2009 Marks 60th Anniversary for National Reined Cow Horse Association

From the San Angelo Standard-Times:

The year 2009 represents an incredible landmark for the National Reined Cow Horse Association – as this is its Sixtieth Anniversary. Formed in 1948, the organization was originally called the California Reined Cow Horse Association and it was created to recognize the traditions of the California Reined Cow Horse. The ancestors of today’s reined cow horse first came to the Americas with the Spanish conquistadors. By the time the Spanish missionaries were making their way into California in the 1700s, the vaqueros (cowboys) were well established in other parts of America and came with them into the most western state. For almost 150 years, the California reined cow horse – the trusted partner of the vaquero – worked the great herds of longhorn cattle driven from Mexico to California and performed the day-to-day chores on the vast cattle ranches. The California vaquero – among the finest horsemen of all time – developed the equipment, riding styles, and the training techniques that produced some of the best stock horses the world has ever seen....