Ben's Saddlery

09/13/2026

Thank you Sigler Western Museum for honoring our friend Shoofly.

The Sigler Western Museum is proud to honor the life and work of beloved Wickenburg artist Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt with a special exhibition that opened on Sept. 11. "Illustrating Wickenburg: A Tribute to Robert 'Shoofly'" Shufelt features 12 pieces and will remain on view in the Museum’s galleries.

Presented in remembrance of Shufelt, who passed away in August 2026, the exhibition includes several works that have never before been displayed at the Museum and represents the different mediums he worked in throughout his career. Also featured is an issue of "Arizona Highways" magazine highlighting Shufelt and his illustrations of the Desert Caballeros Trail Ride.

Shufelt was deeply connected to Wickenburg and the people whose lives inspired his art. Best known for his remarkable graphite drawings, he captured cowboys, cowgirls, horses, ranch life and Western traditions with extraordinary detail and authenticity. Many of his subjects were also his friends, giving his work a personal connection to the community he called home.

"Illustrating Wickenburg" can be found next to the Quayle Family Gallery on the main level. The exhibition is ongoing.

Pictured: just a few of the 12 pieces available for viewing. All are from the Sigler Western Museum collection.

09/12/2026

Latigos and strings and lots of things! That’s what these two beautiful burgundy sides will become. New leather, well, it makes us positively giddy!! 🤠 Wickenburg

09/11/2026

A lot of you have seen Ed at the saddle shop on his days off from his job as Wickenburg’s fire chief. He will retire from 30-plus years at WFD in November and be at Ben’s Saddlery full time. Yesterday, he was honored to be inducted into Arizona Fire Service Hall of fame. His contributions statewide are numerous, but what has meant the most is being able to serve the town that raised him. It was a wonderful day celebrating with family. We are so blessed to be from Wickenburg.

09/10/2026

Thank you for the history! We have a Gallagher- made cowboy named Tex standing guard inside Ben's Saddlery.

This Frank Gallagher Cigar Store Wooden Indian is a cool piece.

Historically, to***conists placed carved wooden figures outside their storefronts as three-dimensional advertising; due to many shoppers in earlier centuries not being able to read or speaking different languages. These distinct visual figures served as advertising (like early neon signs) and instantly communicated that the shop sold to***co.

Why a Native person? Because the to***co crop originated in the Americas, where indigenous peoples first began cultivating the wild plant around 6,000 BCE.

Artist History
Frank Gallagher comes from a long line of skilled woodcarvers with Mandan and Dakota Native American ancestry.

His family’s carving roots go back to the 1840s when his great-great-grandfather survived a smallpox outbreak and began carving wooden figures. This ancestor adopted the last name Gallagher from the furniture maker he worked for at the time.

The family craft was passed down through the generations to Frank's father, Ralph Gallagher. Ralph and his wife Mary traveled the country, built the family carving business, and kept their historic traditions alive until Ralph passed away in 2000.

Frank's own story is a lifetime of woodcarving, starting by his apprenticeship under his father when he was only four years old. Because he was too small to use big tools, he started with simple chisels to learn the shapes of the wood. He sold his very first carving in 1969 at nine years old. Over the decades, Frank worked alongside his late brother John, turning the family craft into a highly respected business. Today, Frank is known as a true master artist, creating famous life-sized Western statues and traditional figures that have been featured in major magazines (such as Arizona Highways) and art galleries.

Currently, Frank lives and works in the historic town of Wickenburg, Arizona with his wife, Liz.

We are honored to be near them and get to converse on a semi-regular basis.

09/09/2026

Ben's Saddlery has a great selection of cleaning and conditioning items for all your leather. Come on in today! 174 N Tegner downtown Wickenburg.

09/08/2026

This week is starting off with positivity. Hope yours is too!

09/07/2026

Celebrating Labor Day! Looking forward to cooler days and friends back for “The Season”. As we continue to build on the legacy at Ben’s Saddlery, we updated our workshop this summer with a new work bench so we can continue fast, excellent quality saddle work! See you soon!

09/06/2026

When your customer asks for a simple, yet special, touch to his saddle horn rebuild, we put ourselves in position to deliver.