Roger and Joe Pechanec (Mitchell) are a father and son team who make riding gear for local cowboys. Roger specializes in leatherwork, producing headstalls, martin gales, and occasional leggings and saddles. Complementing Roger’s work, Joe braids and twists rawhide in the style he learned from local master rawhider, Roy Critchlow.
Bio
In a barn on Dollarhide Road in Mitchell, rows of leather and rawhide riding gear hang on a wall next to a small handwritten sign: “Buy Better Cheaper.” This is the workshop of father and son team Roger and Joe Pechanec. Roger and Joe have both spent the bulk of their working lives herding cattle on horseback. Over the years, the pair have also maintained a side business, practicing traditional western crafts to make gear for other cowboys. Roger grew up in Kansas with a love of horses. When he came of age, he shuttled between ranches in Nevada and Oregon, making a living herding cattle. Along the way, Roger grew accustomed to repairing and making his own leather riding gear, including everything from saddles to reins. He observed the importance of keeping the horse comfortable, and began to help his fellow workers with their gear problems. When Roger settled with his family in Mitchell, his headstalls, martingales, and other gear were a welcome arrival. Joe followed in Roger’s footsteps, pouring himself into horsemanship and cattle ranch work. He developed a reputation for starting horses, which frequently brought him to Tumalo and Prineville. Eventually, Joe apprenticed with local master rawhider Roy Critchlow, learning to weave and twist rawhide ropes, reins, and bosals. His rawhide works complements his father’s leatherwork, and the two continue to supply superior, hand-crafted gear to fellow horsemen in Wheeler County and beyond.
