Dylan Peterson “History of the Dixie Thompson Saddle”

This spectacular, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted saddle by Loomis Saddlery, with custom silver by the Tiffany-trained artist, Edwin Field, was touted as “the most gorgeous thing of its kind in the world” in the May 4, 1896 issue of the San Francisco Call. Commissioned (circa 1888-90) by Santa Barbara capitalist, rancher, and one-time sea captain, Dixie W. Thompson, the silverwork alone took over two years to complete, and was fashioned with bullion from Mexican silver dollars. Thompson rode the saddle in numerous parades, and it was exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Our speaker, Dylan W. Peterson, sits on the board of the Carriage and Western Art Museum as well as serving as assistant curator of the collection. In his other life, Dylan Peterson, M.A. is the Academic Coordinator for the upper division undergraduate laboratories in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department at University of California, Santa Barbara. He has also published multiple research papers on Alzheimer’s disease.