Vaquero Books


Vaquero Heritage
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)

Limited Edition
"Catching a Stray Cow" Poster

Vaquero Heritage is another of Ernie’s fascinating books about the California vaquero.  It is 9”x12” hardcover, 220 pages, and includes over 200 color and black & white images of his paintings, drawings and historic photographs.  Ernie gives fascinating descriptions of his family background, vaquero horsemanship, roping and horse gear, horse hair ropes (mecates), ranches he has known and worked on, a handful of his special ol’ time stories, and calendar drawing images he created over a period of more than 30 years.  Each Limited Edition book (limited to 100), is numbered and signed by Ernie, leather bound with gilt edges, has a hard cover protective slip case, and includes a corresponding numbered and signed Limited Edition color poster (13”x19”, ready for framing) that is one of Ernie’s vaquero action scenes entitled “Catching a Stray Cow”.  This Limited Edition poster is only available with the Limited Edition book.



Limited Edition Vaquero Heritage Book with Poster ~ $200


Vacas & Vaqueros
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)


Vacas & Vaqueros
is another of Ernie’s fun-filled publications that highlights various aspects of the Vaquero culture.  It features seventeen separate descriptive sections, accompanied by over 50 of his paintings and drawings, historical family photographs, and stories about the early beef breeds and Vaquero activities in California.  It is 9”x12”, with 39 numbered pages.  It is available soft cover only.  


$25


El Vaquero
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)

El Vaquero is a wonderful way to learn about the early California vaquero. It includes many detailed descriptions, drawings and paintings of vaqueros and buckaroos in many kinds of cowboy action, such as colt breaking, bronc riding, team roping, calf tailing, sliding stops, and complicated roping maneuvers and loops.  Other illustrations include vaquero style horse gear (hackamores, bosals, saddles, martingales, tapaderos, headstalls, reins and romals, bits, spurs, riatas, hobbles, mecates, etc.) and headgear used and the progressive handling of bridle reins in training a horse from the hackamore to spade bit.  El Vaquero is of interest to historians, artists, cowboys, horsemen, craftsmen, and anyone who enjoys the tradition of the early California vaquero horsemanship style.  Ernie says, “My aim is to make an attempt to preserve some history of the old-time vaquero.”

Hard Cover with Attractive Dust Jacket  Approx. 9″ x 12″ (156 pages) Second Printing
 unsigned ~ $85
 signed by Ernest Morris ~ $100


el Buckaroo
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)

el Buckaroo immortalizes the California vaquero and buckaroo life and their horse handling, working cattle, and fancy roping as it existed at the turn of the twentieth century.  There are over 400 color and black-and-white illustrations and historic photographs, which, together with many personal interviews and biographies, bring to life the remarkable ways of the buckaroo.  There are brief histories of many old-time and contemporary top-hand buckaroos like Granville Martin, Gilbert Aguirre, Tom Arano, Chino Boranda, and Bill Dorrance; buckaroo artists like Ed Borein, Joe Mora, Nicholas Firfires, and Jack N. Swanson; and many photographs of buckaroo gear including riatas, braided rawhide reins and romals, spurs, chinks, bosals, mecates, hobbles, and quirts, elaborately carved and decorated saddles, and silver-mounted bits.

Hard Cover with Attractive Dust Jacket Approx. 9″ x 12″ (236 pages) Second Printing
 unsigned ~ $85
Signed by Ernest Morris ~ $100


California Cowboy Inventions
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)

California Cowboy Inventions is an interesting combination of handy “cowboy” inventions and ideas, horsemanship information and picture creation thoughts and techniques from vaquero artist Ernest Morris.  Like all of Ernie’s books, it includes numerous pen & ink drawings of horses, cattle and cowboys involved in several types of cowboy action.  This book is interesting and informative for everyone from seasoned cowboys to aspiring artists.

Soft Cover Approx. 8 1/2″ x 11″ (76 pages)

$25
 


Riata Men
(written and illustrated by Ernest Morris)


Riata Men is a intimate look at the life of the cowboy through the eyes of Ernie Morris. His illustrations capture the daily life on the ranch, often with a bit of humor.  It contains numerous feature drawings, each accompanied by a folklore description, and several selections from Ernie’s personal sketch books.  

Hard Cover with Attractive Dust Jacket Approx. 8-1/2″ x 11″ (152 pages)

$25



Vaquero Enterprises ~ Ralph Pavey ~ 144 Prickly Pear Court, Florence, MT 59833 ~ Phone: 916-539-8181