy Klapper began making spurs after training with famed craftsman Adolph Bayers while working as a ranch hand. People in the industry quickly took note of Klapper’s attention to detail and unique products, leading him to pursue the profession full-time. “It got to a point that I had so many orders, I was going to have to quit [making bits and spurs] or quit cowboying,” he said in an interview with Western Horseman.
“I may have to work a little harder at this, but I thought I could make more money and stay warm in the wintertime. I liked to cowboy, but there’s no money in it, and I had a family. It’s just living from one paycheck to another,” Klapper continued. In 1973, he married his wife, Roberta, who he remained with until her death in 2021. RIP.
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