After a nearly two-year hiatus, Yellowstone finally made its triumphant Season 5, Part 2 return on November 10, and thanks to a shocking on-screen death and a touching tribute card, the episode was one of the series’ most emotional installments yet.
At the end of Season 5, Episode 9, “Desire Is All You Need,” the words “In loving memory of Billy Klapper” flashed on-screen, leaving fans of Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western drama curious about Klapper’s relation to the show.
In addition to having a massive influence in Western culture, fans of the series will be delighted to learn that the legendary Billy Klapper actually made a heartwarming appearance in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 9.
So who was Billy Klapper? And what was his role on Yellowstone? Without further ado, let’s explore the life and legacy of the legendary loriner, plus his scene with Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler.
Who Was Billy Klapper On Yellowstone? Season 5, Episode 9’s Cameo And Tribute Card Explained
For those who need a refresher or may have missed his appearance in Season 5, Episode 9, Billy Klapper guest starred in a scene with Cole Hauser more than halfway through the episode. Yellowstone showed Rip driving into a business with a “1319 Klapper Spurs Bits” sign outside, and inside, Klapper was hard at work in a workspace full of tools, metals, and machinery.
When Rip greeted the craftsman (who was of course wearing a cowboy hat), Klapper informed him that he wasn’t taking any more orders. Rip said he was there to “pick up a 27 for Lloyd Pierce, a Montana cowboy,” and Klapper went to look for it. While he was retrieving the order, Rip noticed a stunning pair of spurs on one of Klapper’s workbenches. He picked them up and said, “I couldn’t help but notice that they’re all one piece. I didn’t know people made them like that anymore. If you’re ever taking orders. I sure would love a pair.”
In response to Rip’s genuine admiration of his craftsmanship, Klapper replied, “Then take ’em,” and gifted the spurs free of charge before bidding Rip a good day.
Klapper’s inclusion in the series was yet another exciting Yellowstone Easter egg for real-life cowboy fans, as Klapper was a legendary loriner in real life who recently died on September 10, 2024 at age 87.
Per Klapper’s obituary, “After high school, Billy started working as a ranch hand at the Buckle L Ranch in Childress and later at the Y Ranch in Paducah. Billy spent a great deal of time with the famous bit and spur maker, Adolph Bayers, and in 1966 he made his first pair of spurs. The demand for Billy’s spurs grew, and he started making gear full-time in 1968. He was well known in the ranching and cowboying industry and was one of the few bit and spur makers that still made one-piece spurs. Billy’s bits and spurs are now collected worldwide. He made 682 different spur patterns and 816 different bit patterns. His patterns have been used by bit and spur makers but have never been duplicated. Billy created his legacy and changed the cutting horse industry by listening to what the cowboys wanted and making functional bits for their horses.”
The obituary goes on to say that Billy and his wife Roberta Watson “enjoyed participating in the Pony Express Races, watching horse races, and going to bit and spur shows all over the state.”
“Billy will be remembered as a good man, a friend to all, and a most of all a true cowboy,” the obituary continues. “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.”
In addition to a lasting legacy in Western culture, Klapper is survived by his daughters, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. And now thanks to his special Yellowstone appearance, he and his work are forever immortalized in the Sheridan-verse as well. As they should be!
