NSHA will honor stock horse tradition at 2008 Snaffle Bit Futurity
Equestrian News Release
PASO ROBLES, CA: For over 150 years, the California stock horse was the trusted partner of the Spanish Vaquero. These finely trained horses performed the day-to-day chores required on cattle ranches, working the great herds of longhorn cattle driven from Mexico to California. The California Spanish Vaqueros have been considered the finest horsemen of all time.
While George Washington was crossing the Delaware, a group of Franciscan missionaries were arriving in California. Many of the priests were sons of nobility, trained from birth to be superb horsemen. They became known as the Spanish Vaqueros (cowboys) who established the stock horse throughout the Americas.
The vaqueros developed the equipment, riding styles and training techniques used to produce the best stock horses the world has ever seen.
When the United States and Mexico went to war in 1846, the art of the Vaquero was almost lost. The following Gold Rush changed California’s complexion and brought about the break-up of huge cattle ranches.
Many years later, the center of the beef industry moved from California to Texas where railroads could transport hides, tallow and beef to the east. The vaqueros now spoke English rather than Spanish and were known as cowboys. Each time they put on their chaps, wide-brimmed hats, and climbed aboard their cow horse, they were paying tribute to the vaqueros who started it all.
In the 1970s, a small group of horsemen decided to take action to preserve the legacy of the magnificent stock horse. The first contest became known as the Snaffle Bit Futurity and was held at the Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif.
The National Stock Horse Association will honor the vaquero tradition as they host their 4th annual Snaffle Bit Futurity at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, Calif., Aug. 17-24, 2008. For more information on the National Stock Horse Association, visit http://www.nationalstockhorse.com.
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