Good Friends, Good Bits, and Great Memories

Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum, and the Wright Family,
all have an incredibly special place in the Morgan Family’s heart. Not only is there a
reminiscent name, GS Garcia, to a bit collecting family, but it is like a home away
from home.
For the years of barn finds, shows, sales, and auctions to find a GS Garcia bit with
the backward N was a cause to celebrate. And then to get to meet DeeDee, Paula
and Doug, John and Susan, with Rick and Julie in the store, what a thrill. They were
like royalty to a small-town ranch girl. We, the Morgans and the Wrights/Garcia
families, traveled from show to show, visited, shared bits and books (ours and
theirs), and smiled every time we saw them. And to this day, we call them dear
friends.
The Collection was invited to the Poetry Gathering several times, and we took it
when we could. It stood proudly at the front door of Capriola’s as customers and
celebrities walked in, browsed, and purchased essential mementos. One time all
those bits and bridles moved over to the Northeastern Nevada Museum for the Art
Reception. It felt like Elko was a comfortable second home.
Then in 2018, when the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum opened, the Morgan family
met a new friend, Jan Peterson. The Richie Morgan Collection was front and center
celebrating a great name in the bit world and amazing community effort to preserve
history. This was the last time the Richie Morgan Bit Collection was shown in total.
Since then, the Collection has been dispersed about the United States and Canada
to start new collections and to tell new stories. It seemed fitting to let those pieces
of history that Richie found go into the working world to continue the working bridle
horse tradition and legacy.
It was with immense pride and pleasure to return to the Cowboy Arts and Gear
Museum this year to announce the coming of two new books about the Collection.
Our great friends, Jan, John, and Susan welcomed us just as in old times. In May we
will have the Heritage Edition of One Man’s Collection and Opinion in October. More
stories, more information, more historical photographs.
Please enjoy these pictures of the last stand of the Collection in 2018 at the Elko
Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum.