Leland Hensley

This quirt was inspired by one that had been fashioned from a broken walking stick with a decorative top, which Hensley saw on a trip to Mexico. Hensley’s version features a horsehead headpiece sculpted from solid sterling silver by Beau Compton. To counter the weight in the handle, Hensley used heavy rawhide strings for the body and included a heavy leather popper. He braided the rawhide handle in a California style, while the rawhide body he braided in a style found in the American Southwest and the border states of Mexico. An antique finish adds a patina for an aged appearance. This quirt would have been carried during special occasions and parades, Hensley notes, as opposed to everyday use.

Inspired by a South American-style rein combined with a classic North American-style bit connector, Hensley’s necklace features rings he crafted using cross sections of a longhorn cow horn that are separated by decorative rawhide knots with blue accents. The bit connectors — which serve as the clasp for taking the necklace on and off — hold an engraved sterling silver pendant ring created by Shawn Didyoung.