The working cowboy is still very much alive and well in the land where he began — California. A compelling new DVD documentary, Tapadero takes you on the fascinating journey from the ancient roots of this American icon to the gorgeous ranch lands of California as well as Nevada, where cowboy disciples still practice the way of life originated by the Spanish vaqueros.

Discover where the first cattle and horses came from, how the early California mission system helped establish the ranching lifestyle, and how the west coast climate helped to create some of the world’s finest horsemen. Learn how vaquero practices evolved into those of the modern-day American cowboys, who added their own buckaroo style to horsemanship — the style that later would become the foundation of the horse training taught by the legendary Dorrance brothers and other natural-horsemanship clinicians.

Perhaps the best part of the eighty-minute program is the opportunity to see present day buckaroos on horseback carrying on the vaquero traditions on the vast and beautiful ranches they call home.