Yellowstone Heartbreak: Show Suffers Real-Life Death Amid John Dutton’s Murder
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Yellowstone paid tribute to a member of the show’s family in the mid-season premiere with a special dedication to spur maker Billy Klapper, who died earlier this year at age 87. Find out more about this remarkable man.
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Who Was Billy Klapper From Yellowstone?
Klapper was a legendary spur maker who died on September 10, 2024. He was featured in the premiere of Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 and honored with the dedication, “In Loving Memory of Billy Klapper.”
In the episode, Rip (Cole Hauser), while stopping at a loriner to pick up a horse bit for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), admires a set of spurs. The real-life Klapper, who made the spurs from a single piece of metal, was featured in the scene.
During the episode, the official Yellowstone X account shouted out Klapper, writing: “Billy Klapper is a LEGEND!”
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Klapper made his first set of spurs in 1966, learning the trade from famed spur maker Adolph Bayers when he worked as a ranch hand. Klapper started making gear full time in 1968. His craftmanship became highly sought after, with the loriner making spurs from a single piece of metal rather than welding pieces together. In the scene, Rip picked up the “27,” which is one of Klapper’s most popular bits.
Klapper began working at the Buckle L Ranch in Childress and later at the Y Ranch in Paducah. He and his wife Roberta married in 1973 and were together until her death in 2021.
His obituary noted: “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.”
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In a September 2024 interview with Western Horseman magazine, Klapper shared how he made the decision to pursue his work full-time. “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 one,” he shared.
“I may have to work a little harder at this, but I thought I could make more money and stay warm in the wintertime,” Klapper added. “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.”
Some Yellowstone fans were confused about Klapper’s role in the episode, with someone asking in a Reddit discussion, “I feel like we are supposed to know who he is?” Another fan explained, “Billy Klapper, legend in the Texas horse community for handmade spurs and bits. The bit Rip was picking up for Lloyd sells for like $3-5 grand used. He died in September. Cool to see, but the cameo felt kind of odd and forced.”
Another fan explained, “He was an actual legend.”
Episodes of Yellowstone can be streamed on Peacock.
Watch ‘Yellowstone’ on Peacock
See who the Yellowstone cast is married to and dating in the gallery below.