WD Leather - Chris Weaver

CHRIS WEAVER INTERVIEW

BY TRACY WAGER WITH TAMMY DONNELL

Q - Working with some of the largest brands in the industry, including Bob’s Custom Saddles & Weaver Leather, you have made some changes recently. Can you tell us about this?

A - As I have grown over 30 plus years in the industry and have chosen to take a passion and desire that I’ve had and all of the experiences and knowledge to culminate into this new brand. What I have gained from leather manufacturers and how leather functions and what it does, while putting it all together into a new product line. I have spent my career building this knowledge and have put together a line of products that are better tools for the rider that they can use today.

Q - You brought several of your products to this interview to see and feel. The standouts are these “buttery soft reins” and the new bits designed by Greg Darnall exclusively for WD Leather and Bits.

A - The mission that started this all with the double and stitched reins was to not have to spend 60 to 90 days breaking them in to feel soft and broke in. On a double stitched pair of reins they are traditionally very stiff and have turned a lot of people off. They can be very intimidating. So, when you need something with that feel and function and you are in a discipline like Cutting, Cow Horse, Ranch Sorting, Ranch Riding & Reining in the arena or out on the ranch, you need a product that has certain characteristics. With the formula that I have put together, our reins come in broke and ready to go. They are soft like butter and will wear well for many years of use. When you grab them, they break over your finger, they break over your pinky and you can double them when riding in a snaffle bridle. They are ready to use right off the bat, with no break in period.

WEAVER

Q -You made another life change recently with the inclusion of Tammy Donnell. She is now a big part of your life and this new business as your new wife and partner. How is that working out?

A - Outstanding! Personally it is amazing. I couldn’t have had a better person to go through everything that has happened over the last four years of my life. From every aspect it is a grand slam home run.

Q - How did you and Tammy meet?

A - We met at the NRHA Futurity in 2019 compliments of her daughter winning a saddle certificate from Bob’s Custom Saddles. From that day, when we first met, our journey started and has never slowed down one bit.

Q - Personal hurdles have been on the forefront for you Chris over these last 4 years and now you are starting a new business WD Leather and Bits. For some that would intimidating. But you have worked in this industry for over 30 years and with some of the greatest brands offered and garnered so much knowledge. What is the “why” behind this big decision?

Our bits are exclusively designed by Greg Darnall, and we are very fortunate to have had a long relationship with him. We have talked about different things in the past and Greg had a brainstorm that he has had in the back of his mind for sometime now. Our first bit launch is with Greg Darnall and it is exclusive to us. It is a stainless steel D Ring Snaffle that comes in 9 different mouthpieces.

A - When I told my friends that I was doing this to alleviate stress, they laughed. Starting a new business is stressful, but the relief comes from the fact that I have always had a leather shop and have produced and designed leather products, and having worked with manufacturers on starting new brands my entire life. I have worked on these brands taking them to market, setting up sponsorships and taking them to the top, so it is more of a full circle for me. It’s the full circle, the circle of life. I started out at the bottom of the circle and I worked my way back around to the top, and it is that experience and knowledge that has given me the opportunity, confidence and belief that has led me to this chapter. Life is a journey and thru some of the health issues that I have had, it came to fruition that it was time to start the next chapter of my journey.

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WD Leather and Bits founded in January 2024 by Chris Weaver and Tammy Donnell Weaver. WD for Weaver-Donnell. Chris started creating equine leather products in 1993. Chris’s experience in the equine industry has spanned a lifetime from growing up showing horses, competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assoc. for over 10 years, retail store owner, national sales rep, director of sales, consulting, and most recently Vice-President of Bob’s Custom Saddles. Chris has designed new equine products for leading manufacturers. Tammy has also spent a lifetime in the equine industry from showing and training horses, retail, manufacturing, marketing, branding, and 20 years as an AQHA Judge.

Chris &Tammy have had their share of health challenges and made the decision to follow a dream and live life on their own terms.

All Photos: Tammy Donnell

CHRIS WEAVER INTERVIEW

This next chapter is about taking all of those experiences, all of that knowledge and all of the effort that people had put into me, plus the confidence they had in me, and turn that into the next legacy brand inside of the western equine industry.

Q

- You have been so influential to this industry working with Bob’s, and actually reinventing a well known brand. Now you are going to create your own brand. How does it feel to go one to that next adventure while leaving your brainchild that you helped to rebuild at Bob’s?

A - It was truly an honor to be a part of a company like Bob’s. It was also really an honor to be a part of a company like Weaver Leather, the Cactus Ropes entities, and Montana Silversmith. What an honor to have been part of all of that! But like I said, the circle came around.

Even when I was in the retail business where I operated and ran retail stores, it was just time. It is very humbling to step outside and take on the fears. We cannot live in fear. I lived in the world of fear for the last 4 years of my life thru my treatments. Fear is not a good place to be. I am going to take my passions and look them straight in the eye and put this new adventure all together. People can say umbrellas, or trees, whatever. We planted a seed and we are going to water it, watch it grow and take it as far as we can.

Q - What are the products that you sell at WD Leather and bits?

A - Currently, the leather products that we have are from a working leather standpoint. Everything is latigo, or latigo lined, or harness. It is all doubled and stitched & glued. The construction of the product is built for using. That is where we are starting. We also have silver pieces and an exclusive line of 9 bits that Greg Darnall designed for us. They are a D-Ring snaffles with 9 different mouthpieces. This is where we start and as we grow and have people ask us for different things, we grow more. Our main goal is to have a product that is all about feel. A better feel and function that will be a better way to communicate with your horse. We can take custom orders, and add custom brands.

Q - Chris you recently married Tammy Donnell. Tammy will you be playing a part in this?

Q - Where can we see or purchase the new “WD Leather and Bits” products?

A - WDLeather.com is our website and it is up and running. Soon we will have a schedule of events that we will be set up at. When that is ready, you can find that on our website as well.

WD Leather was officially launched to the public on March 1st, 2024. We are brand new, and we are building that next level including what events we will be going to conquer next. We are also working on some award programs with different events. That will be another place to branch out and showcase our products.

A - Tammy: Yes, I will. Chris and I met at the NRHA Futurity regarding my daughter’s saddle certificate. She won the saddle and we contacted Chris about making the order. We officially met on December 6th, 2019 and have been together ever since. The first 2 years were tough, and was mostly spent 1,000 miles apart. We had planned to get married sooner, but being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing multiple different kinds of treatment delayed us. With one of the treatments hospitalizing him for 28 days and then he acquired a severe infection. We got him past that and sadly enough, shortly after, I got diagnosed with breast cancer. My treatments were tough as well, and time just kept going forward. We got married in December of 2023 and I was 4 weeks past radiation. We have had a bit thrown at us in more ways than one, but we came out stronger than ever.

“Our bits are exclusively designed by Greg Darnall.”

I will be working on the website, photography and the marketing. I have been in the industry my entire life, and was an AQHA judge for 20 years. I have trained horses, we won many championships, and my horses were a hot commodity for trainers and clients to buy. My perspective is a bit different from Chris’. He has been in the design and sales side, while I have been in the industry on the other side, the consumer side. The last 10 years I have had a strong focus on digital marketing,

websites, branding, social media, and photography.

Chris: There are 2 parts to this project; who is WD Leather & Bits, and what is WD Leather & Bits? The who is what we just went over. Tammy and I working together on this project. The fact of her story, my story and getting connected is just the beginning. What is WD Leather? It is a product line that we put together with integrity and authenticity. It’s building a product and brand that isn’t here today and gone tomorrow. The purpose and function of it is to take my passion and all my experiences in the western equine industry from being a competitor, a trainer, and rider, to being a sponsor, running companies, developing product for other brands and building brands. Putting that all together with the passion that I have of putting the horse and rider first and connecting them so that they have better tools to communicate with. The value to the consumer is knowing that when you buy a WD Leather product it was not created for the sole reason of being profitable, it is being built for the sole purpose of being better. This mind-set facilitates creating exceptional products for an industry that I love.

strength, will wick away sweat and overall function better. It is not from the standpoint that we are trying to out do somebody else, we are just trying to be the best we can be.

Q - Are you based in Arizona?

Q - What makes WD Leather better?

A - Well better is a perception, and perception is someone’s opinion. So, what I believe is that I am working with all that I have learned over 30+ years making a living in this industry. I have worked with some of the best in this industry and have taken that knowledge while working with the manufacturers, to source the finest raw materials. We have worked together to create hardware that fits better, functions better, leather that has more durability,

A - We live in North Scottsdale. I built a workshop and all of the products are built there. The designs and patterns are things that I have had for years and have tested and re-tested over and over. We have made sure that they fit better and have feel, function, and balance.

Q - Tell us about this one headstall with the extra stitching, what is it called?

A - Yes, it is a browband snaffle bridle. It is a double and stitched latigo headstall, 3/4 inch wide, it is made for someone riding 2 and 3 year olds. It’s tough, virtually indestructible, while having great fit and comfort for the horse. The younger horses, we have to give them every chance we can to let them learn and feel better, so that’s the goal. The name of this headstall has a story, WDRG234. You can read the story on our Blog at WDLeather.com.

Q - When you talk about how these leather products are made so they don’t stretch, are stronger, tougher, etc. Can you tell us what that really means?

A - What makes us different are the raw materials we choose to use and how we put it all together for ultimate fit, feel and function facilitating better connection with your horse. It sounds like a special recipe, and in a way it is. There are other people that buy the same leather that we do, they just don’t put it together like we do. Our recipe is different, how we put it all together is different.

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or call (480) 934-5444.

Chris & Tammy