Very sad news. 227 years in business. The owner’s death, probably combined with the pandemic and lack of available workforce, did them in.
How sad. Smith-Worthington was always the first brand we recommended for Cleveland Bay pures and partbed Clevelands with their good withers and big shoulder muscling. CBs can be very hard to fit, though these saddles and the Smith-Worthington makers knew how to get thing right.
So sad.
When I lived in CT, I took my saddle and gelding to their place in downtown Hartford to be checked out and fitted for a reflock. It was a great adventure, the staff at the factory liked getting to see an actual horse-customer there and Richard did a great job with the saddle fitting/flocking.
Now I wish I had gone by there last fall when I was in the area.
It is always sad when a long established company goes out of business. Not many American companies could say “since Washington was President”. Think of all the changes the company saw through its 227 years of business: how society has changed; how the city around it changed; from horse as functional worker to horse as lifestyle luxury.
Sad and unfortunate to lose a saddle making business that had been around that long.
Very sad. They will now become a collectable item, and collectors will start hoarding them.
They are nice saddles, so they are worth hoarding!
I have an old SW Heidi in my garage. It has a suede seat! Hoarders may PM me for price.
I bought a pair of Kroops paddock boots right before they closed. Great boots!
I have a pair of Kroops custom dressage tall boots…Randy gave great service. I was crushed when they closed. And I have several Dehners…Kroops are better…I like to buy “Made in the USA”