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Enjoy a wealth of entertainment and information. Tapadero is the story of the Californio Vaquero and how he became one of the world's greatest horsemen. It uncovers the secrets of the spade bit horse and rawhide reata, and introduces you to the mainstays of vaquero horsemanship, past and present. The Remuda picks up where Tapadero leaves off, and takes you to the land of the Buckaroo, the Great Basin Country of Nevada and Oregon. You'll get an insider's look at famous ranches, like the White Horse in the Owyhee Desert of Oregon and the TS in Battle Mountain, NV. You'l watch as they wrangle in their big cavvys, and expertly rope out their horses for the buckaroos to go to work. You'll see them branding on the open range, using skills passed down by their Californio forebears. The tradition was carried to Hawaii 1833 where the cowboys soon became known as Paniolos (The Hawaiian don't have S in the alphabet so instead of Espaniolos they called themselves Paniolos.) Here they had to adapt the skills and equipment to the environment of Hawaii. The Hawaiian saddle, the brass honda, the Hawaiian loop for branding all are unique to the islands. And of course they are famous for their slack key guitar.

If you're like many who are getting into vaquero-style horsemanship, you're in for a treat with Tapadero. It's gotten wave reviews from Western Horseman, Cowboy Magazine and garnered applause at the Elko and Monterey Poetry Gatherings. Tapadero is the story of the Californio vaquero, telling where he came from, and showing dramatically, that he's still very much alive. The film takes you to California's land grant ranches like the Santa Margarita, where they still rope and brand the old-fashioned way. And unveil the secrets of the spade bit horse, and roping with the rawhide reata. You'll meet vaquero stalwarts like Ernie Morris and the descendants of expert horseman Bill and Tom Dorrance, as well as the young folks who are carrying the tradition forward today.

When the Californios came to the great Basin, they discovered bigger country than most could imagine. Here, everything is big. Like the 5,000 head of cattle they run on the White Horse Ranch in Field, OR, or the hundred horses Remuda on the TS Ranch in Battle Mountain, NV. With the big circles these buckaroos ride, you need a string of ten horses. Never mind that you have to train and shoe them all yourself. Buckaroo is not for the frail or faint of heart.