Cowboy Festival Art & Details Released

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

Behold the poster art* for the 2010 Cowboy Festival, Santa Clarita’s annual homage to the western/ranch-hand/cowboy motif & lifestyle that so captivates the imaginations of our people.

This year’s event takes place, as usual, in late April and features “great western music & cowboy poetry, authentic cowboy gear and food, film location tours, and much much more.”

Now don’t get me wrong I really dig learning about and appreciating the Cowboy lifestyle, but if I could pick a little bone…

Pardners, it’s high time we recognize that this valley wasn’t just for Cowboys of the ‘Merican variety; no, saddlepals** we should also demand that our famous Cowboy Festival poster art reflect vaqueros, banditos, and other big-hatted horse people whose heritage belongs more to South of the Border*** than east of the Mississippi.

I’m specifically talking about Tiburcio Vasquez.

Who you might ask?

Only the legendary horse-stealing, woman-loving, gun-shooting, last of the Californio bandits who romper-stompered his way through the SCV and California, that’s who!

The handsome Latin devil! had a way with the ladies, horses, and interesting rock formations

I’ve long thought that Vasquez got a bum rap from the Anglo-Californians who ultimately hung him in a dusty San Francisco street in the late 19th Century. Indeed, if there was any justice in the world, Vasquez would be mentioned in the same breath as Billy the Kidd, Butch Cassidy and Frank and Jesse James, and we, as 21st Century Santa Claritans, would be celebrating the outlaw as one of our valley’s Founding Fathers.

Instead, he’s kind of an outlaw also-ran. Oh sure, we’ve named a dusty, beat up county-maintained road after him. And a high school way up Acton way. And the rocks. But we should do more to remember him; indeed, we should claim him as our own.

So while I like the 2010 Cowboy Poetry Festival poster, I’d like to just ‘get it out there’ that maybe we should really think Santa Clarita and put SCV Bandito Tiburcio Vasquez on the 2011 Cowboy poster. Who’s with me?!

* Incidentally this was the largest image I could find. You can see the original, “A Ready Rope” by Bill Anton here As you can see it’s beautiful and would fit perfectly on the wall of my stable.

** Trying and failing to channel John Boston here

*** This post is largely in jest and I recognize past posters have shown Latin cowboys and horsemen

Comments (7)

Timothy MyersNovember 19, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Jeff: Vasquez was hanged in San Jose, not San Francisco. Also, ironically, though captured in SoCal and stating he wished to return California to Mexican rule, he was removed for trial close to where they crime occurred, the murder of three bystanders during a robbery at Tres Pinos.

KLBNovember 19, 2009 at 4:17 pm

I vote that cowboy butts in tight Wranglers be on the 2011 poster.

cashNovember 19, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Not again Bruce!

JeffNovember 19, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Tim: This isn’t about the actual facts of Tiburcio’s life (anymore than the Cowboy Festival is an accurate depiction of life in the old west), rather it’s about constructing a narrative and claiming a bandit as our own. For a newspaper columnist, I’m disappointed you don’t see the potential here.

CCNovember 19, 2009 at 9:11 pm

Mmmmm, cowboy butts….. Jeff, I think it is more about the filming of westerns in this valley than historical thugs. Relax. Not everything has to have canned ethnic qualities. Sheesh I think the artwork is the best I’ve seen thus far. Do you know the artist?

spineflower2November 20, 2009 at 10:24 am

Cash, it could be worse; at least they would be in jeans, not just chaps.

Leon WordenNovember 22, 2009 at 6:25 pm

What’s sad is that anyone would consider Tiburcio “kind of an outlaw also-ran.” (And you’re right, Jeff, people do). It’s sad because T.V. was far more tenacious — and popular — than the man who, today, is considered to be California’s numero-uno bandido, Joaquin Murieta. T.V. was far more popular with the ladies. You don’t read about women throwing themselves at Murieta. More significantly, Murieta was put out of business after only 3 years. T.V.’s “reign of terror” extended 22 years. By all rights, our own T.V. should be better remembered.

Timothy MyersNovember 19, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Jeff: Vasquez was hanged in San Jose, not San Francisco. Also, ironically, though captured in SoCal and stating he wished to return California to Mexican rule, he was removed for trial close to where they crime occurred, the murder of three bystanders during a robbery at Tres Pinos.
KLBNovember 19, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I vote that cowboy butts in tight Wranglers be on the 2011 poster.
cashNovember 19, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Not again Bruce!
JeffNovember 19, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Tim: This isn’t about the actual facts of Tiburcio’s life (anymore than the Cowboy Festival is an accurate depiction of life in the old west), rather it’s about constructing a narrative and claiming a bandit as our own. For a newspaper columnist, I’m disappointed you don’t see the potential here.
CCNovember 19, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Mmmmm, cowboy butts….. Jeff, I think it is more about the filming of westerns in this valley than historical thugs. Relax. Not everything has to have canned ethnic qualities. Sheesh I think the artwork is the best I’ve seen thus far. Do you know the artist?
spineflower2November 20, 2009 at 10:24 am
Cash, it could be worse; at least they would be in jeans, not just chaps.
Leon WordenNovember 22, 2009 at 6:25 pm
What’s sad is that anyone would consider Tiburcio “kind of an outlaw also-ran.” (And you’re right, Jeff, people do). It’s sad because T.V. was far more tenacious — and popular — than the man who, today, is considered to be California’s numero-uno bandido, Joaquin Murieta. T.V. was far more popular with the ladies. You don’t read about women throwing themselves at Murieta. More significantly, Murieta was put out of business after only 3 years. T.V.’s “reign of terror” extended 22 years. By all rights, our own T.V. should be better remembered.