By Tommy Rush
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Tommy Rush is a lifetime resident of the Talpa, Texas area. He has been in the ranching and quarter horse business for 35 years and is now the owner/ publisher of The Remuda, a magazine dedicated to the stock horse.
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Benton Cassaday shown with several of his whips and deer antler back scratchers
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I wish I had a dollar for every time some cowboy, bull hauler or cow trader has stopped in at my pens and asked me, "What's the name of that guy at Talpa that makes those good whips?"I would say "You mean Benton Cassaday?" and they would reply, "Yeah, I think that's it. Old so and so that drives for Great South Bull Whackers said he got one a while back and the man that made it said if it didn't hold up for the job, just bring it back and he'd repair or replace it, within a reasonable time, of course. He said that it had gotten a little frayed and he had to put some tape on the handle. I've got it out here in the truck. Can I just leave it with you?"
I would reply, "Sure, I'll be seeing him in a day or two. Just put the guys name on the card. By the way, when did this guy buy the whip?"
"I think he said he got it in about 1969..." Ten years ago.
To get on with the story, I would get the whip to Benton, he would fix it and bring it back to leave for the man to pick up and there would be no bill attached. When I asked him about this kind of guarantee, he kinda tried to keep from grinning and said that most of the time he felt like the Maytag repair man anyway and he was glad to get to repair one of his whips, if for no other reason than to see how much he had improved on his methods over the years.
Another time, a high geared cow trader pulled off in the road in a big hurry, got out of his car and came towards me digging out of his roll and peeling off some bills. Without even a greeting, he said" Give this to Cass when you see him. He made my two boys a whip apiece about five years ago and said I could pay him the next time I saw him and I just haven't seen him around and it sorta' slipped my mind."Benton Cassaday is one of the few indivduals left in Texas, or the Southwest for that matter, that is a true master braider. I first met Benton, or "Cass" as he is known to his friends, in the late 50's when he married a girl I went to school with at Talpa, Texas, Pat Stokes. They were both attending Texas Tech where Cass got his degree in Animal Science in 1959.
Cass was born and raised in Llano County,Texas, and became interested in leather work at an early age. His family lived on a ranch, and in the 40's, the family usually only made it to town on Saturdays. When the compulsory shopping and visiting were attended to, Cass was given his release to do his own thing for a while before the family went home. He would make a bee line for the famous Llano Saddle Shop run by legendary saddle maker, Austin Long. There he would soak up the sights, sounds and smells as well as some of the knowledge of one of the master leather workers of his time. Benton quickly became fascinated with braiding. When he could get his hands on an old quirt or whip, he would take it apart, study the braids and knots and then try to rebraid or tie it back just as it was. He would repeat the procedure until he had it down pat.
By the early 50's, Cass was braiding bull ropes. He made all of his spending money during high school making up and selling these bull ropes to the Steiner Rodeo Company in Austin. While attending Texas Tech, he worked for Jay Griffith in his boot shop. During this period of time Cass learned the intricacies of detailed leather work and the operation of various types of leather sewing machines. Cass brags that he can do a pretty good repair job on a boot to this day.
Well, after graduation, Cass started on a career that would take up a considerable amount of the next 17 years. He went to work for the Texas Animal Health Commission as an inspector. This wasduring the turbulent times of the the brucellosis and screw worn eradication programs. Cass said they got into some pretty sticky situations down on the border, guns were involved on some occasions ..., but that's another story in itself.
Amidst these exciting times, Cass kept on braiding. He made stock whips, bosals, breaking hackmores, and was developing quite a following for his work. During this time he also rode lots of horses, did some training, had some good stock-working Border Collies, raised a family. He likes to stay busy,evidently.
When the sheep market "went to pot", as Cass puts it, was when he really got the chance to put more time into his rawhide work. Also about this time, Cass suffered a debilitating accident when he fell from a windmill tower while making repairs. He broke his ankle and it took several years and many operations to return him to mobility. While he was recovering from these various trips to the hospital, he developed his braiding skills to the point of true craftsmanship. He has developed a style of his own and created some rather novel items. There's something for just about everyone. You don't have to be a rancher, cattle-hauler, or stockman to appreciate the work he does. My assistant went out to take pictures of Cass' shop ( she doesn't have a need for a bull-whip,she's a horsewoman), and she came home with a key-chain with a small deer horn braided into it ( makes a great weapon, she said ) and a deer horn back scratcher. She said she was going back to get a lunge whip for working her colts, some earrings, and she noted he also had some very nice purses! She also said something about doing all her Christmas shopping right here in the House of Rawhide next year!
Cass has several different types of whips to choose from, sorting sticks, walking canes (that are very artfully done, beautiful workmanship ), over-and-unders,riding bats and crops for the barrel racers, and head knockers for law enforcement officers ( great to keep those kids or spouses in line, too! ) Cass is an extremely modest person. He has spent many years developing a style of his own and creating a piece of work that is durable and beautiful. He says simply this, " It has to be functional, has to last, and maybe I can make it pretty too..." Told you he was modest.
In case you're wondering, Pat doesn't just sit around all day. She makes some great Peanut Brittle. Cass brought us a bunch of it and we all gained about five pounds each. Pat also makes all the rounds with Cass to the trade shows. They make several shows during the year, including the Western Hertiage Classic in Abilene, the Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in Ruidoso, and the San Antonio Stock Show, and numerous ranch rodeos. Cass has quite a reputation among the real ranch cowboys. These cowboys use his creations every day in the worst conditions, and they know the value of good workmanship.
There is now a large demand for his work, and Cass is now trying to figure out how to produce larger quantities without sacrificing quality. They are also working on a catalog.
If you run across the House of Rawhide booth someplace, stop in, visit, have some peanut brittle, look at the neat rawhide creations and visit with a true Texas original!
Headstalls, whips, keychains and shaving brushes all created by Benton Cassaday.
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©Tommy Rush
Used with permission
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