The still-strong cowboy tradition of the West — and of Santa Ynez Valley in particular — is at the heart of a new documentary made by a pair of local filmmakers. “Tapadero” is a feature-length production by Santa Barbarans Susan Jensen and Paul Singer. The pair earned acclaim for their 2004 documentary short, “Vaquero,” which covered the cowboy traditions existing on area ranches. The new film “picks up where ‘Vaquero’ left off,” Ms. Jensen said, by tracing vaquero history to 17th-century Mexico and detailing the evolution into today’s cowboys, or, as some special few came to be called, “Californios.”

Scenic shots of Western landscapes, cattle drives and horses running free, historic stills and a soundtrack of almost haunting Spanish and country music provide the backdrop for the story, fleshed out with interviews of ranchers, horse trainers and modern Californios.
Several Santa Barbara County ranches are featured in the film, including the Reagan Ranch above the Santa Ynez Valley, the Spanish Ranch in Cuyama and the Cojo-Jalama Ranch near Lompoc.
Mr. Singer and Ms. Jensen detail the vaqueros’ trek from Mexico, through Arizona on the hot, dry “Devil’s Highway,” and ultimately into California, where they became an integral part of the Mission system up and down the coast.

“I wish I could’ve seen California through their eyes,” a narrator says. “It must have been incredible.”

“Their bits and spurs are like jewelry,” Mr. Singer said.
But the film’s primary focus is on the cowboy lifestyle and the passion for open spaces, wildlife and, of course, horses, which today’s cowboys have in common with the vaqueros. 

In today’s fast-changing, technology-driven world, it may surprise some that there are people who make their living herding and branding cattle, raising livestock and riding horses.

“It’s a lot different than it was 150 years ago,” said Wil Bernhardt, manager of the Reagan Ranch. “There are a lot less cattle now. And with the advent of technology, it doesn’t require as many cowboys to do the job.”

The cowboy population may be shrinking, but for those still doing it, there’s nowhere else they’d rather be. If there’s one thing “Tapadero” makes clear, it’s that working as a cowboy is a labor of love.

“I’ve been offered jobs to do things for more money, but I could never quit,” said on-screen interviewee Jay Harney, who works on a ranch south of Sacramento. “It’s not just your job or your livelihood . . . it’s your way of life.”