Yellowstone has returned to The Paramount Network and Paramount Plus, with Season 5B kicking off with a major name change from Lloyd Pierce, played by Forrie J. Smith.

Billy Klapper, a renowned spur maker and the last of his kind to make one-piece spurs for cowboys, was mentioned.

Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, was pictured admiring some spurs at a store in Pampa, Texas. These particular tracks were made by the real Billy Klapper himself, a figure known to every rancher and cowboy in Pampa.

Billy created his first few tracks in 1966 while working as a ranch hand. His creations quickly became popular, causing him to focus on making tracks full-time.

His craftsmanship was quickly recognized by the worldwide community of ranchers and cowboys. He filmed a guest role for the final episodes of the series, but sadly died on September 10, 2024, before he could see his on-screen appearance, the Mirror reports.

Billy died at the age of 87 at his home in Pampa, surrounded by his daughters. His career began as a ranch hand at the Buckle L Ranch in Childress and later at the Y Ranch in Paducah.

He spent a lot of time with the famous bit and spur maker Adolph Bayers, who inspired him to delve into the world of spur making.

Billy met his wife Roberta in Amarillo through mutual friends, and they married in 1973. They remained together until her death in 2021.

His obituary read: “Billy will be remembered as a good man, a friend to all, and above all, a ‘true’ cowboy.”

“He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Billy has put ‘Western’ in the Western heritage for years and now he is part of the heritage.”

He is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

In a candid conversation with Western Horseman prior to his passing, Billy talked about a pivotal moment in his life when he had to choose between his profession and his cowboy lifestyle.

“It got to the point where I was getting so many orders that I had to stop making bits and spurs, or stop doing cowboy work, either,” he said.

“Maybe I have to work a little harder for this, but I thought I could make more money and stay warm in the winter.”

“I loved cowboying, but there’s no money in it, and I had a family. It’s just living from one paycheck to another.”

In the hit series Yellowstone, Rip was honored with a pair of tracks made by the legendary Billy Klapper. “We’re running out of legends, and there’s no one left to take their place,” one of the 6,666 ranch cowboys told Rip.

Yellowstone airs on The Paramount Network in the US on Sunday, while UK fans can catch up on Paramount Plus on Monday.