Weaver Leather has been notified by Richard Hattier, owner of Anchor Bridge Ropeworks, Inc. that the rope bridge included with the Cougar Saddle (model numbers 08-01075 and 08-01076) sold between January 2010 to August 2010 may not be suitable for use and should be taken out of service (see letter attached). As a result, the Cougar Saddle should also be taken out of service until a replacement bridge can be sent. This request is being made due to 3 recent incidents involving the failure of these rope bridges, none of which resulted in injuries.
Both Weaver Leather and Anchor Bridge are deeply committed to safety. As a precautionary measure until Anchor Bridge Ropeworks, Inc. can determine the exact reason for this failure, Weaver is assisting in this process to ensure the safety of any user of our Cougar Saddle. Note that this issue has nothing to do with the workmanship, manufacture, design, or production of Weaver Leather’s Cougar saddles. This cessation of use is related to the rope bridge component only.
Please refer to the picture on the Anchor Bridge Ropeworks Recall Notice (see PDF link at right) for the exact product that this request is related to. Please note that prior to January 2010, Weaver used a different supplier for the yellow and black striped rope bridges included with the Cougar saddles. This notice is not related to the yellow and black striped rope bridges, for which, to date, we have not received any reports of failure.
DEALERS...
It is important that you assist Weaver in providing Anchor Bridge's notice of cessation of use to end users of the affected Cougar Saddle, and assist us in coordinating the return and replacement of the affected rope bridges. If you have affected models of the Cougar Saddle or the Anchor Bridge rope bridge in your inventory, do not sell these items and please comply with the instructions on the Anchor Bridge Ropeworks Recall Notice (see PDF link at right) to render the rope bridge inoperable. In addition, please provide copies of the Anchor Rope Bridge letter to every owner of the affected Cougar Saddle you are aware of and able to locate, and assist them in complying. We are relying upon you to communicate this important notice.
CONSUMERS...
Please follow the instructions on the Acknowledgement Form (see PDF link at right) or contact your dealer. Weaver Leather is actively working on obtaining an alternative rope bridge to replace these returns. As soon as we determine that a reliable, safe alternative rope bridge is available, we will send this product to you at no cost, along with instructions for retrofitting the replacement into your and your customers’ Cougar saddles. We apologize for the inconvenience, and appreciate your cooperation and continued support of Weaver Leather products.
