Fi and Ash from Urban Dust on Cowboy Hats, Career Changes & Chasing the Dream

Fi and Ash from Urban Dust bring together the best of both worlds, city spark and farm-grown grit, and together they are an entrepreneurial match made in heaven.

Recorded in the glorious mountain air at the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival, this episode of Beyond the Buckle sits down with the duo behind Urban Dust for a conversation full of grit, heart, reinvention and big western dreams.

We chat about life on the road in their purpose-built Urban Dust trailer, the reality of packing up, showing up and building a brand one event at a time. Fi and Ash share what it has taken to change careers, back themselves, take risks and create a business that feels deeply connected to the western community they love.

We also dive into the blossoming Rodeo Drifters side of the business, where their dream of creating purpose-built custom hats will bring even more personality, craftsmanship and story to the western hat world.

Of course, we couldn’t chat with Fi and Ash without touching on their unwavering support of junior rodeo at M5. Their passion for backing the next generation of competitors says so much about who they are, not just as business owners, but as people who genuinely care about the future of the sport.

From the lore of the cowboy hat to entrepreneur life, career changes, festival dust, mountain air and the magic that happens when two very different people chase the same dream, this episode is a proper yarn with two of the best in the business.

Pull up a chair and come with us beyond the brim, beyond the business and Beyond the Buckle.

Follow Beyond the Buckle so you don’t miss the stories behind Australia’s biggest western events.

Hosted by Prue Houston, Rodeo Reporter with M5 Rodeo Promotions.

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  www.m5rodeo.com.au

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Recorded on location at some of Australia's biggest Western events, we're bringing you the stories you showed here for the standard. I'm Prue Houston, Rodeo Reporter with M5 Radio Promotions, and this is Beyond the Buckle, the podcast where we go past the arena and into the stories, the people and the partnerships behind it all. And in this episode, you're getting a real look behind the scenes. So let's get into it. Recorded right here at the Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, where tradition meets the modern grit and where some of the best Western businesses in the country are currently trading. Today I'm sitting down with the Powerhouse Duo behind Urban Dust Hat Bar, Fee and Ash McKnight. From a horse float idea sparked over one night to one of the most recognizable mobile hat bars in Australia. And now stepping into the next chapter with Rodeo Drifters, let's get into it. Fee and Ash, welcome to Beyond the Buckle. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Morning, Prue.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

I'm very excited. It's a little chilly morning we've started on, but beautiful. Sunny, but the fingers are cold. How are you guys finding it? This is your first year at the festival.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

It's really good.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Yeah, it is good.

SPEAKER_03 1:08

Family friendly. The crowd's really nice. Very chill crowd, I agree. Yeah. Yeah. And it's steady. So it's a nice, and you can get away and see things. We don't usually get to see rodeos or anything, and last night we were.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Yeah, it was good. We got to the rodeo last night, and we're about to see a bit of the challenge and just meet a few of the people, and yeah, it's been a great experience.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

I guess you need that break because it's a four-day event. The pace, it'd be pretty hard to keep up the late, you know, early mornings, late nights. Sleeping in a swag. Challenging. I wasn't born for it. No, and certainly, you know, like I said to you, put together quite a look for a campsite living, so good on you. So, guys, I'm gonna take it right back. And you know, for those that don't actually know you guys from the scene, why don't you just give us a little rundown as to who you guys are?

SPEAKER_03 1:59

So we met as all modern love stories do on the internet, and I was working over in Hong Kong, back and forth, and yeah, we're from two completely different worlds. I'm very city-based, I'm very country, and he's very country. So I uh kind of had to adapt to country life, and um I think I've done it all right.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

I reckon you all right to it as well, though.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

Yeah, so I had a background in fashion since I was six. So um my dad had menswear stores, so uh yeah, we bought that and that's what we're doing now, really.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yeah, and obviously, like I you know growing up in the country, um growing up on a horse farm, I'm a farrier, I trained racehorses, you know, and then being here I grew up on Man for Snowy River. That was my favourite film. I wanted to be Jim Craig. You know what an amazing journey.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Absolutely, yeah. And I mean, I I feel like that that's captured when you walk around here. Lots of people in our age range of that movie are kind of walking around just in that state of wonderment whether they wanted to, you know, whatever character they wanted to be, but you know, it's just phenomenal. I love how they've captured that here still. Yeah, it's super absolutely, but I guess guys, looking back at what you've built now, the trailer, the brand, traveling the country, trading, and I, you know, I've known you that whole time, and I feel like that's how it's always been, but it hasn't before Urban Dust. What did life look like for you, like before you kicked off with that?

SPEAKER_03 3:42

So I had a wholesaling business, Sterling Silver, which eventuated when I moved to the country, and then COVID hit. So cancelled orders, all that sort of stuff. So we had to pivot, we pivot a lot. So if something happens, even now, you can tell with Rodeo Drifters, we've had to pivot in the last month or so.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

I think we're kings and queens of the pivot.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

I think that is key to being a good entrepreneur is knowing when to pivot and how to do it fast and without too much.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

And I think I'm a bit of a risk taker. This one freaks out a lot. And I'll just be like, oh yeah. So yeah, when things cost a lot of money, I'm probably I don't care. But when things are like minimal, crash and like, nah, we can't. I'm not paying five dollars for that coffee.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

It is funny though, because fee is a risk taker. And I'm the conservative one when it comes to money, like it doesn't bother her one bit. Yeah, but I probably in my background, I take risks every day. But my risks just generally end up me getting injured.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

So fee could tell you a lot of stories of our time together.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Like any good country boy.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Yeah, and look, the running joke was there for a while that I had my own wing in emergency. So I was on first handbag. Shout out to the nurses at Castleman. So uh yeah, they've been great over the years for sure.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

So I've got very good at speeding.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

Oh, sorry, no, I haven't.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

On country roads, safely. Yes, yeah. And I, you know, I think that blend of risk taker with the more conservative, it works well because if both of you were like that, it would be a little crazy. And I think that that balance is kind of what I've seen makes you guys kind of that yin and yang, it works. Definitely, definitely. Yeah, but I do want to revisit that that kind of spark moment you had, Fee. That one night where you just suddenly were like, we're getting a horse float and kicking this off. So tell tell me how did we get there?

SPEAKER_03 5:51

So that was the barley story that's oh right, the the off-camera, yeah, the off-camera moment.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Yeah, that's um not for public that story.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

So I was just laying in bed and we'd started Urban Dust, the store, and it was going very well. And we've got the bricks and mortar in Molden. We came back from Fort Worth and we're inspired over there, and we've got a gorgeous little country town, and I was like, this will be perfect for what we were doing. Yeah, and so we opened that, and then we went to Bali for New Year's, and then we were lying there, and I was oh, how about if we just get a horse float and we start going to events, and then I I still don't know how it happened with M5? Like I don't know if I just contacted them. And we probably having known that they had just started also, yeah. So yeah, and we wouldn't be where we are without their support because since day off, yeah, they were like, yep, great concept, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

But it was a very it was a very work backwards thing because I think M5 was actually on board before we even got the horse float. Phoebe said, Hey, let's do a mobile event, locked them away, yeah, yeah, yeah. She goes, I've reached out to this rodeo in a chuka. M5 Rodeo. I said, Okay, no worries. How are we going to do that? And then I got a barrage of Facebook marketplace horse floats and smells like, yep, no worries. So we're okay, we're uh we're going to Gunnar Guy. I said, are we? We're to Gunnar Guy. We bought a horse float. We towed it home. I had three weeks to get it ready for the rodeo. Yeah. We pulled it off and the rest is history, and here we are. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

And and I think just to make it clear for everyone listening, that you did already have a bricks and mortar store in Malden, which for most people would be enough. And your thought is no, no, no, let's take it on the road as well. So just so everyone's well aware, your beautiful little store in Molden, and yes, one of my favorite little towns. But that's what amazes me is that you didn't kind of put the brakes on at all, you just went for it. Amazing. Why not? And Ash, I'll ask you, uh like we've covered a little bit before your upbringing, fifth generation, yeah, Molden local, horses always been part of your world, studying as a farrier, becoming, you know, recognized as a internationally trained farrier, I believe. Um so you've worked day in and day out on that, but like seeing your lifestyle evolved into where you're at now, it's still within the Western life, but you've become almost like a different career choice too.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Oh, for sure. You know, I probably always I was never big into rodeo. You know, kids we competed at pony club and different things, and you know, horses were your life, whatever discipline you were looking at. But it's all been thoroughbreds and racehorses for me. And you know, I uh I probably if you go back a bit, I I left school to work with my dad in about 1997, ended up breaking horses for about 10 years and breaking about 400 horses in that time. And uh we had a pretty big uh clientele that we uh exported horses into Malaysia.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

And then through necessity ended up a farrier.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

As any horse owner and know, farriers can be a bit hard to come by and consistency and quality, and I really threw myself down the rabbit hole of that journey, so you can attest to that when I put myself through mean a national exam. If she never hears the ring of an anvil again, it'll be too soon. She used to hate it, and I'd be out in the garage making shoes.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Ding ding, I'll put the new barn way down the other way.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Yeah, and evolved into a a a pretty big business. Uh just sort of back about seven or eight years ago out of a very big business, pretty much solely ran out a few workers there from time to time.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

And I hear you're still on speed dial for a few of your favourites, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Yeah, the favourites are still there, and she does sort of go, who's ringing you at 10 o'clock at night?

SPEAKER_03 10:04

Oh, that's oh always glamorous women.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Yes, but some look the little black book of a farrier. I've got to uh to meet some great people and they have some great skill sets of their own, so you never know when you just might need their advice.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Absolutely true.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Yeah, it's been a great journey, but uh the I've gotta say I'm loving the uh the new chapter in in our life.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

We travel the world, we travel to events. I'm now, you know, I'm not gonna say hat expert yet, but you've certainly hat nerd. I'm definitely a hat nerd.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

That's where it starts. That's that's the respect for the craft, you know. And also we'll add she's around here somewhere, Addie. But you get to do this as a family, which is what a lot of people don't get to do in their working lives, you know, and have their children along with them.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

So I just hope she appreciates it later. Because it's a bit hard. You know, it is hard when you're that young. But um, like we both worked in family businesses, so we grew up and we don't hate our parents because of it.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

So not all the time, anyway. I think it's character building. I think it's character building, and you know, I don't think kids ever look at what their parents do. I mean, you could be Hollywood actors, and your kids would be like, Oh, my mum is so embarrassing. Like it's pretty normal, but I think she will look back because you've given her an experience, a life, a viewpoint of the world that is what a lot of people don't get to see.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

And she does love horses, so it's with events like this, you can really get inspired what's around her and the the kids around these events. Oh my god, they're the most gorgeous. Like, I have not like they don't sit on their iPads, they're not on their phones, they're just out there like living and enjoying and seeing what's out there, yeah. Like, and as Australians, you know, you need to see what the country's got to offer. Um, and like we've said, it's a definite tick-the-box moment for people to come to this.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

And I don't know if it's really that advertised, especially someone who's come from the city, yeah, you don't get to know about all these events.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Well, that's why we've got this podcast so we can cross that bridge and make people understand that it's it is achievable to come as a spectator and and not even have a horse like experience or even have horses in your world, but just like an interest in, and I said to Nicole yesterday, uh we kind of at our age look back at our childhood with some nostalgia. Yes, because certain things just don't exist anymore. And you come here to this and it's all there, it's happening. You know, the kids aren't on their phones and they're you know, they're running around and they're you know just having a great time, and there's a sense of freedom in that.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

So and you've got to appreciate the skill of these kids too. So we've got the juniors and the striplings out there competing, you know, alongside our open competitors, and you just we've got this great obstacle course behind us, and yeah, yeah, we look at what these great young horse kids are achieving.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Yep, yeah and even having the confidence to enter, perform in front of a crowd, and you know, we've been watching the bareback course and you know, the same challenge for the you know a 14-year-old as there would be for a 35-year-old, and it's just like good on them. So it's been pretty impressive. Taking a quick break here to thank our supporters, the Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, one of Australia's most iconic celebrations of horsemanship and western lifestyle, and of course, where this episode of Beyond the Buckle was recorded. Now let's get back to it. And I think, yeah, like we touched on Ash, with you becoming, you know, quite serious about steaming, restoring hats, crafting hats. Like, what do you think you love most about finding that little niche within the state?

SPEAKER_00 13:46

I think I love finding the right hat for the right person. We have a lot of people come to us, oh, I don't look good in hats.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Right, challenges.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Exactly. And I say to a lot of people, I don't know which one's right. I said it'll be the first one you pick.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Like a wedding dress.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

I just think most of the time people are drawn to something that takes their eye now. You know, whether that's the beautiful orange hat like you're wearing Prue, and you know, um, or it's something like Fiona's got on, which we'll touch on a little bit later, or the one I'm wearing in the Navy. So yeah, you know, it's just finding what works for you and what you love, and and I think my journey's evolving, and with this whole radio drifters and stuff like that that's uh you know coming along. We're getting myself into custom hat making as well. Yep. So we've sort of kicked that off and it has stalled a little bit because we have been away on a on a trip and fact-finding mission, yeah. So um, but I'll get stuck into that when I get home from here.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Definitely we we are gonna touch on a few things for the future, but like I think I'd love to go back to that first event that you whisked away to.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

What did you think it was actually gonna be like versus how it actually went? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 15:03

Um, I think it was bigger than what we thought it was gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

And we took a lot of stock. Which what was the first event?

SPEAKER_03 15:11

The very first M5. Yeah, so we rocked up to that, we had the horse float, we had minimal hats and a lot of clothing. Yes. And then so it's ref now refined where we now know what people want. Yes. So we've reduced the clothing, but it's very specific. And then the hats are still quite specific now. Yeah. We don't have the range that we had before. And I was taking fedoras. Yeah. So we we've got different events that we go to too. We don't just do rodeos, that's right. So we do the races. So at the races we'll take something that's a bit different, different clientele. Cater what we take to the market.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

It might be a music festival or it could be a pop-up, it could be it could be a hat bar at a wedding. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

So as we're ticking those off, we're knowing exactly what stock we need.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

Yeah. And it's refining the process, which is and I think that's where your fashion background and your eye, Fee and I are both wearing coats from the store. And this is the sort of thing that stops people in their tracks. Yeah. Because you do have an eye for picking up just those unique pieces that still nod to the Western cowgirl country vibe, but they're different to what everyone else is doing.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

So quite classic and something that you can wear for a period of time and not.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

I'm gonna go and like take over a ranch in Yellowstone and I'm feeling very inspired right now with my Beth Beth Dutton coat on. But yeah, I think, and I've I've you know, I see I have seen the stock change over time and how you guys have evolved because I think I stumbled across you at Denny, which another mass massive event that you threw yourselves into. Yeah. And have seen yeah, how you've managed to sort of and I guess you know, get a read on on the community that you're serving.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

So ever want a baptism of fire, be a trader at Denny and not know what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

Yeah, we all have to do the first year at Denny and realize that yeah, that's that that is a huge event.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

I don't I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Yeah, it's it it blew our minds the first year at Denny.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

And we're very lucky too. We've got a really core group of friends that are really supportive of what we do. Yeah, and so you know, a couple of them just put their hand up every single time and we we don't even have to ask, they're just there.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Oh, I thought it was the free tickets.

SPEAKER_03 17:35

We they don't get to see anything, so I don't know what the free tickets are about.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

They can say they've been and then just works like a dog for you know 13 hour days, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

You know, they support us like wholeheartedly, yeah, yeah. Um, and they're really vested in our journey, yeah, which is great. And yeah, we're talking about people from lots of different backgrounds, but you know, they're all city, you know, a lot of IT and and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

And they just have in your life is to come along and help your friends at their you know, Western trading. And you know, I think that's really fun.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

We're very lucky. Good times, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

Sophie, the there's a big difference between having an idea and actually backing yourself. What did you have to push through in those early days to make it all sort of real, or was it just all guns glazing? It's all guns glazing. That's your style.

SPEAKER_03 18:29

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Yeah, you she only knows one way. So there's no backward steps.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

And I never, I know I should do a plan and all that sort of stuff, but I'm like, no, we'll just do it. It's worked out so far. And then yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

But you draw on your experience, your fashion experience, and you know, it's it's inbuilt and ingrained into you.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

And I'm supposed I'm lucky because I've worked from the start of a product right through to it being on the shop floor.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

So the background of having that and being a buyer and a wholesaler for a long time. Yeah, it's yeah. And just I was I had the dream job, like I was traveling the world buying for companies.

SPEAKER_00 19:09

You can really learn to trust your like your intuition and and you loved your job.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

Oh, I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

So then I it was a big change.

SPEAKER_03 19:17

Um I mean but she changed for love.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Changed for a child, and came along, so you know, it it did turn our world upside down a little bit. Yeah, it did.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

It was a surprise package, that one. Yeah, we're not going to hit overseas every week or every month for a week when there's a little baby at home. Yeah, she's six weeks. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Yeah, no, we she's travelled since about three months, I think. Oh good on you. Three months, I think. We took her over to Indonesia.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Wow. So yes, we know she's been more stamps in her passport than any kid that we've come up across.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Well, when I married Ash, I said one thing we have to do is travel.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Because that was my job.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

And then just to see the world, that's what part of this is about as well. Like we see Australia.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Yeah. And there's no there's no event off limits for us. Like, you know, there's a few calculations have to go in there of you know, costing versus return and and things like that, but there's no there's no event we are scared to have a go at. Yeah. Yeah. Last year we travelled up to the Gimpy Master, and that was another great event that's that everyone should probably you know put on the list.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Um just the location.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

Yeah, I I have heard this.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah, magic. Speaking of events, Ash, you have said before that rodeos are kind of amongst your favourites. Yeah, what is it about that space that feels kind of like home to you guys?

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Oh, look, I I do think it's the family connection. Yeah, because it's rodeo families. Look, as a few people will know I have a family connection in rodeo. I never competed rodeo or anything like that, but um you know, I always say that we're f I'm fortunate to be the cousin of Australia's bull riding title holder.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Yeah, claim claim it.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Uh Toby Collins, and he's a he's a great young fella, yeah. Um and always has been.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Yeah, that's terrible. He will not be interviewed, that boy.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Uh no, no, and believe me, Prue I've tried for you. I've tried, and I'll keep trying, but uh yeah, he's very elusive.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

We'll get him one day.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Yeah, so uh him and his lovely wife Brit.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

I would love to chat to them, but they do they do elude me often.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

We we'll keep working on it. Yeah, but uh it's look, the rodeo family are amazing, they really are, they're very supportive. Anytime you need something, those guys will be there to help. Yeah, there's never suck it up, you'll be right. Yeah, you know, it's always a handout. What do you need? Or and vice versa, do you know, with us back to them and yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:48

I think that is how I think a lot of them operate on is that just you know, I've I've got you and you've got me, and we've you know, it's that mateship kind of thing. I think, and you know, that speaks obviously to you guys supporting the Junior Rodeo at M5 so amazingly. Those kids, and that is probably the largest part of the M5 rodeo circuit is that that event. That is huge. And I think we, you know, we love seeing the young writers come through, but they couldn't do it if it wasn't for the support of you guys. So, like, what where did you land on with that? Like, was that just something you automatically knew you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_03 22:23

Yeah, we you have to work up to these things and you know, uh finances and all that sort of stuff. But as soon as we knew we're in a position where we could support something, we're right in there.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

And then it it's coming down to like uh giving them a hundred dollar gift voucher as well, and just making them feel special, yeah, and making them yeah, just want to keep going. And then, but it's the parents as well.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Yeah, but the parents are great too, because the more you connect with their kids, the more they connect with you.

SPEAKER_03 22:55

Yeah, yeah, they put a lot into it.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

And the kids, especially our regulars, one Carter McDonald. Um what a great kid.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

We were hoping to grab Carter to come in and have a few words, but he is competing this morning, so it's a bit for for a long day. We seem to sort of be falling on the same time as people eventing, but you know, certainly, yeah, all those kids, and you know, they love coming to get their hat shaped with you guys and connecting with you. So it runs deeper than just being a name on a banner, I think.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

You guys even the just walking along at an event like this or a rodeo with the kids, and you walk along, you're on a first name basis. Yeah. Um, I don't remember half their names.

SPEAKER_02 23:35

But they come up often a kiddo mate usually does the trick, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 23:38

Yeah, it's a fist bump on the way past. Yeah, yeah. But they have a conversation with you. They do, they're very good.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

They won't have problems doing podcasts like this.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

No, they won't.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

I know the media trainings already go. They already asked me to interview them, so they request me to interview them. So I'm like, you guys are gonna be fine. Yeah, the future is safe with these ones. I think so. I think so. If you're loving this episode, don't keep it to yourself. Send it to a mate, share it on your socials, hit follow, or even better, drop us a review. It helps us keep showing up and bringing you more from this Western world we all love. Okay, now let's get back into it. I think, you know, and you guys are off, you know, running on that trajectory now. We've just finished the season with M5. You guys appeared at every single event, had amazing trade. Was there a moment where you guys kind of looked at each other over this time and sort of went, okay, this is actually working and we're on to something here?

SPEAKER_03 24:32

Yes, well, yes, it's our full-time jobs now. Yeah, so um, and then we did have an exceptional brand that we were so happy with. Yeah, um and in the past couple of months that brand has dissolved, which was really sad for us because we were really supportive of them.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Enter another pivot moment.

SPEAKER_03 24:56

And then yeah, so and they were very supportive of M5 as well. Yeah, and I think we want to be that supportive as well. So we decided, yep. I rang up Ash, I found a factory um in China, and the next day we were on a plane over there from and it was like, how do we do this in between still having the bricks and water and uh getting to ready for men from Snowy Rivers?

SPEAKER_00 25:24

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 25:25

But we've got two really good girls that work for us, oh three actually. Yeah, and they're always there, but there's not a day where I don't I can't call one of them to say, look, can you help me out today? Yeah, and being in a small country town.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

And everyone's been always stuck their hand up. Oh, we'll jump in the shop if you need. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, whatever it might be. So everyone loves playing shop for that. They love playing shop.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

I don't like paying the bills. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Well, I guess that leads me into what I think now is kind of exciting news that we get to share. And you've dropped a few little teasers on the old Instagram, but you know, the exciting news that you're stepping into something new with rodeo drifters, sourcing and crafting quality Western hats. So the vision there, you know, what are you bringing to make it yours?

SPEAKER_03 26:17

Well, we are um we're being the highly challenging. Because of my fashion background, we will be introducing colour. Um might not be so maybe not this much colour. So over the past, no, uh over the past three years, we've really refined the styles that work well for everybody. And Ash can shape the hat anyway. So, and we want to get to that price point that is happy, and that you know, the kids that are coming to buy a hat from us can afford their first quality hat that's gonna last until their heads growing and keep building that up.

SPEAKER_00 26:59

And just meeting each level for each customer is I think what we've really focused in on. You know, I guess you know, our entry level points sort of that $130 mark, and it's quite affordable for most people. And right up to, you know, we can we can sell you a very expensive hat, not a problem. Not a problem, but we've ever the quality is that key. Um we don't want someone coming back and go, oh my hat's no good three weeks later. Yeah, and we just want repeated customers and you know, just part of the bigger um urban dust family, I suppose.

SPEAKER_03 27:37

And it's the process. I don't think like when we went to the factory, you don't realise the processes that go into producing that it takes forever. Yeah. Um and they're all Aussie wool. Yep. Yep. And then the rabbit is not really Aussie, is it?

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Uh no, well the factory the factory sort of they have their own own farm for harvesting. Right.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Um it's for diseases and section.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

We don't we don't harvest rabbit for hats in Australia because of the diseases introduced here to control the rabbit population. Yeah, um and the the qual because it's all harvested a lot of it you know from Europe and and places like that, but it's um much higher quality. Uh it's a completely different breed of rabbit, they're bigger and all those sort of things. And then obviously we step from there into beaver and and stuff like that. I do get some funny looks sometimes when you say something's got beaver in it.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

Yeah, no, you've told me before about something with beaver, and I was just like, I don't even know. I just it's a really nice hat.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

Yeah, and without being too um you know, invasive on species, you know, uh I think the more exotic it is, the the more desired it is, too. Well, no, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

That's that's you know, you've got your snakeskin boots and all kinds of things like that, so it's like the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

It stands out more than when you go go to Texas and and Fort Worth and what what's achievable over there as well mentality. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

Uh I don't hold back, it's pretty inspiring when you're over there. We agree completely. Yeah, just uh what joy it was this.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

And I think it's too in Australia, it's just trying to get people we sort of call it the Kmart culture a bit.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Yeah, into the open stuff.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Yeah, that can run off to Kmart and get what you need. Um but we just want to bring quality to the market at the right price points. Just have a hat for everything.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

And I mean where I land with that is I think people like to dabble in a fashion, and I guess those cheaper options are where people can put their toe in the water, and then you'll see them evolve as I have become more, you know, like asking you questions about my hat and trying to understand it and trying to grow.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

So I'm looking for not always liking the answer.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

No, but you know, just like I think that you know, people dip their toe into this fashion and and if they're not living the lifestyle naturally, it's about them understanding it. And I think then they grow. And then if they meet people like you guys, you can guide them through that and bring in those quality pieces because it does really change the game when you get those nice you know, nice hats on your head and you know, nice clothing and quality's very sensory, you know, it's it's a touch and feel thing, and it's you just see pits.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Prue, you've seen this when you coming out. Okay, we try this hat on, yeah. And you go, oh yeah, it's really nice and it looks great. Okay, now try the high-end one on. Yes, which is like stop it.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

Yeah, exactly. I had had this experience, exactly. So, no, I completely understand. I mean, we are super excited about what you guys are gonna do with rodeo drifters. Like, I think knowing you and understanding how you work, I think that's gonna be an amazing feather in your cap, such. But I do have to ask, and I like I said, we we know each other and I know you guys are be honest, working together, traveling together, building this together. I definitely know the answer to this, but let's let's do this for the listeners at home. Who's the calm one and who's pushing the next big idea?

SPEAKER_03 31:14

Oh, I'm always pushing. Fiona's the pusher for sure. I come up with ideas every day.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Yeah, and sometimes I think my practical brain kicks in and goes, like, how are you gonna achieve that?

SPEAKER_03 31:26

And I'm like, we'll do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

Yeah, just do it. And I'm just like, uh no.

SPEAKER_03 31:31

Yeah, that annoys me.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

She doesn't like no.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

So I just continually pull it. Just watch me, hold my VR. Let's I'm gonna find someone else to do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

And then yeah, the quote comes and she goes, Hmm, that's so And then you do it. And then I do it.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

You shouldn't even explain at the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

She knows how to work me. Don't you?

SPEAKER_02 31:52

Like any, like any good marriage.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Just tell me I can't do something, and I'll go, okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:58

But I think it would be madness if you were the same. Like I've you know, I've travelled with you guys and I've seen that you you keep yourself calm. Now there might be a lot going on underneath the surface, but you do keep a very calm demeanour.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

I think that's any couple though. It's you're gonna have your moments and you're gonna blow up and you're you know, you're gonna disagree, you know, but at the end of the day, you'll go full circle, you come round, you'll meet at the same point, yeah, and we'll soldier on and we'll do the best we can. You know, we're full steam 110% all the time.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:29

It's tiring, it's hard work, yeah. There's a lot of travel. Yeah, mistakes get made, generally by me. But um you know, that's a story that Fiona probably loved to tell. Fiona is sleeping in a swag this week.

SPEAKER_03 32:46

So, we're all about growth fee.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

We have stayed in some dodgy motels this year. That's all I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

Yeah, we were thinking about doing the the uh blog of dodgy hotels on our journey.

SPEAKER_03 32:58

Oh my god. But anyway, no, everyone thinks it's quite glamorous. Um, it's not. No.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

So most of the beds are angled a leak of plant paint and you know, it it'll look good.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Well, that's what I think.

SPEAKER_02 33:13

Oh my goodness. I think while we've got you sitting here with all your expertise, I would love you to just put out maybe, you know, you kind of your top three rules for handling where you put your hat, how you wear your hat, you know, there's there's some cowboy rules.

SPEAKER_03 33:29

I can't do it because I just throw mine in the car. All right, so actually give us the cowboy law, the cowboy law for hats.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Well, I mean, I think you go and spend money on a good piece of kit.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:41

Please try and look after it. Yep. I think the big thing is just how you travel with your hat, yeah, or when you take it off, how you put it down. So don't put it flat on the brim. You know, so like we've got the camera on, you know, don't don't put it flat on the table.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:57

Yeah, it's gonna knock the brim out of shape.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Okay. Um we had this discussion last night, and I was told off for doing exactly that.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

Flip it upside down, put it on the crown.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

If you get the opportunity to hang it when you're not wearing it, do that. Yeah, just gets a bit dirty and dusty, give it a brush off. If you're not wearing it every day, just give it a brush off. Hat brushes are pretty cheap. Yep. Yeah, knock the dust off, hang it up, have it looking good for next time you want it, grab it and away you go. And the other don't leave it on the dashboard and tell me that it shrunk and that there's something wrong with the quality. And I said, Oh, did you leave it on the dashboard? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

And I was like, hmm, that'll do it.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

That'll do it. And just look, get professionally fitted.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time hat buyer or you're a seasoned cowboy, just come and get it professionally fitted. There's lots of levels to fitting, you know, and you know, everybody's heads fit different. We've seen some different-shaped heads over our journey so far.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:59

And uh some of them are tricky. Wow. But we always tend to get the job done, and and you just want hats got to be comfortable, not uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_03 35:07

There's so many stories too. People come in for hats, like if if it's traditional, if it's health concerns, all that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Yeah, but even the ones that that turn up with their handed down grandfather's hat. I mean, here's a great little story Ratchuka Rodeo, and a young girl comes in. Oh, look, would you be able to reshape my hat? I don't really like the style. Anyway, um, give us your hat. She hands it over. And I start looking at it and feeling it, and it's like, hey Fee, come and do this. So this is a 50-year-old Stetson handed down to from her grandfather. She had absolutely no idea what it was. It was a pretty rare model. It was it's you know, at the time would have cost him a a good deal of money. She had absolutely no idea. And I said to her, just don't don't change it. Restore it to where it's supposed to be. Yeah. We made it fit for her, it was a little bit big for her, and I said, just wear it and enjoy it and love it. And you know, I said, that's an heirloom for life. Just a beautiful hat, beautifully made, old school. You know, it was uh yeah, it was it great to see that. And and look as a as a Stetson seller too. Um, you know, we see lots of these coming, people come back to the States with these great Stetsons, and they make an awesome product, you know. They're yeah, they've just gone 160 years, and that's incredible. Another limited edition range has just has been released this year, you know. And when I say limited, they're very, very few out there. They only have a couple of stores. We do have a few in store. So if you're looking to uh get a limited edition, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

So uh Addy's gonna inherit them otherwise.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Yeah, but um so Addy's like, yeah, no one buy them, please.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

They're all got a story behind them, and and yeah, I won't go into the JB Stetson story, we can look that up, but the JB Stetson story is pretty amazing of where the cowboy hat came from. Wow, and um, yeah, he was the the base of the founder of of the cowboy hat.

SPEAKER_02 37:07

So incredible. Where do you sit with the cowboy hat superstitions? Oh you're not into it, Feet. No, you're not buying it?

SPEAKER_00 37:16

He chucks them everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

I still don't put mine on the bed. That's the one thing I'm like, I just can't bring in all that bad luck. Like, no, it's not happening.

SPEAKER_03 37:23

See, I never knew growing up in the city that was even a thing.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Yeah. But now they also say smashing mirrors is bad luck, seven years bad luck, and we've smashed a lot of mirrors on these trips, so uh we're still ticking along pretty strong. So um, yeah, look, it it's all it's all what you believe, do you know?

SPEAKER_02 37:40

And I do like that it has some weight to it though. There are people that will, you know, die on that hill of superstition.

SPEAKER_00 37:47

I think uh you just res you respect the rules of the cowboy hat. Yeah. Do you know? You don't have to go home and believe it. Just respect the rules of the cowboy hat and you know just enjoy its journey. It it's just a it's a great piece to your wardrobe, really.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

Hides a lot of pieces you can never have enough. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

If you get to walk into our house, there are cowboy hats everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 38:17

Everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Everywhere. One day we might get that sorted out properly.

SPEAKER_03 38:20

Oh, I will probably get that sorted out.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

I'll shape them.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

This one collect them. He's a farmer. They just collect everything.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Oh hat cans and walls and coat hangers and they're they're everywhere, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 38:35

But uh yeah, I can't have enough of them, so I'm with you, Ash. I'm sorry. So, guys, we uh want to finish up with a little segment that we have at the end of the podcast called the Buckle List. So, as you can imagine, it's kind of like a bit of a play on the bucket list, but it's a basically an opportunity to sort of ask you guys what's on your buckle list? Maybe it's life's business, rodeo world, anything. What's what's something you've earmarked for the future?

SPEAKER_03 39:02

I think getting rodeo drifters off the ground.

SPEAKER_00 39:04

That's number one.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

That's already happening.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

You've got that. There's got to be a what about the body goals? Let's go. There is a little bit to go. No, we do. We want to um, you know, we want to be the we don't want to be a cobra, but we would love to be able to sponsor, be the hat sponsor of something. Maybe M5, maybe one day, that sort of thing. Um you know, and we want we love helping people. We we don't I think we're very candid in what we people don't know we're helping them. They know that we're helping them, but we don't go and tell many people behind the scenes what we what we do to help people along. But we're always giving.

SPEAKER_00 39:49

So we're not um and so I think if we keep doing that, I just think if you if you keep being kind and you keep you know being true to yourself, that you know, the the universe will look after you in the end. And you know, I think that list through I'm in the same line as fee, Rodeo Drifters off the ground. I still be married to sort of traveling together. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

Maybe get a nice band to travel in so I don't have to swag it.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

Well, it's okay because we're gonna win we're gonna win the goose neck to the city. Oh no, that's that's mine.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

Sorry, just horsey people, horsey people. No, I saw him last night, I'm like, that's my gooseneck, and um I'm taking it tonight, I'm taking it home tonight.

SPEAKER_00 40:30

But uh, I think like personally, I want to be the hat maker that every rodeo cowboy comes to. That would be my ultimate goal. Yeah. I want them to be on speed dial and say, hey, I need a new hat. So that would be, you know, whether that takes a month, a year, or ten years. I mean, it's all down the track. But just want to bring quality to the market. Yeah, we want you know, personal touch. And everybody's different. We have some some tough little customers that come in and uh once again, Carter McDonald.

SPEAKER_02 41:07

Um they know what they like, he knows what he likes.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Uh and it's quite funny. You know, I was talking to his dad the other night. So Carter came and annoyed me again. He goes, Oh, just tell him to go away. No. But he's a great kid and a great family. Uh we love you know supporting them and them supporting us. Absolutely. Yeah, we'll just keep one cowboy boot in front of the other and uh and just keep on the journey.

SPEAKER_02 41:36

Well, guys, from a one-night idea of the horse float to building something that's traveling the country backing the next generation and now stepping into a whole new lane with rodeo drifters. Fia Nash, I believe you're not just shaping hats, you're shaping a space in the Western industry that feels real, intentional, built to last. And for me personally, somewhere along the way, this turned into a pretty special friendship with us, which I love because I trust you guys for advice. You've always looked after me out here on the road, being that I just joined the circuit over summer, and let's be honest, my hack collection is elite because of YouTube.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

And only gonna get better.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

And only gonna get better. I'm so excited. Thank you for joining me, and I reckon you guys are only just getting started. Thank you. Thanks again. That was a little emotional. That is it for this episode of Beyond the Buckle, recorded on location at some of Australia's biggest Western events, bringing you the stories you don't hear from the stands. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube so you don't miss what's coming next. Because the arena is only part of it. The rest happens beyond the buckle.