October 5 - October 18, 2021
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Valley saddle maker gains some fame over name confusion Actor Michael Keaton mixes up two Brad(ley) Coopers, tells funny late-night TV story By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
G
etting names mixed up happens, but having your name mixed up with a famous person doesn’t happen all that often. For Buellton-based custom saddle maker Brad “Cash” Cooper, it happened when his famous client Michael Keaton accidentally confused him with the actor Bradley Cooper. The story started when Keaton, known for his title-role performances in “Beetlejuice” and “Batman,” contacted the well-known saddle maker to create a custom saddle for his horse. “I took a deposit from Mr. Keaton and then didn’t hear from him for several months, so I figured he got busy and then he contacted me to tell me this funny story about his messages with Bradley Cooper,” Cooper said. The story was so funny Keaton ended up telling it on a recent appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” while promoting his role in “The Protege” and reprising his role as Batman in “The Flash.” Keaton says he contacted the saddle maker because he wanted to have something cus-
The making of actor Michael Keaton's saddle became a funny late-night story.
Photos by Barry Sigman Brad "Cash" Cooper works not only as a custom saddle maker, but also as a wrangler at The Alisal Guest Ranch.
tom-made. The actor says he isn’t an extravagant person, but decided to treat himself to a new saddle to use on his ranch in Montana. After speaking with the saddle maker, he then started emailing him to convey what styles he liked and sizing for the saddle horn and was getting strange responses. “‘Yeah, okay. Ha, ha!’ with an exclamation point right,” he said to Meyers. After a while, Keaton said, he would check in again and get a “Sure, whatever,” response
and Keaton wanted to get the saddle wrapped up and got back a response, “Who is this?” “What are you talking about ‘Who is this?’,” Keaton said. Keaton came to find out he had been corresponding with the actor Bradley Cooper, not the saddle maker Brad “Cash” Cooper. “I thought that was pretty funny,” Cooper the saddle maker said with a laugh. “After we got straightened out and all the details sorted through, that saddle turned out to be one of
Local saddle maker Brad "Cash" Cooper offers classes for people who want to learn about the art of leather work.
the best ones I’ve done.” “Cash” Cooper started working with leather at the age of 12 when his father gave him a SADDLE CONTINUED TO PAGE 31
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