Tres Campbell, from Sweetwater, Texas, is a day-working cowboy who helps ranches big and small throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma—including the Four Sixes Ranch based in Guthrie, Texas.
“I like traveling and going to different areas and seeing different ways of going about things,” he says. Campbell also rides outside horses for clients and competes in Working Ranch Cowboys Association ranch rodeos for the Stewart Ranch in Munday, Texas.
CHAPS
Those are Ron Carlton chaps. He builds them out of Happy, Texas. It’s more or less a batwing, but I don’t like too big of a bell. He does pretty work and he’s a good guy and a good friend. facebook.com/ron.carlton.94
BIT
That’s a Kerry Kelley bit. He gives a good price on those plain bits without any silver on them. There’s a bunch of them out there, so a guy can get them pretty easy. They seem to work good in every horse’s mouth I’ve put them in. I like his stuff a lot. I think he calls that bit a “7.” I like those ball joints he puts on there because it can’t pinch on the horse’s mouth while it swivels. kerrykelleyspurs.com
BUCKLE
This is a Gary Wiggins buckle. It’s got my brand on it, a Quien Sabe with a bar underneath. I’ve had this belt buckle since I was 8 years old. I’ve always worn it. wigginsbitsandspurs.com
SADDLE
I ride a Cactus Saddlery saddle. I go through Teskey’s—a guy named Casey Cooper—to get those saddles. I have two of them and they’re both on an Olin Young tree. They’re decently priced and I haven’t had one problem with them. They fit a horse’s back. I usually ride a 16-inch seat and sometimes I’ll put Nettles stirrups on them.
cactussaddlery.com
teskeys.com
nettles-stirrups.com
ROPE
I use King Ropes. I think that’s a 30- or 35-foot nylon/poly blend. These are fairly priced and they’ve been the best-lasting rope for ranch ropes I use. Some buddies and I usually order a box at a time and they sure enough hold up and don’t break down on you.
kingssaddlery.com
SADDLE PAD
Classic Equine makes these for team roping horses and calf horses taking hard jerks on the withers. They’re good pads and I think that matters a lot when you want to keep horses from getting a sore back when you’re roping a bunch. I always try to keep a good pad underneath me.
equibrand.com