The Collector

Wes Wetherell, Purcell, Oklahoma

The Collection

Take one peek into Wetherell’s tack room and you’ll see two walls filled with bits and bridles, from floor to ceiling, all neatly hung up and ready to use.

In his vast bit collection are a handful of bits (photographed here) that Wetherell says he’ll never part ways with, including a couple of Garcia spade bits, a few Greg Darnall bits, and a pitchfork-shank bit that Wetherell says horse trainers are constantly trying to purchase from him. “Once I stop using that bit it’ll end up on a wall in my house,” Wetherell shares with a smile.

And while Wetherell doesn’t use the bits from his prized collection every day—he chooses bit by horse, not the other way around—they continue to sit in his tack room ready to use for when the right horse comes along.