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 - reined supreme. These finely trained horses 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, the riding styles and the training techniques that produced some of the best stock horses the world has ever seen.
 Then came the Gold Rush! The sudden influx of newcomers into the Golden State changed the complexion of California and helped to bring about the breakup of the vast cattle ranches of earlier days. On the ranches that did remain, modern livestock management techniques and machinery eventually eliminated much of the need for a well-trained, versatile working horse.
 By the early 1900s, the reined cow horse had gone from being a necessity to a luxury, and there was little activity to sustain the history or background of this fine animal. Most ranchers were involved in a grim battle to survive the Great Depression. This trend continued through World War Il; few people had the time to be concerned with the history, the horses and the training programs of "the old days."
 Fortunately, all of that changed a few years after the war ended, when a small group of dedicated California horsemen and women decided something ought to be done to preserve the legacy of this magnificent working animal.