Meeting Paul Richie was not formal. I walked into his inviting shop, and I heard him call out from somewhere inside, but I didn’t know where he was located. I continued speaking with him until I figured out he was located upstairs and around the corner! He greeted me with a smile and a handshake, and it felt like I had known him for a long time. He was working on a sterling silver cross, putting the final engravings on it. Paul is a western art maker who is exceptionally gifted. His shop is filled with beautiful western art that is handmade by him and his maker friends.
I was born and raised here in Madisonville, Texas. My parents owned a ranch, and my dad was known for his horsemanship. Dad taught many young people how to ride over several decades, including me. My mom passed away when I was twelve years old. Dad remarried, and I ended up with a new stepbrother who was a year older than me. He was much bigger, so I learned how to fight. I had two older brothers (but one passed) and one older sister who was in high school when I was born, so having a brother close to my age altered my life. It grounded and humbled me. We still enjoy going fishing together and have a great time doing so.
My wife Jana and I met when I was in seventh grade at the local horse show. She is a barrel racer, and I was in the ‘ride around and frown’ crowd. I would make my dad stay late after the horse shows so I could talk to her, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I asked her out on a date. We dated for about seven years and got married in 1995 after we both graduated from Sam Houston.
I had been working at a fiberglass plant while going to college, and when I finished my ag degree in range management/turf grass management from Sam Houston State University, I thought I would go the superintendent route. I took a job at the local country club golf course. My salary at the golf course was not enough to make a living, even though I loved working there. I worked a couple of other jobs over the next few years, then got hired as an insurance adjuster for an adjusting firm. I advanced to VP during my tenure, but I was not satisfied in the business of insurance. Much of my employment during a span of eighteen years or so kept me away from the Madisonville area.
My wife and I have always worked with horses and have been breaking and raising horses for decades. About twenty-five years ago, I got to know a clinician named Charlie Hill. I have much respect for Charlie because of the way he works with horses. He is a deep thinker, who thinks through the process of training. I learned as much as I could from him about being a good horseman and, in the process, he also taught me how to work with leather. He was a big inspiration for me to learn the craft, as I had zero talent back then. I started taking classes and worked hard to better my skills.
I started following a guy online by the name of Wilson Capron, who was well known for spur and bit making. Attending classes with like-minded people who shared the same interests inspired me to work harder and more often. My first spur-making class was with Wilson. He does a four-day class taught onsite, and we all stay in a bunkhouse. Wilson’s wife Katie cooks for all the attendees, and the joke is we all come back for her cooking and not the training. I made my first set of spurs and felt like this was the perfect path I wanted to take in my life. I signed up for a bit-making class and made my first bit. I couldn’t do overlays very well, so I went back to class to learn it. The more I learned, the better I got, and I was determined to be the best I could be.
Following Wilson Capron led me to search out other expert makers of spurs, bits, belt buckles, and jewelry.
I’m the furthest thing from it, but what I am is dedicated and driven to learn. I want to improve my abilities the best way I know, which is why I seek out some of the best to learn from. People like: Wilson Capron, Charlie Hill, my wife, Cary Schwarz, Scott Hardy, Matt Humphreys, Wes Griffin, and Greg Darnell.
Making a set of spurs takes about twenty-five to thirty hours. There are several components, and everything is handmade. Even small pieces, that are available premade, I fabricate by hand. I just prefer it that way. A lot of customers come to me with certain preferences and styles, and each pair is tailored to their needs. I use 4130 steel to fabricate the heel band, 1018 or 4130 steel to make the shank. Depending on the use of the spur, I design the rowel for each individual’s need. Once the fabrication is complete, I start the ornamentation process. The silver accents are overlayed and engraved. The hardest part of making a set of spurs is making the second one match the first. I have to say, of all the pieces I make, I enjoy making spurs the most.
Ever since Paul decided to take a leap of faith and follow his heart, he has become quite talented at making western art and, in the process, has grown closer to his heavenly Father. He is a fine horseman and a maker, through and through. What he has accomplished has been achieved through hard work and dedication, but he isn’t looking for accolades. He does it because he loves to do it. If someone shows interest in being a maker, he wants to teach them what he has learned. Nothing would make him happier than giving back and helping to lead some others down the path that has brought him so much joy and happiness.
Paul Richie is a humble man with a passion for the Lord, a determination to be his very best, and a love of life and his fellow man. If you ever meet Paul, you will know all these things in a matter of minutes. He might not think of himself as an artist, but I would definitely beg to differ. He and his maker friends are truly gifted and produce quality western art that should be experienced by all who visit the area.
Paul’s business, RNR Trappings, is located on the square at 110 S. Elm St., Madisonville, Texas 77864. You can see more of his work at rnrtrappings.com.
