Francis Hammond
Legendary
Buckaroo inductees are men of character who were known and admired
for skills relating to the "Buckaroo" life style; old-style bronc
riding, rawhide braiding, horseman skills, (roping and cattle handling),
or a cowboss for a big ranching outfit. Nominees must have worked
in the Great Basin area as a "Buckaroo" within roughly a 200 mile
radius of Winnemucca, Nevada. To avoid conflicts of interest and
problems with "politics," nominees are not accepted until 85 years
after date of birth. Nominations are accepted by the board from
Buckaroo Hall of Fame members only, by July 1st. Board meetings
that determine annual honorees are held the 3rd weekend in July. |
Depending
on which description you go by, the
Great
Basin is a geographic region roughly encompassing most of Nevada, and
parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and a bit of Wyoming. It was first
named the Great Basin by early explorer John Fremont who discovered that
no water in this region drains to the sea. Instead, rivers and creeks all
end in valleys where the water evaporates. |
What
the heck is a "Buckaroo?"
In 1927 Charles M. Russell,
the noted painter and interpreter of the West, commented about buckaroo's
penchant for fancy gear: “…usin’ centerfire or single-cinch
saddles, with high fork an’ cantle; packed a sixty or sixty-five foot
rawhide rope, an’ swung a big loop. These cow people were generally
strong on pretty, usin’ plenty of hoss jewelry, silver-mounted spurs,
bits, an’ conchas; instead of a quirt, used a romal, or quirt braided
to the end of the reins. Their saddles were full stamped, with from 24 to
28 inch eagle-bill tapaderos. Their chaparejos were made of fur or hair,
either bear, angora goat, or hair sealskin. These fellows were sure fancy
an’ called themselves buccaroos, coming from the Spanish word,
vaquero.”
In
contrast, Russell noted, the cowboy "originated in Texas and ranged
north." Unlike the buckaroo, "he wasn't much for pretty; his saddle
was low horn, rimfire, or double-cinch." He identifies another of
their salient characteristics and the reason for it: "Their rope
was seldom over forty feet, for being a good deal in a brush country,
they were forced to swing a small loop. These men generally tied
[hard and fast], instead of taking their dallie-welts, or wrapping
their rope around the saddle horn. Their chaparejos were made of
heavy bullhide, to protect the leg from the brush and thorns." He
goes on to note that they protected their feet "with hog-snout tapaderos,"
those with no flaps. These characteristics are still typical of
cowboys, although the tapaderos are found only in brush country.
Russell seems to have preferred the flashy buckaroo to the plainer
cowboy, or at least he described the California type more fully.
His use of "lass-rope" reflects the dialect of the buckaroo. Without
doubt, however, he understood the differences he observed. {from
book: "Vaqueros, Cowboys, and Buckaroos"} |
Buckaroo Hall of Fame & Heritage Museum
become a Member today
|
|
Coming: hardback book, "Buckaroo Legends 1"
|
Scheduled
to go to print soon, the first edition of collectible Buckaroo Legend
books, featuring complete biographies and photos of the first 70
or so buckaroos that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The
2nd book "Buckaroo Legends 2" will follow later with the
next 25 members, and so forth.
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est 1989, Winnemucca NV all rights reserved
