Charters Towers is a historical city surrounded by the huge former Dalrymple Shire which is now combined to form the Charters Towers Regional Council. This is cattle country; however, there is renewed interest in gold mining and tourism.

Tourism in Charters Towers 

Texas Longhorns in Australia!  Charters Towers is a popular destination for tourists from all over Australia and overseas.  The newest tourist attraction in the Charters Towers area is the award winning Horseshoe B Longhorns Texas Longhorn Wagon Tours.

Take a horse drawn wagon ride and a trip back in time; back to the old west to the time of the legendary Texas Longhorns! Situated just 10 km from Charters Towers,  is Leahton Park,  the largest purebred Texas Longhorn herd in Australia and home of The Longest Horned Steer in Australia - over 8 feet from tip to tip.  These cattle are direct descendents of the the millions of Texas Longhorns that walked in the great trail herds north from Texas in the late 1800's. 

Horseshoe B Longhorns, Charters Towers - Keeping the past alive!

 Charters Towers Custom Saddle Maker

Leahton Park is also home to Bethel Custom Saddles, one of the most renowned custom saddle shops in the country.  A Saddle Shop tour is included as apart of the Texas Longhorn Wagon Tour and is an opportunity to see first hand demonstrations and learn first hand some of this age old craft. 

Since 1988 Bethel Saddlery has had a reputation in Australia & the USA for building saddles & saddlery to an extremely high standard and finish. Any type of competition Western Saddle or Roping Saddle can be made to your requirements along with Western Stock Saddles to suit Campdraft competitors. 

The Wade Saddle (pictured) is the most popular Western saddle made at Bethel Saddlery. For several years now the Bethel Custom Saddles traditional Wade has been one of the first choices of horsemen & horsewomen throughout Australia. Suitable for stock work, colt starting and just general riding, every slick fork Wade is built using the famous Warren Wright rawhide covered saddle trees.

Having been inspired by some of the best saddle makers in the USA and Australia and then later learning from them, this saddlemaker's emphasis is always on quality and finish. His speciality are saddles that are being used everyday by working stockmen and women as well as in competitive events like campdrafting, roping & cutting.

Saddle maker Michael Bethel  has built 600 hundred saddles for people who make their living on horseback from Texas to Tasmania and all points in between.

Bethel Saddlery, Charters Towers - Quality will endure long after the price is forgotten!