The premiere of Yellowstone season 5B was dedicated to Klapper.
The return of the show, created by Taylor Sheridan, has been littered with controversy due to the absence of lead star Kevin Costner, who left the series amid rumours of behind-scenes-tensions and to concentrate on his passion project, the film series Horizon.
The first episode of season 5B sees a scene where Rip, played by Cole Hauser, stops by a loriner to purchase a horse bit for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith).
While at the loriner, Rip admires an impeccably crafted set of spurs, created from a single piece of metal. The spurs were actually created by the late loriner Billy Klapper, who was well-regarded within the cowboy and ranching communities for his artistry.
The loriner featured in the scene is none other than Klapper himself, who died earlier this year on 10 September aged 87. During the episode, the official Yellowstone X/Twitter account wrote: “Billy Klapper is a LEGEND!”
Klapper began making spurs way back in 1966 having been trained by fellow famed spur maker Adolph Bayers while working as a ranch hand. His craftsmanship and items soon became sought after and he eventually took up the profession full time.
He married his wife Roberta in 1973 and the couple remained together until her death in 2021.
In his obituary, it said: “Billy will be remembered as a good man, a friend to all, and most of all a true cowboy. He is going to be deeply missed by his family and friends. Billy put the ‘western’ in western heritage for years and now he is a part of the heritage.”
Before his death, in an interview with Western Horseman magazine, Klapper admitted: “It got to a point that I had so many orders, I was going to have to quit [making bits and spurs] or quit cowboying, either on.
“I may have to work a little harder at this, but I thought I could make more money and stay warm in the wintertime. I liked to cowboy, but there’s no money in it, and I had a family. It’s just living from one paycheck to another.”
A brief cameo helps paint a major picture of the show's philosophy and where things could be going.
THE DRAMA-FILLED DEBUT of the second part of Yellowstone's fifth season was filled with lots of shocks that the show may take a bit to catch up to—namely, the off-screen death of John Dutton confirmed in the show's opening moments. But after getting that initial bomb out in the open, the episode backtracks a bit to show how we're got there. Doing that allows, thankfully, for a few less charged, more focused character moments—and perhaps the episode's strongest focused on Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), and what happened when he met Billy Klapper—an actual, real-life cowboy legend.
With Rip moving a herd of cattle down south to escape a strain of sickness making its way through, he finds himself in Pampa, Texas, where Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) tells him that he's got an order of spurs ready with a man named Billy Klapper. Rip, ever the great guy, lets Lloyd know that he'll go pick them up. And that makes way for the great cameo.
It's clear from the moment Rip shows at his door that Billy Klapper is the real deal; we see his workshop, along with everything he's working on, and his slow, old school style stands out in our present day world where everyone and everything moves so quickly. Rip and Billy have a heartfelt moment where they talk about Billy's work, and how it's rare to see such craftsmanship. Rip remarks on the way he makes his spurs from one single piece of steel. “I think there might be a few, but very few,” Billy tells him.
Billy eventually not only gives Rip the pair of spurs that Lloyd ordered (15 years ago, as Billy clarifies!), but also lets Rip take his own pair as well—free of charge. It's a nice moment that's made richer from the fact that this is a real, respected figure of the modern West. Rip leaves and brings this new experience back to the 6666 ranch, where he quickly meets the hand named Dusty, and tells him about his meeting with Billy.
Rip, clearly affected by the encounter, strikes up a quick conversation, before Dusty tells him his thoughts on Billy: “When he's gone, we're all out of legends,” he says. “With nobody trying to be the next one.”
Given that the episode opened with the (off-screen) death of Yellowstone's own resident legend in John Dutton—and the way that the show has always lionized Rip, his behavior, and his way of life—we have no choice but to look at that moment and Dusty's quote as a way of setting Rip up to be Yellowstone's next legend. Now, will we see that play out in the final episodes of season 5, continuing into season 6, in another spin-off show, or something else entirely? Well, that much remains to be seen. But it's clear that Yellowstone is using its real-life cowboy cred to build up its own mythological Western figures.
Season 5, episode 9 of Yellowstone concludes with a card that reads “In Loving Memory of Billy Klapper.” Klapper, who appeared as himself in a cameo earlier in the episode, died on September 10, 2024, after filming his scene but before the episode debuted.
As we mentioned above, Klapper is a real-deal, old school Cowboy. Klapper had been making cowboy gear—good both for function and style—full-time since 1968, and just like in the episode, worked exclusively out of his own workshop in Pampa, Texas. He would make as many as 200 spurs per year, and knew how to make them in more than 680 different patterns (and also was willing to make custom pairs upon request). Spurs are an added piece of metal that Cowboys wear on their boots while riding a horse, providing additional communication and control between themselves and the horse.
Taylor Sheridan has included tributes to real Cowboys and Western figures in the show in the past, but it's interesting that Klapper's cameo was used for even further thematic purpose; his meeting with Rip and the events of the episode overall seem to signify a passing of the torch, of sorts, and an indicator to the viewers as to who the hero of the show certainly is at this time.
The cameo continues Taylor Sheridan’s trend of incorporating real-life cowboys into his Western drama
The “Yellowstone” premiere on Sunday night contained not one, but two upsetting deaths. However, only one of them happened in real life (Mild spoilers ahead for “Yellowstone” Season 5, Episode 9).
Part of “Desire Is All You Need” followed Rip (Cole Hauser) as he travelled to a loriner to pick up a horse bit for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith). But while he was at the shop in Pampa, Texas, the work of one craftsman in particular caught his eye, specifically a set of spurs that were made from a single piece of metal. That craftsman was Billy Klapper, who appeared in the episode as himself.
A legend in his field, Klapper started to make bits and spurs full-time in 1968. He was specifically known in the cowboy community for his one piece spurs, the very same piece that catches Rip’s eye in the episode. He was also one of the few remaining spur makers to be trained by Adolph Bayers, another legend who made bits and spurs from the 1930s to the ’70s. Over the course of his long career, Klapper made 682 different spur patterns and 816 different bit patterns, according to his obituary. He was revered for his artistry and for his ability to replicate old designs from other makers.
Klapper died on Sept. 10 of this year at the age of 87. He is survived by his two daughters, Deborah Yeates and Elizabeth Wilson, and six grandchildren.
The artisan appears as himself in the Season 5 episode, marking Klapper’s only credited onscreen appearance. The final moments of Episode 9 also include an in memoriam card in his honor.
This isn’t the first time “Yellowstone” has incorporated real cowboys and figures from that world into the series. Creator Taylor Sheridan grew up learning to be a cowboy and currently owns part of the “Yellowstone” 6666 Ranch. Not only does Sheridan write and showrun the series, he also stars as rodeo cowboy and horse trader Travis Wheatley. Other real cowboys who star on the drama include Smith, Jake Ream, Ryan Bingham and Ethan Lee.
“Yellowstone” airs Sunday nights on Paramount Network before streaming on Paramount+.
Yellowstone season 5, part 2, is off to a colossal start, and its opening episode pays tribute to Billy Klapper, who has a cameo in the premiere. In Yellowstone season 5, episode 9, the show finally addresses what happens to John Dutton III after Kevin Costner left. Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) find John's lifeless body in the premiere, and while the scene is staged as a suicide, they don't believe it. The dramatic opening scene answers how Yellowstone season 5 explains Costner's absence as John Dutton, then flashes back to six weeks earlier.
In Yellowstone season 5, episode 8, half the cowboys are heading to Texas to look after the herd in greener pastures following the Duttons discovering that brucellosis was infecting their cattle. Yellowstone season 5, part 2's opener shows Rip (Cole Hauser) and the other lucky cowboys from the Yellowstone season 5 cast traveling down to The Lone Star State. In Texas, Rip has a run-in with a legendary craftsperson, making him reflective and emotional. The scene includes an important cameo in Yellowstone season 5, part 2's premiere.
The end of Yellowstone season 5, episode 9, flashes the tribute “In loving memory of Billy Klapper” in its conclusion. For those who are wondering what the dedication means, it is to pay tribute to legendary spur maker Billy Klapper. As was in the real-world, Klapper was one of the few remaining craftsmen in his field who applied traditional artistry to crafting spurs. According to Summer Stampede, a Western art and gear show featuring Klapper's work, he made 200 pairs of spurs yearly from more than 680 unique patterns and could accommodate custom designs.
Yellowstone's return doesn't waste any time explaining John Dutton III's fate. Sad as it may be, the show didn't have a choice about the matter.
According to Carmichael Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory, Klapper died a few short months ago, on September 24, 2024, with his daughters by his side. The spur and bit maker Adolph Bayers trained Klapper. He crafted his first pair of spurs in 1966 and was well-regarded within the cowboy and ranching communities. Klapper died after six decades of spur-making, and Yellowstone ensured his iconic legacy. His obituary reads:
Billy will be remembered as a good man, a friend to all, and a most of all a true cowboy. He is going to be deeply missed by his family and friends. Billy put the “western” in western heritage for years and now he is a part of the heritage.
The Yellowstone season 5, part 2, premiere features Billy Klapper as himself. Rip encounters Klapper as he runs an errand for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), who ordered something from the artisan years ago. When Rip enters the small shop, with finely crafted pieces of steel and tools in every nook and cranny, he sees something that catches his eye. Rip marvels about a pair of spurs crafted from a single piece of steel, remarking that he didn't know they made them like that anymore. The remark calls attention to Klapper's dying craft and how highly it is revered.
By honoring Klapper with a cameo and tribute, Taylor Sheridan's Neo-Western epic gives the craftsperson a well-deserved nod.
Klapper tells Rip he can take the spurs in Yellowstone season 5, episode 9, and when the foreman tries to pay the bit maker for them, he kindly declines payment. Later, Rip holds the spurs at the 6666 ranch, and another cowboy spots them. They share remarks about their value and how Klapper's craft is finite since he has no apprentice to pass his methods down to. By honoring Klapper, Taylor Sheridan's Neo-Western epic gives the craftsperson a well-deserved nod. Sheridan's series calls attention to the cowboy's dying art, and paying homage to Klapper's legacy aligns with that.
Sources: Summer Stampede, Carmichael Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory
