11th Annual Early Californios Skills of the Rancho

The 11th Annual Early Californios Skills of the Rancho, hosted by the Californio Bridlehorse Association, will be held October 25-27, 2024 at the Parkfield Rodeo Arena on the Historic V6 Ranch.

Parkfield is only a 40-minute drive from Paso Robles so come and enjoy the competition and shop at our many vendors.  Admission is free to spectators. The Parkfield Cafe and its award-winning Shankin’ Burger shouldn’t be missed.   Registration for competitors opens July 20th.

Building on the success of the first event in 2013 in Santa Ynez, CA, “Skills” has become one of the largest gatherings of California Bridlehorse Association (CBA) devotees. The event showcases skills needed to effectively, efficiently, and safely handle livestock while preserving the horsemanship skills and traditions handed down over generations, beginning with the early Californios vaqueros.

We invite you to participate as a competitor, vendor, sponsor, or observer at the V6 Ranch to share with us our appreciation for this horsemanship style. Devotees, craftsmen, and artisans who embrace these traditions have few places to come together. We look forward to you joining us in October 2023.

One of the main goals of this competition is to preserve and pass on the values and skills of the early Californios stockmen and bridlemen. All competitors should always try their best to uphold these values throughout the entire competition, whether in the arena or not. Respect should always be shown to horses, cattle, and other competitors. We are here because we believe in this working manner and want to see it continue. We are all on the same team in a way.

New This Year: Youth and Junior Sponsorships

CBA recognizes the importance of teaching young people the value of the California vaquero traditions. To help promote our youth participation, we are excited to announce that the CBA will sponsor all Youth and Junior competitors for the 2024 Skills.

Special Entertainment: Dave Stamey will perform on Saturday Night, the 26th. (https://www.davestamey.com/).