Random Maker

Random Maker

 

Gordy Alderson. Bit maker comes by his trade naturally and strikes a chord with mounted shooters.

 

Gordy Alderson Bits. The way folks refer to the man and his work, it’s like “Bits” should be his last name. Gordy has certainly made his name in producing custom bits favored by riders in various equine events—including Cowboy Mounted Shooting.

 

Early on, that wasn’t the plan. Gordy was going to be a cowboy.

 

Stage 1

Gordy Alderson is a Montana native, and he grew up on various ranches across that state. He rode before he could walk, learned how to rope cows, and became proficient with firearms.

 

And he competed in rodeo events.

 

When he graduated from high school, Gordy headed to Tucson and the University of Arizona. He was a business major, of all things—although in some ways, his extracurricular activities on horseback took precedence.

 

And it finally took his attention away from the classroom; he quit college just a few hours short of a degree to go rodeoing. Gordy followed the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit, competing in a number of events. He was having fun, making some money, living the dream.

 

Funny how life sometimes hits you square in the face. For Gordy Alderson, that happened when he got married. “My wife got that maternal urge, and we started having kids. And I had to find a way to make some consistent money,” he remembers. “So around 1990, I started building bits.”

 

Stage 2

That decision didn’t come totally out of the blue: “I was working with a guy who did metal fabrication. And after work, I started making bits. I’d always been interested in them, how they worked and fit.” Gordy decided to replicate some that he’d seen in PRCA.

 

“And guys saw them and said, ‘Where’d you get that bit?’ And I said, ‘I made it.’ Pretty soon guys started ordering them. Those first bits were pretty dang ugly. But I was still getting orders ‘cause guys were having luck with them on their horses. So I just started carrying some bits around to rodeos and selling them there. And before I knew it, I was way behind on orders. So I just quit the guy I was working for and opened my own shop.”

 

Some shop—it was a 10 X 10 horse stall.  But it fit the bill. For the time being.

 

Stage 3

Gordy Alderson kept working at it for about three years. Then, in 1993, something happened that really got the juices going: “I walked into King Saddlery in Sheridan, Wyoming, and I saw some bits hanging on the wall. And I said, ‘I don’t know how that guy is making that stuff, but I’m going to meet this guy.’” That guy was another legendary bit maker, Tom Balding, who became a good friend.

 

And Balding helped him improve his product.

 

He wasn’t the only one. An old guy in Tucson taught him silversmithing. And Gordy began customizing bits. A cowboy or cowgirl could tell him what they wanted, and he’d make it. 

 

Stage 4

Today, almost all of his bits are custom jobs. And many top riders in various disciplines—including mounted shooters Chad Little and Annie Bianco-Ellett—use his product. Gordy sells almost entirely by word of mouth.

 

And you can still see him hauling bits around to rodeo events, mounted shooting matches (he’s a Men’s 3), and the relatively new Superhorse competitions. As he says, staying active in the sports gives him greater credibility. 

 

And that means more business. Gordy’s got more work than he knows what to do with: “I’ve been behind on orders since 1990.” He makes quality spurs, too.

 

Stage 5

So what’s the secret behind the Gordy Alderson bits? 

 

The man himself says, “It’s almost up to the horse. I’ll ask a lot of questions about the horse before I make the bit.  Most of my bits have some weight to them. And they’re fairly functional. I make what I all a Prime Time bit that gives the horse a lot of freedom right there. It doesn’t get in their way. It’s comfortable.” He also likes to use sweet iron in his bits; the copper keeps the horse’s mouth moist and, again, more comfortable.

 
What kinds of bits are mounted shooters buying? “A lot of people like chain port,” Gordy says. “It’s got some ‘whoa,’ but it’s also got some lateral movement in it, so it’s fairly forgiving.”

 

Stage 6

Okay, so his last name isn’t “Bits.”  That doesn’t change the fact that the Gordy Alderson name is synonymous with top-flight equipment in the horse world. Not bad for an old rodeo cowboy who was looking for “consistent money” to feed the family.
 

 

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