Wade - Slickforks

The Origins Of the Wade Saddle

The first known Wade saddle belonged to a man named Aaron Wade, who acquired it in the late 1800s from an unknown maker. After Aaron’s passing, the saddle was passed down to his son, Clifford Wade.

Years later, in the late 1930s, Clifford crossed paths with a young cowboy and gifted horseman named Tom Dorrance. Dorrance admired the saddle’s design so much that he had one built just like it. While Aaron and Clifford Wade’s names may not be widely known, Tom Dorrance went on to earn lasting respect as one of the greatest horsemen of modern times.

The saddle maker who crafted Dorrance’s version wanted to name it the “Dorrance.” But Tom insisted on honoring its origins, calling it simply the “Wade.” The name stuck—and the Wade saddle has carried its legacy forward ever since.