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Photo credit: F. Chehu, V. Gatto, E. Kitching, MW Hyde, G.T. Weaver, M. Williams, L. Patty.
"The Californios" is a unique, one of a kind competition that used to be held in Red Bluff, California from 2000 to 2009. The show is now moving to the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center in Reno, Nevada for 2010.
It features events that mimic the real life working situations of the buckaroo (va-que-ro). It is not a ranch rodeo; the events at "The Californios" are not timed. They are judged by a panel of highly qualified and respected judges who study each team and score them. Things like the size of the loop, the distance thrown, the handling of the slack, the control of the dally, their horsemanship, handling of the cattle, sportsmanship and style are all scored and recorded. Cattle are roped out of "the rodear" (herd) as teams of two or three cowboys expertly lay them down for doctoring or branding.
The stock handling techniques of "Old California" and the Great Basin buckaroo are proudly represented. All horses in all facets of the competition must be ridden in traditional gear.
Almost all the classes at The Californios require ropers to use the signature rope of the buckaroo, the "reata". Only the handiest of hands use the reata well. It is heavier than the man made ropes, can be thrown further, has more "life" than the synthetics and affords the user more shot options. The reata, however, has its down side, if used incorrectly it can break. The "reata man" must understand the reatas requirements and handle them accordingly. Good hands become expert at "running rope" to lessen the jerk, diffusing a static pull on horses and cattle.
Yearling cattle are used in the doctoring events. They are flighty and impulsive in their movements and require a different repertoire of loops and throws to get them snared. Good hands have all the shots they need to handle any class of cattle.
This event is designed to mimic a real life doctoring situation where a handful of men hold up cattle outside in a fence corner or natural enclosure. One of the riders moves into the herd quietly and locates the desired "patient." He works closely with his team members to "set up" a situation to rope the animal and bring it from the herd. Once out, the other team members ride in and heel the animal, taking care not to lose the herd, lest there be other animals that still need attention. The last team member then dismounts and removes the rope from the animal’s neck and places it around both front feet. The best of these teams will work like a well-oiled machine without losing the subtle nuances that make this a living art.
The two man event gives spectators the opportunity to see how a team of two buckaroos rope and affix their ropes for doctoring all on their own. A three-man team works in rotation, ensuring that each member of their three-man team must rope with each other, respectively. This event was also designed to ensure that all team members where required to rise to the occasion and hold their own without a back up team member at the ready. It also helps to present the buckaroos horses doing what they do well, helping their human partners as they work closely together on the ground affixing the ropes. The Two Man competition is definitely one of the many highlights of the show.
There are no other branding competitions anything like the calf branding at The Californios. This fact is an oddity as the way calves are branded at the event is an exact reenactment of the way calves are branded on the big traditional outfits. Cow/calf pairs are settled in the "branding trap." Each team has 15 minutes to rope all of their designated calves. They must do so with style and grace in order to move on to the finals. Only the four top scoring teams get to go on.
The "Heritage" Youth Team Doctoring gives kids 7-14 a chance to show their commitment to tradition. They rope with one adult and are scored just like the other ropers of the weekend. The adults are not scored in this event so the kids have a chance to shine all on their own. It is encouraging to watch these youngsters executing the traditional practices. They are our legacy. The Californios hopes to celebrate their efforts by giving them a place to compete in this fashion.
Youth Horsemanship
The youth horsemanship requirement was added into the total scoring of the youth competition to encourage young buckaroos to learn and polish their horsemanship skills. The youth entering in the roping will be required to perform several dry work maneuvers and will be scored on their abilities as a horseman, not necessarily on their horses level of training.
The "Big Medicine" Bull Doctoring is the finals for the entire weekend. The top scores combined from the Three Man Doctoring, the Two Man Doctoring, Calf Branding and the Semi-Finals Calf Branding will determine the top three teams that go on to rope the bulls.
Bulls need doctoring just like all other classes of cattle and yet are strangely absent from all other roping competitions. The Californios strives to reward the competitors who are the real thing, working everyday on ranches across the West. Bulls are an integral part of ranch life and must be attended to. A single bull is turned into the arena with the team and they must get him on the ground in a smooth, humane and economical way. Bulls may not be choked down. Most teams use all three members to bring them gently to earth. Front foot shots are common and add to their score. Buckaroo fans that have ever wondered how they lay the big boys down; this event tells all. Scores from the "Big Medicine" are added progressively to the teams previous scores to determine the High Team Overall. Custom trophy saddles await these Californios Champions. A team that wins the High Team Overall will have roped 17 head of cattle, from calves to yearlings to bulls, competing with some of the buckaroo world’s best of the best. There are no lucky breaks when multiple head are involved, only skill and consistency.
The stock horse contest features horses trained in the old California and Great Basin traditional disciplines. Entries are only open to cowboys entered in the team competition to ensure the horses and their riders can hold their own in a real working environment. Stock horses and the horsemen that present them are required to work out of the rodear (herd), complete a reining pattern, go down the fence, rope and tie off to doctor. The events at "The Californios" are original and uniquely designed to promote the correct training and handling of horses and cattle in a traditional, time honored fashion.
They are judged in the three traditional categories of the golden days of the California horsemen; Hackamore, Two Rein and "straight up" in the Bridle.
This is the only stock horse contest around that requires horses to handle the actual practice of working with the cowboy on the ground to get the ropes arranged for doctoring. The Californios stock horses are real ranch horses made beneath the endless sky. Fans find them a pleasure to watch and admire.
We invite you to slow down and pay attention to the little things. True handiness is a thinking person’s game. These competitors have dedicated their lives to quality; look for and appreciate the ones who have achieved perfection. It’s the shining light of civility in the wild and untamed world in which they work.
