Words by Jennifer Jory
You’ve probably driven past Olsen Nolte on El Camino Real in San Carlos numerous times, noticed the horse perched on top of a simple sign saying Saddle Shop, and wondered: How has this business lasted so long? If you walk inside, you’ll meet one of the main reasons it’s stood the test of time. Owner Al Baglietto started working at Olsen Nolte in 1957, back when he was still in high school. “I have never left,” he jokes. “I was just a kid interested in horses.”
He fondly recalls being 11 and taking Junior Rider lessons with Myra Duncan at her farm at Woodside and Kings Mountain roads in Woodside. Now in his 80s, Al still rides Western-style and keeps a horse with a trainer. His wife Nancy used to ride English, but has since hung up her saddle. The couple lives in Portola Valley and is known for being knowledgeable about all things horse-related.
Long ago, Al and Nancy decided that the best way to work together selling Western and English riding gear and apparel was to divvy up the responsibilities. “He buys equipment and I buy the clothes,” Nancy says, pointing out that she insists vendors send her fabric swatches so she can touch the products before ordering them. “This is a business you have to know and appreciate.”
Al is also a strong proponent of selecting the very best. “A part of what’s made it successful is that safety is the No. 1 issue. Choosing quality will make sure equipment won’t break,” he says. Most of the products sold at Olsen Nolte are made in America. In fact, most tourists who stop in request items that are marked “Made in the USA.”
Olsen Nolte last made its own saddles, bits and spurs in 1985. The business dates back to 1936, when saddle-maker Al Nolte opened up the original store at Third Street and Newcomb Avenue in San Francisco’s Bayview District, then a hub of stockyards, trains and boats. John Olsen joined the company a year later and bought out his partner in 1939. Al likes to honor that momentous year by always wearing a silver belt buckle the shop made to commemorate the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island.
In the early days, Olsen Nolte’s customers were cowboys—some were seeking new gear and others wanted repairs. A life-sized papier-mâché horse named Mitch was used to fit harnesses, and now stands in the back of the store. The San Carlos location opened in the early 1960s, replacing Olsen Nolte shops that had been located in Redwood City and Palo Alto. The Bagliettos bought the business in 1965 and still remember when stockyards were located near Broadway and the train tracks in Redwood City. “This is just a convenient location, close to two bridges and the airport, and we get a lot of people from across the Bay and the coast,” Al says.
Nancy describes today’s customers as “more pleasure riders, not working cowboys anymore—more wannabe cowboys” who are buying boots for line dancing and hats and shirts for costume parties or vacations at dude ranches. “We carry a lot of the traditional stuff and a lot of the fun party stuff, party shirts that are embroidered,” she says, noting the American flag shirt is popular for both the Fourth of July and concerts.
Celebrities such as Bing Crosby and Neil Young have shopped at Olsen Nolte, as well as Tennessee Ernie Ford, who turned heads when he sang his trademark tune, “Sixteen Tons,” while in the store. The couple still smiles when talking about the time singer Art Garfunkel showed up barefoot. Other memorable shoppers include the San Francisco 49ers, who came after the team made it to the 1982 Super Bowl in Michigan and wanted to get outfitted in cowboy boots and hats.
Even non-celebrity customers have made lasting memories at Olsen Nolte. One time, a group of Islamic shoppers were in a panic because they needed a place to pray. The Bagliettos accommodated them by setting them up in a private room with horse blankets to use as prayer rugs. And Nancy has to laugh about the cheeky mother and grandmother who came in about 10 years ago with little kids who tried on clothes and climbed on saddles. After taking pictures, they left without buying anything but thanked Nancy on the way out for helping them come up with a cute Christmas card.
Over the years, Olsen Nolte has provided complete outfits for TV commercials advertising everything from McDonald’s and GMC trucks to pharmaceuticals and cookies. The shop used to make things for Disneyland’s Frontierland, including gear for its horses and carriages, and gun holsters for the cowboys. Scattered around the store are many items for sale that come with their own histories, such as the custom-made Olsen Nolte saddle from the late 1940s and a sterling silver Visalia bit that was hand-forged in the late 1930s. Artifacts decorating the walls and ceilings lend themselves to even more storytelling. If you stop by, ask about the harness that businessman Ralph K. Davies acquired when he bought an old fire house in San Francisco.
The Bagliettos clearly delight in working among all the old and new items. They just wish more people were bitten by the same passion they have for all things equestrian. “Our children are all grown up and ready to retire. Our grandkids have their own careers, and no one is horsey,” Nancy says. “Horses, in general, are not as prevalent as they were 20 to 30 years ago,” she observes.
Even so, Al remains optimistic about the enduring loyalty of their many longtime customers. “We’re seeing third and fourth generations. If grandmothers are horse owners, you can believe granddaughters are involved. We’re seeing a revolving door, basically.”