| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 19/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 44 |
| Copyright: Other |
Texas focus
Yee-hah, reel ’em in cowgirl!
Joanne O’Connor lives out her Wild West fantasies in the heart of Texas
Ever since Doris Day rolled into Deadwood City on the back of a stagecoach I have had a secret yearning to be a cowgirl.OK, so Calamity Jane may not score highly on gritty realism but it sparked a fascination with the Wild West which has lasted to this day. Needless to say, when Igot the chance to live out my Wild West fantasies on a ranch in deepest Texas, Ijumped at the chance.
And where better to head than Bandera – self-proclaimed cowboy capital of the world?
Bandera is a sleepy town in the heart of the Texas Hill Country less than 1hr by road from San Antonio, 2hrs from Austin. Not so very long ago horses would have been tied to the wooden front porches of the local watering holes. Today’s cowboys prefer gas-guzzling pickup trucks proudly displaying ‘Don’t Mess with Texas’ window stickers: the mode of transport may have changed but the attitude remains the same.
Our home for the week was to be the Mayan Guest Ranch. Myself and a motley collection of city slickers from the four corners of the globe were greeted by Shauna and Shay, two of countless leggy sisters in stetsons who seemed to run the ranch. They told us our programme for the day finishing off with, “Y’all make yourselves at home now.” After we had checked into our log cabins, there was an afternoon trail ride, followed by a hayride to a cowboy cookout with entertainment.
There are 12 ‘dude’ or guest ranches in this part of Texas. Though a handful do still make a living from cattle, the majority have embraced tourism wholeheartedly and could be more accurately described as Western-themed resorts. Accommodation ranges from rustic to deluxe but is usually in a log cabin or cottage. Most of them err on the tamer side of the Wild West – more Little House on the Prairie than True Grit.
As I climbed onto the back of my horse which had gone onto automatic pilot, I realised that my fantasies about galloping behind the herd lassoo in hand were a little bit wide of the mark. In fact first time riders need have no fears about this kind of holiday. They won’t let you near the cattle – and who can blame them?
Experienced riders who want an authentic ranch experience are better to choose a working ranch. Still it was undeniably relaxing – exploring the ranch on horseback taking in the scenery of the distant blue hills and rocky terrain, past flowering cactus – the so-called yellow rose of Texas.
So what do folks round here do to get their kicks?In the rest of the USthey might watch the Dallas Cowboys in action – here they’ve got the real thing at the rodeo.
Every Friday and Saturday night locals gather to watch cowboys compete for the jackpot in various events such as calf-roping, bullriding and barrel racing. Despite rain there was a good atmosphere down at the Twin Elm Guest Ranch on Friday night as the spectators started to arrive.
Enjoyment of the rodeo divided our group into geographical areas. Broadly speaking the further south people were from, the greater their appreciation for the skill of the cowboys as they wrestled calves to the ground in three seconds flat. The Brits and Scandinavians meanwhile winced and muttered “poor calf.”
Afterwards you can kick up your heels at one of the local honky-tonks. These really are good fun – locals are friendly and you can don your stetson and get down with the best of them to some country and western music.
If you haven’t had enough of the whole Wild West thang by then, head for Kerrville – home to the Cowboy Artists of America Museum. Started by a group of cowboy artists in the 1960s, members have to adhere to strict rules in order to maintain certain standards and subject matter. The aim of the museum is to keep the cowboy heritage alive although given the number of stetson’s, big belts and cowboy boots on display around Bandera, there ain’t much chance of it disappearing.
Ride ’em high:visiting the rodeo on a Friday or Saturday night is one of the highlights of a ranch stay