More than 150 horsemen and women from across the state will convene at the Elks Unocal Event Center arena in Santa Maria for the fifth annual Early Californios Skills of the Rancho event, hosted by the Californio Bridlehorse Association (CBA).
The free event runs July 6 through 9 and showcases the horsemanship and stockmanship techniques brought to California by the early Spanish vaqueros during the mission era.
Riders of all different levels—from novices to working professionals—will compete for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. This is the second year in a row that the CBA chose the Elks’ rodeo arena as its venue.
“Working with the Elks last year was great, we’re so glad to be back,” Bruce Sandifer, founder of the CBA, told the Sun. “The facility is perfect for what we’re trying to do, which is provide a stress-free environment for the horses and cattle.”
Sandifer formed the CBA, based in Santa Barbara, in 2008 in the pursuit of preserving the traditional Californio style of riding and roping. The bridle horse techniques and equipment used by the Californios were passed down by families, but were almost lost through time, Sandifer explained.
“It was kind of a lost art for a while because not as many people practice it today as before. It’s definitely not mainstream,” Sandifer said. “What we’re trying to do is keep it alive, because it’s not only efficient, it’s sustainable.”
Sandifer first became interested in Californio horsemanship at age 13, after reading Reinsman of the West: Bridles and Bits by Ed Connell, he said. After high school, Sandifer spent more than two decades working on ranches and learning as many different methods as possible—but the Californio style always stuck out the most to him.
For Sandifer, utilizing the Californio method isn’t as much about putting on a good show as it is about riding in a way that is the most beneficial to both the rider and the horse, he explained. Sandifer, the CBA, and competitors regard the Californio style as a value system, which is reflected in how the horses and cattle are handled, he said.
“It’s about doing the right thing for your horse, giving it as much time it needs to develop and understand things. We’re all about bringing longevity back into horsemanship,” Sandifer said. “The Californio method requires a lot less force, which is good all around—for the horses, the cattle, and the people involved.”
This philosophy is reflected in the Skills of the Rancho competition, which tests riders’ skills in guiding their horse and roping cattle with precision. Contestants must use a rope—at least 45 feet long—to dally around their saddle horn, rather than tie on hard and fast as is common on ranches in the Southwest, Sandifer explained.
“Most competitions are based on time and speed, but our competition is about how well you can get things done without stirring the cattle up,” he said. “Competitors are judged on how quiet they can keep the livestock. Instead of worrying about how long it takes, contestants are focused on taking control and showing real stockmanship.”
The Californio value system is also reflected in the equipment competitors use, specifically the hackamore, which—instead of a bit—has a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the horses face, nose, and chin.
Competitors show their horses in a phase of the traditional bridle-horse training process, whether it’s the hackamore, two-rein, or straight up in the bridle, Sandifer said. Tie-downs and bits with broken or hinged mouthpieces are strictly prohibited at the competition, he added.
“We start all of our horses in a hacklemore, we don’t put anything in their mouth until they’re about 4 years old or even later if we don’t feel they’re ready,” Sandifer said. “We wait until their bodies are pretty well developed before moving on to the two-rein.”
The event is free to the public, Sandifer said, so locals can see and celebrate the Californio style of equestrian competition, where what’s good for riders is what’s good for the horse.
Contributor Caleb Wiseblood can be reached through Managing Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 6, 2017.
