Since 1987
The Baddour family workshop.
A small American saddlery with a very old soul.
El Rey de las Monturas began in a two-stall barn outside Cleveland in 1987. What started as a side project — restoring old roping saddles for local ranchers — quickly turned into a calling. Word travelled, orders piled up, and the workshop grew.
A family business, built on trust.
Today the shop is owned and operated by Susan Baddour, who learned the trade at her father's side. She still personally signs off on every saddle that leaves the building. Our team of six craftsmen comes from saddle-making families across the United States and Mexico, bringing techniques you simply cannot find in factory-made tack.
Materials matter.
We use only Hermann Oak vegetable-tanned skirting leather, sourced from a fifth-generation American tannery. Our trees are hand-built from kiln-dried hardwood. Our hardware is solid brass or German silver — never plated, never alloyed. Every cinch is hand-strung. Every concho is set with copper rivets.
Why a saddle from El Rey?
Because a horse deserves a saddle that fits, and a rider deserves a saddle that lasts a lifetime. Our customers ride competitively, work cattle, and parade in front of stadiums full of fans. They come back to us because nothing else compares. We ship worldwide and stand behind every stitch — for as long as you own the saddle.
— Susan Baddour, Owner