Hawaii,Vaqueros and Isabella Bird
If you’re a woman and love to chase barrel, rope steers or jump fences you have Hawaii, vaqueros and Isabella Bird to thank. I’m Susan Allen stay tuned for Open Range. The playing field in equestrian sports would be leveled in of all places Hawaii when in 1872 an adventuress named Isabella Bird bucked societal norms and rode a horse, astride. A Hawaii king had imported cattle that quickly became unmanageable. Enter Mexican vaquero’s hired to work the herds and Hawaii began it’s unique and colorful history in ranching. Isabella Bird (whom a travel clothing line is now named) was a proper English equestrian who rode beautifully and conventionally, sidesaddle. When she arrived in Hawaii she was fascinated by the horsemanship skills of the native women whom the vaqueros had taught to ride astride like a man. Isabella not only adopted their technique but brought the vaquero saddle with her on her famous treks through the Rocky Mountains, Japan, Persia and Tibet causing a social uproar in each locatation with her split skirt and masculine style of riding. Her influence was felt at the start of the 20th century when vaqueros once again helped women gain equality in the saddle by electing twenty five of Los Angeles’ top women riders into their prestigious Vaquero Riding Club. One liberated rider was quoted saying “not one of us would tolerate the old-fashioned sidesaddle” the demise of the side saddle played an interesting role in women’s liberation, the right to vote would soon follow.
