The loriner who gave Rip Wheeler a pair of spurs in the mid-season premiere of Yellowstone is a true

Western legend: Billy Klapper

Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 premiered on Paramount Network on Sunday and fans were surprised to see

Billy Klapper in the premiere episode. Klapper appeared as himself in a scene with Cole Hauser’s Rip

Wheeler in the series. He filmed the scene before his passing in September 2024. He is one of the renowned spur makers in the ranching and cowboying industry.

While Klapper’s appearance was a heartwarming moment in this episode, the episode itself was something fans would take some time to process. Although they expected that Kevin Costner’s John Dutton would be written out of the show in this episode, they did not expect their beloved Dutton patriarch to go down off-screen, apparently killed by mercenaries.

Who Is Billy Klapper Who Appeared In Yellowstone?

Billy Klapper was born to Phillip and Minnie Klapper in Lazare, Texas. He started his cowboy days in Buckle L Ranch in Childress working as a ranch hand. In the ’60s, he spent his time mostly with the famous bit and spur maker, Adolph Bayers. It was in 1966 that Klapper built his first pair of spurs himself.

Soon enough, he became an in-demand spur maker and started making the gears full-time in 1968. He was one of the few spur makers who still made one-piece spurs. In a clip for National Ranching Heritage Center, Klapper revealed that he had made over 900 bits and 783 spurs in his career spanning 55 years.

Klapper’s several patterns of bits and spurs have inspired others in the industry. Every cowboy in the cutting horse industry sought after him for his very functional bits for their horses. He was a constant presence at the bit and spur shows all over the state.

Klapper’s association with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan might’ve prompted him to appear on the show. When Sheridan embraced the West and bought the Four Sixes ranch, he wanted to fill up the inventory at the ranch with the best of the best products.

Sheridan’s own spurs were made at Klapper’s forge in Pampa, Texas, where he personally handcrafted the piece (via The Land Report). He was one of the true Western legends and his appearance in Yellowstone is a beautiful tribute to the actor.

Klapper married Roberta Watson in 1973 and they lived happily for 48 years until Roberta died in 2021. Billy and Roberta Klapper are survived by their two daughters, Deborah Yeates and Elizabeth Wilson. Klapper has six grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren. He also has nine great-grandchildren and 23 step-great-grandchildren.

Billy Klapper’s Appearance In Yellowstone

Billy Klapper appeared as a loriner from whom Rip Wheeler stopped to buy a bit for Lloyd. When the mid-season premiere begins, Cole Hauser‘s Rip is on his journey to 6666 Ranch to sort out an issue. He enters the shop run by Billy Klapper with the intention of buying the bit. However, he couldn’t help but notice the artistry of his work.

The scene depicted how Klapper impressed Sheridan with his artistry. At the end of their interaction, Klapper gifts a pair of spurs to Rip Wheeler. Yellowstone has honored legendary cowboys in previous seasons too. In Season 4, fans got to see the legendary horse trainer Buster Welch in an episode.

However, Rip’s tour is cut short when he gets a call from his wife. “They killed my daddy,” says Beth through the phone. The news would probably change the world for Rip. The new and final season of Yellowstone is all set to give fans the full-on war that they wanted.

Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 9 aired on Paramount Network and CBS on Sunday, where the subsequent episodes will also air. After the season concludes, the episodes will stream on Peacock.