Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls: Life Lessons Learned on the Back of a Horse - Hardcover

Maier, Tom; Witter, Rebekah Ferran; Shepley, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1580173659 ISBN 13: 9781580173650

Publisher: Storey Books, 2001

Synopsis

In the 20 years since Tom Maier established the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls, he has trained more than 300 young women to do astounding riding tricks. Maier also teaches these simple truths: that values are taught through the disciplined pursuit of a goal, and that you don't give kids confidence and self-esteem, you show them how to earn it.

Coming from diverse backgrounds, the Cowboy Girls are renowned for their trick riding and roping act, but they are the real thing. Here is both the grit and the glory of world-class trick riding, plus real cowboy work - handling herds of horses and cattle, saddling mustangs, and driving stagecoaches.

This is the story of Tom Maier, of Riata Ranch, and of the young women whose lives have been enriched there. Told through rich text, entries from the diary of a current Cowboy Girl, the memories of Riata Ranch alumnae, and full-color photographs throughout, the story is spectacular and inspiring.

The Cowboy Girls have performed on network TV and in rodeos, Olympic exhibitions, horse-driving competitions, and NFL half-time shows. They have traveled to 15 countries and have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, and Cowboys & Indians magazine.

About this title

About the Authors

Larry Mahan is a six-time World Champion Cowboy (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) and an inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Tom Maier, founder of the Riata Ranch, is a former Hollywood stunt cowboy and professional rodeo champion. For more than 40 years he has taught young people from the towns and ranches of California's San Joaquin Valley a unique combination of self-confidence, self discipline, horsemanship, and performance skills.

William Shepley, based in southern California, specializes in Western photography.

Rebekah Ferran Witter is author of Living with HorsePower!, Winning with HorsePower!, and America's Super Horse: The Story of Rugged Lark. She lives in Menlo Park, California.

From the Back Cover

Many girls dream of a thrill and challenge of riding a horse in a world-class performance. Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls tells the story of the young women who are living that dream.

Since 1957 Riata Ranch has used the values and traditions of the American Western heritage to build character through disciplined instruction. In Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls Tom Maier, owner and founder of Riata Ranch, and noted equine author Rebekah Ferran Witter tell the story of Riata Ranch and of the hundreds of young women whose lives it has changed.

Highlights include full-color photographs by William Shepley; first-person narrative from the diary of Cynthia "Tiger" Beltran, the youngest member of the current Cowboy Girls; and memories from Riata Ranch alumnae throughout the years. Also included are the strategies of teaching and training that have made Riata Ranch and Tom Maier renowned throughout the equestrian world, along with their secrets on riding, stablekeeping, cowboying, and general horsemanship.

Combining their history, the details of their daily lives, the spectacle of their thrilling performances, and the training tips that have made them one of the top equine acts in the world, this book captures the Cowboy Girls' spirit and allows readers to carry that spirit into their own riding and training.

Since 1957 Riata Ranch has used the values and traditions of the American Western heritage to build character through disciplined instruction. In Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls Tom Maier, owner and founder of Riata Ranch, and noted equine author Rebekah Ferran Witter tell the story of Riata Ranch and of the hundreds of young women whose lives it has changed.

Highlights include full-color photographs by William Shepley; first-person narrative from the diary of Cynthia "Tiger" Beltran, the youngest member of the current Cowboy Girls; and memories from Riata Ranch alumnae throughout the years. Also included are the strategies of teaching and training that have made Riata Ranch and Tom Maier renowned throughout the equestrian world, along with their secrets on riding, stablekeeping, cowboying, and general horsemanship.

Combining their history, the details of their daily lives, the spectacle of their thrilling performances, and the training tips that have made them one of the top equine acts in the world, this book captures the Cowboy Girls' spirit and allows readers to carry that spirit into their own riding and training.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Holding Your Head Up High

One important aspect of a Cowboy Girl's education echoes from an ancient, universally resented maternal supplication: "Stand up straight!" Well, much as it hurts to admit it, Mom's right. Good posture is the skeletal foundation of personal bearing, proper equitation, and lifelong fitness.

"At Riata we emphasize staying fit and strong," advises Jennifer Welch. "Don't lose your energy and your activity over the years. Many schools have dropped gym classes, and recent reports indicate obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States. Our hope is that the fitness training each girl gets here she'll take with her. In addition to fitness we teach movement: how to walk up and down stairs gracefully, how to sit and stand properly, how to make an entrance. And, yes, we do walk around with books on our heads to keep our chin lines parallel to the ground."

Former Riata student Diana Pierce laughs as she recalls a posture lesson from Tom. "I vividly remember Tom telling me, 'Sit up straight in the saddle; don't slump over like a sack of potatoes!'

"It hadn't occurred to me that I wasn't sitting up straight, but he came over to the horse, placed his hand in the middle of my back and made me sit up straight. From that moment on I had the straightest back of any of those riders. To this day people compliment me on my posture."

The Cowboy Code

Riata Ranch gives its students a solid foundation rooted in traditional cowboy values. Having grown up in a time and place that were still governed by traditional values and the Code of the West, Tom has planted those values deep in Riata Ranch. Cowboy values have served Tom and Riata well over the years, passing on ideals such as living your word, doing your job well, honoring your commitments, and treating others fairly. "Living by your conscience" is the best summary of the Code of the West. It is a strong notion, but one that makes it crystal-clear that at Riata everyone is accountable for her own choices and actions. This pretty well eliminates excuses.

No Excuses and No Complaints

As the record shows, even during numerous life-threatening illnesses and accidents Tom has been the proverbial rock, showing courageous calm and logical realism rather than railing against fate. In entertainment his business may be drama, but in an emergency he's all business and no drama at all.

This is the example he sets for Riata: Assess the situation, do whatever possible to improve it, then accept the outcome. When the outcome is arduous he acknowledges, "This too shall pass." When the outcome is favorable he notes, "Things usually work out for the best." Either way, he accepts life in stride.

That Riata Style

In appearance and bearing there is a style, an aura, a "Riata persona" that all Cowboy Girls develop, yet Riata nurtures individuality so each girl is very much her own person. Paula Herrera's interest in presentation turned into a fascination with fashion design, inspiring her and Idalia Reveles to switch from the current baggy teenage style to wearing dresses at school. "These girls don't have much money, but they both sew and they make it work," says Tom. "They look nice. I am so proud of them!" Bucking the fashion trends of high school is a mark of strong individuals.

In their Riata uniform of neat jeans, pressed shirts, and white hats, Cowboy Girls may look alike to the uninitiated, but that's as far as it goes. As Idalia realized, "When I first visited Riata Ranch I noticed everyone wore cowboy hats. I'd never seen that before. Since everyone looked alike I thought everyone was the same. But when I started training at Riata, I found everyone was different. Now I know when I put on that hat, I'm an individual."

Jennifer adds, "People often think our hats are part of a costume. But they are a critical part of our everyday work clothing."

Edition details

• Publisher: Storey Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1580173659
• ISBN 13: 9781580173650
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160