Life in the Saddle Pays Off for Champ

By Audra Clemons Photos by Sandra Pearce

here is a little-known fact that Okeechobee has a few rodeo champions nestled within its barb-wired county lines. Being that the T town is one of Florida’s premier agricultur- al communities, this little-known fact makes pret- ty good sense. Recently, I had the good fortune of sitting down with one of Okeechobee’s world champions, Rabe Rabon, to discuss what it took to “It was my dream to be be the crème de la crème of the rodeo world. a world champion.” Rabon remembers as a small child watching his fa- ther rope calves and ride bronc horses on the rodeo circuit. He vividly describes the events as shaping his life, and he also credits them for influencing his direction as a professional rodeo competitor. As Ra- bon recollects his memories, I trace back to where the passion first began, and through childlike eyes, he describes his first love of rodeo.

“I loved watching my dad rodeo, and I loved ev- erything about the way of life. When I was old enough to know about the , it was my dream to be a world champion,” Rabon fondly recalled.

In the footsteps of his father, Rabon saddled up his horse and began practicing. At the impressionable  1st saddle won in competition.

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Karen and Rabe Rabon.

areas of his life, which for Rabon happened to be the new grueling and rigorous. Many times, love of his life, his family. contestants have to drive overnight and across state lines to compete in “At this time in my life, my wife Karen was pregnant with our three or four over the span of daughter Raychel, and it was time for me to get off the road. It several days. It’s tough, even for the was hard on my wife to travel, and the last thing a father wants toughest of cowboys. for his daughter is to be raised in a pickup truck,” said Rabon. This grueling pace led Rabon to Life for professional rodeo stars may appear to be glamorous. the decision of a sedentary life off Yes, they get to travel throughout the United States of Amer- of the road and with his family, ica, seeing some of the most beautiful and remote country- which he settled into seamlessly. side in our land of the free and home of the brave. The flip He went back to doing something Daughter Raychel Rabon. side, however, is the schedule of a professional rodeo star. It is he was passionate about – saddle 

32 | Fall 2014 OKEECHOBEE THE MAGAZINE www.OkeechobeeTheMagazine.com Fall 2014 | 33 making – again, a skill passed down Capt. Bob Stafford’s 20 Years Experience. Premier from his father. Lake Okeechobee OKEECHOBEE GUIDE & GATOR Rabon explained that he spent many “As I was growing up, HUNTING AUTHORITY high school days in his father’s shop be- my father taught me CHARTERS • Bass Fishing fore his rodeo practices, developing the • Gator Hunting saddle-making trade – a trade that he’s how to make saddles. Book Your Trip Today • Duck Hunting Now, doing this every 561.719.9320 • Airboat Tours been doing well in for over 20 years. day is not a job for me; 13441 Hwy 441 SE “As I was growing up, my father making saddles is taught me how to make saddles. Now, something that I love.” www.OkeechobeeCharters.com doing this every day is not a job for me; making saddles is something that I love,” Rabon said about his trade.

His first shop location was shared with his father, and then he moved to a smaller shop within the city lim- its of Okeechobee. Once he outgrew that shop, he opened a larger shop conveniently located behind his house, where he now works.

“It’s great having my shop behind my home. I am able to work and be close to my family,” Rabon said.

He offers clients saddle repair, but his bread and butter is building cus- check that off his list. He now makes saddles for rodeo tom-made saddles. The first order of stars including World Champions Shane Hanchey and business is getting a saddle base (made Ryan Jarrett and National Finals Rodeo qualifiers Clint of pine tree and rawhide) from an ar- Robinson and Jake Hanem, to name-drop a few. tisan in Texas. Rabon then cuts the Tell us more about your already-tanned cowhide. Next, he po- Rabon can make any type of saddle, but his specialty business, and we’ll tell you sitions the layers and patterns of leath- is western saddles for ranch riding, barrel racing and how we can help. Visit us at er, and lastly, he sews and secures the roping. He creates these saddles to meet the needs and 1506 South Parrott Avenue, leather into place. It’s quite an intricate specifications of the rider, meaning that his saddles are or call Diane Davies at and artistic process, which he can do made to order. 1-863-824-6700. from start to finish in a week’s time. While I was visiting his shop, he pointed out the small “I average about one saddle per variations of style for each of the different types of sad- week. Last year, I made 53 saddles dles. For instance, a barrel saddle is smaller, more fem- in total, shipping from Canada to inine, and lighter; whereas a roping saddle has lower Colombia. All of this and the good “cannels and swells” so the guys can get off their horses Lord has blessed me with a word-of- easier; and ranch saddles are a little higher with a deep- mouth business. I haven’t done any er seat. Furthermore, Rabon explains that it takes one advertising,” said Rabon. whole cow to make a saddle.

When you’re a well-known champion When not in his shop creating saddles, he can be found calf roper, the best kind of advertise- tending his cattle or training horses in his spare time. As ment is to have other world champi- the saying goes, “When you do what you love, you don’t Custom-made saddle by Rabe Rabon. ons riding your saddles, so Rabon can work a day in your life.”

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