Bull Parker

Although Bull was born in Oklahoma City, he has been a Kansan since his young childhood. His greatest influence in his life was his maternal grandfather. "Pa" still farmed with horses and was always breaking in a colt for either driving or riding. Pa would hitch the colt to an older finished horse, and then throw Bull up on the colt, thinking that the colt really wasn't going to go anywhere. They broke in and trained many horses together. When Bull moved to the farm, he was always around horses, coon dogs, and coon hunting at night. There was no TV in Pa's house, so Bull spent his time playing in the barn, riding horses, and hunting. After graduating high school, Bull became a Marine. After his service, he became a Union Ironworker. He team roped in his spare time, competing in the Kan-Rope association. In 1986 he met his future wife; Sandy Bryant. Sandy was the Fine Arts Specialist for the city of Topeka and showed American Quarter Horses in her spare time. They had both sold saddles and tack and discovered that they shared a love for fancy handmade bits. Their business-Bits and Blankets, soon turned into a full-time job for Sandy. For several years they bought and resold bits handmade by renowned bit makers. One day Jerry Cates told Bull that he should enter the bitmaking trade and proceeded to teach Bull. About that time he met Don Rogers, who took Bull under his wing and taught him more tricks of the trade. After that, things just progressed until Bull was a full time bitmaker, with Sandy hand sawing all the silver for the bits and spurs. Ten years ago they added a full time associate, Hilario Reyes. The three of them work full time making bits and spurs that are balanced correctly and work correctly. They still make time to "horse around", and Bull participates in trap shooting as well. Bulls only regret is that he didn't start building bits and spurs 30 years earlier.