The Collector

Nichole Chirico, Littleton, Colorado

The Collection

Chirico’s National Finals Rodeo belt buckle collection started just months after she was born, thanks to her grandparents Don and Mary Morgan, who were avid NFR fans and fellow horse lovers. Each year, Chirico received a different kid-sized Hesston buckle from her grandparents, leaving her with 10 buckles that proudly sit on display in her house and help remind her of the fond memories she had visiting her grandparents’ farm each weekend and riding any horse she could swing her leg over as a young kid.

“The one that’s most special to me is the large buckle in the middle,” Chirico shares. “That buckle was my grandfather’s, and when he passed away, my aunt, Betty, was kind enough to give it to me. It was the one he purchased for himself the year I was born.”

And while attending the NFR is still on Chirico’s bucket list, she’s thankful for the years she got to enjoy watching the NFR at her grandparents’ farm.

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