About Cloete Saddles
Cloete Saddles offers personalized service throughout the entire process, from identifying a rider’s specific saddle requirements, to acquiring the ideal saddle package.
Saddle Maker
Franco was born and raised under a generous African sun and has been a horseman since a very young age. Years of riding piqued Franco’s curiosity for designing trees & creating saddles, eventually kindling an acute awareness – and subsequent research & study – of the unbound potential for the improvement of the saddle systems used in the worldwide equine community. Having been established in the international saddle industry since the 90’s, Franco’s journey as a trendsetting saddle designer & saddle maker continues on its dynamic course, as he follows the ever-changing needs of riders and equines in the market. Cloete Saddles are purposely designed and crafted with both horse and rider in mind. Today, Franco can affirm that Cloete Saddles’ products are well tried and tested and that Cloete Saddles is one of few saddle manufacturers in the equine saddle industry that designs and builds custom fitting saddles & trees, incorporating the 5 key points of adjustability.
Executive Manager of Cloete Saddles
Madeli Cloete takes care of client correspondence, manages the order processing, shipping, finance, social media posting, ordering materials, scheduling & event planning and more. She really does everything Franco does not do, to keep Cloete Saddles running smoothly.
Saddle-Making Apprentice
Levi Williamson, Franco’s son-in-law, has stepped into full-time saddle and associated products production, in an apprenticeship role – learning the trade from Franco himself.
Photographer, Social Media Manager and Website Maintenance
Cheyenne Cloete-Williamson has been involved with doing product photography, website updates/design and tending to marketing on social media for a few years now. She is called on occasionally to take on business projects and updates the website with new information as well as the Instagram page with new content on a regular basis.
Artistic Carving & Design
Tamara Cloete is Madeli and Franco’s daughter. She is an artist by nature and a chef by practice, but saddle making has proven to be a great opportunity to widen her skill set and take her creative interest even further. She has taken on the designing and carving whenever a custom carving order comes through. Tamara finds it an honour to be a part of our family trade.
Production
Barri Gerber is also part of the Cloete extended family. He completed the new Cloete Saddles stirrups and pack saddle production.