National Day of the Cowboy 2026
|
It is observed fourth Saturday of July and hits us on July 25, 2026.
It is observed to honor the history, grit, and cultural contributions of cowboys and cowgirls to the American legacy.
I have a checkered past with the cowboys of the world. When I was a child I considered myself a cowboy. What self respecting child in rural South Carolina wouldn't.
I religiously watched all the westerns on television — which were about the only morning television offerings at that time and I reveled in the fights and the songs and the lifestyle presented to me at that young age.
So a cowboy is an animal tender/herder who manages cattle on North American ranches, traditionally working on horseback, working the livestock, and maintaining ranch operations.
They grew out of the vaquero traditions brought to Mexico and Texas by Spanish settlers.
The lifestyle evolved rapidly after 1865 with cattle drives to northern railroads for transport to points beyond.
Historically cowboys included a high percentage of Mexican and Black individuals, even though media arts attempted their total erasure with the advent of the movie genre. SHAME.
Cowboys routinely performed branding, medical care for cattle, mending fences, and sorting herds.Horsemanship: Expert riding and managing specialized working horses, sometimes handled by wranglers.
Their tools include saddles, lariats aka lassos, spurs, chaps, and boots and of course knives, sidearms, and rifles.
Later iterations introduced the world to the "Space Cowboy" who incorporated my beloved technology to the job description to my utter delight.