FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2023
CUSTOM SADDLE BUILDING COLLABORATION AND AUCTION TO BENFIT MAYSA HAGEL
MEDIA CONTACT: Gail Baldwin
Sheridan, Wyoming: A community of renowned saddle makers and western artisans are donating time and materials to collaborate and build a one-of-a-kind custom western saddle to be auctioned off to benefit Maysa Hagel. Maysa, the 25-year-old daughter of Sara Hagel (a celebrated craftswoman who makes fine horsehair mecates and gear), suffered a mid-brain stroke in September of 2022. Maysa has defied all odds—after the debilitating stroke and a surgery, doctors gave Maysa little chance for survival but the tenacious young woman has fought, lived, and made encouraging improvements in the many months since.
German saddle makers, Wolfgang Fey and Fritz Riedl, are building the saddle: Wolfgang is tooling the leather and Fritz is constructing and assembling. The duo is receiving an outpouring of donated support and materials for the project from an array of western artisans. Many renowned silver smiths will contribute engraved silver conchos, buckles, and a horn cap and others are providing stirrups and a unique saddle blanket.
Maysa’s saddle will be auctioned online July 7-8, 2023 with proceeds going towards her escalating medical costs. Ahead of the auction, the saddle is going on tour for public viewing, debuting at the Rocky Mountain Leather Show in Sheridan, Wyoming May 19-21, then on to be displayed at Buck Brannaman’s Colt Start Clinic at the Houlihan Ranch, June 1-4. Then the saddle will be moved to King’s Saddlery in Sheridan, Wyoming for display until the auction.
Contributions towards Maysa’s medical expenses also can be made through a GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com/f/friends-of-maysa-hagel) set up by Hagel family friend Gail Baldwin. For more information please visit “Friends of Maysa Hagel” on Facebook or www.friendsofmaysa.com, or feel free to contact Gail Baldwin directly at contact@friendsofmaysa.com or (847) 363-6109.