THE REMUDA • Buckaroos
In
a remote Nevada cow camp, they jingle in the remuda. There’s a chill in
the air, and steam rises up off the horses’ backs. The jigger boss’s
rope whistles through the air, expertly landing on target. A buckaroo
picks up a horse, halters and leads him to the corral. It’s a ritual
that seems almost choreographed, but to a buckaroo, it’s just part of
another day, an outgrowth of a tradition that goes back 300 years, to
the original Californio Vaqueros. This is the story of how it began in
Alta California, moved into the Great Basin country of Nevada and
Oregon, and shaped one of the world’s greatest horse cultures. 90
minutes
Ten Feature-Length Documentaries in the Complete Series.
Over 15 hours of Cowboy Entertainment.
Four centuries ago, conquistadors entered what is now known
as the American West. They brought horses and cattle and Vaqueros to
tend the livestock. These men were some of the world’s greatest
horsemen.
The Vaquero Series plays tribute to the Spanish influence on the
American cowboy. Branding, roping, rodeo and techniques of handling
cattle, all originated with the Spaniards.
Their first settlement was Santa
Fe in the 1600s. Then in 1690 they colonized Texas and later in 1767
they settled California. The Vaquero culture spread throughout the West
and all the way to Hawaii. When Americans took over this country, they
adopted the techniques and terminology — albeit many of the terms became
anglicized.
This series takes you down the
historical road, but not with dusty old photos. Instead, you meet
working cowboys and cowgirls who inherited these rich traditions and use
them in their working lives every day.