Director Blake Myers crafts a portrait of the Spanish and Mexican cowboys of California, known as vaqueros, in this new documentary film. Captured through the stories of locals, this visual poem shows the modern side of a centuries-old culture preserved through generational traditions. 

Originally from New Zealand and now residing in Los Angeles, the director spent the past year and a half with his friend, photographer Ben Kilpatrick, documenting ranches along the rivers of the sprawling city. “We both got fascinated by the area,” says Myers. “One day, we approached a few men riding along the fence line outside their stable and asked if we could take some pictures. That’s how it all started.” 

From as early as 1519, horses were imported from Spain to work on ranches built in the Americas shortly after the Spanish arrived. Coming from the Spanish word for cow, vaca, the vaqueros were quickly hired by ranchers thanks to their superior techniques and herding skills. 

By the time the California Missions were started in 1769—religious outposts meant to bring Christianity to the Native American population—the vaqueros’ livestock practices had become the national gold standard, eventually leading to many English-speaking settlers adopting their methods and aspects of their culture in the 1800s. 

Many features of cowboy culture that remain prevalent today originated with the vaqueros, such as high-crowned, broad-brimmed hats and even the term “cowboy”, which was translated from the Spanish word “vaquero”. Celebration of the vaqueros still holds strong; their culture is deeply rooted in various communities throughout California, surviving the waves of gentrifying forces washing away much of the state’s history. 

“It’s personally hard for me to imagine what Los Angeles used to look like before the expansion of the city,” says the director. “In the early 1900s, before the urban sprawl, many areas in South Central and East Los Angeles were still farms and ranches. It was surprising to find that there is still a generation of ranchers carrying on the craft of their ancestors.” 

Text by Devin Grant