John Blair was born into his craft and to the western lifestyle. A lifelong resident of Wyoming — Pinedale, Cokeville, Cheyenne, Douglas, and now the Shell Valley, east of Greybull — Blair was introduced to saddle making at an early age by his father, Neal L. Blair, in his saddle shop in Pinedale. After attending high school in Cheyenne, he expanded his leatherwork and deepened his knowledge of saddles while working at the T.J. Holes Saddle Shop. John has built saddles for Slim Pickens, Prairie Edge, Miss Rodeo Wyoming, and various collectors and horse people throughout the United States.