Where did you get the idea to be a bootmaker?
After spending a few years at Utah State University as well as two years in Brazil, I came to an unusual career choice: I wanted to become a bootmaker. In South America I had known two artisans who followed this trade, and I was very intrigued by their craft. Although my father was not a bootmaker, my grandfather, like many rural men of his time, repaired footwear for his family in addition to the harnesses and other horse tack.
