Its now two days since I have returned home to the Great Frozen North after a simply perfect weekend in California at the Santa Ynez Vaquero Show and Sale with Bruce Sandifer being the Honored Vaquero this year and all my "Colorado" sistahs in attendance as well made for the perfect reason for jumping on a plane and heading south for a few days...
And what a brilliant time it was! Friday was spent ogling all the trade show vendors with everything from 18th century bits and spurs, turquoise and silver jewelry, hats, new gear and saddle makers, books, music and laughter by the bucket load. Add to that a glass of California wine, great friends and sunshine, the day sped by. The evening gala dinner and auction celebrated Bruce's enormous contribution to preserving the traditions and passing on Classical Californio Bridle Horsemanship. Truly one of the great ones, and yet humble, humorous and inspiring.
Saturday was an eclectic mixture of wine tasting in one of the seemingly endless venues for this favored pastime in the picturesque town of Santa Ynez, more shopping, Bruce's presentation on the gear and its use in the balance/signal system, and then a BIG treat. We were permitted to tour a private collection of Vaquero tack and art and to say it was completely overwhelming was an understatement! Every millimeter of hanging space, standing space, wall space, air space was filled with silver bits, spurs, saddles, artifacts, books and artwork that would fit! To see and touch the beauty and memories held in each of the many thousand pieces was an experience I'll cherish for ever!
And what a brilliant time it was! Friday was spent ogling all the trade show vendors with everything from 18th century bits and spurs, turquoise and silver jewelry, hats, new gear and saddle makers, books, music and laughter by the bucket load. Add to that a glass of California wine, great friends and sunshine, the day sped by. The evening gala dinner and auction celebrated Bruce's enormous contribution to preserving the traditions and passing on Classical Californio Bridle Horsemanship. Truly one of the great ones, and yet humble, humorous and inspiring. 
Saturday was an eclectic mixture of wine tasting in one of the seemingly endless venues for this favored pastime in the picturesque town of Santa Ynez, more shopping, Bruce's presentation on the gear and its use in the balance/signal system, and then a BIG treat. We were permitted to tour a private collection of Vaquero tack and art and to say it was completely overwhelming was an understatement! Every millimeter of hanging space, standing space, wall space, air space was filled with silver bits, spurs, saddles, artifacts, books and artwork that would fit! To see and touch the beauty and memories held in each of the many thousand pieces was an experience I'll cherish for ever!
