Bill Text: TX HCR131 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Designating June 30 as Vaquero Day for a 10-year period beginning in 2017.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-19 - Received from the House [HCR131 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HCR131-Introduced.html
| By: Guillen | H.C.R. No. 131 | |
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| WHEREAS, The heritage of the vaquero remains vital in South | ||
| Texas, and the central role this colorful and iconic figure has | ||
| played in the history of the Lone Star State is being celebrated | ||
| with Vaquero Day on June 30; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Renowned for their horsemanship and stock-handling | ||
| skills, vaqueros were crucial to the advance of Spanish ranching | ||
| into Texas; from the mid-18th century onward, vaqueros figured | ||
| significantly in the development of large, open-range cattle | ||
| ranches in the region between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande, | ||
| traces of which can still be seen on the land in the form of | ||
| fortified stone blockhouses, ranch outbuildings, chapels and | ||
| cemeteries, hand-dug wells, and the man-made reservoirs that made | ||
| it possible to assemble enormous herds; and | ||
| WHEREAS, With the expansion of the Texas cattle industry in | ||
| the 19th century, the vaquero's traditions shaped ranching | ||
| practices all across the state, and much of the vaquero's | ||
| equipment--his chaps, bandana, sombrero, lasso, spurs, and | ||
| saddle-- | ||
| became standard gear for all Texas cowboys, while other | ||
| elements of his craft, such as mounted herding and roping | ||
| techniques, also influenced early Anglo American practices; | ||
| eventually, these vaquero-inspired methods of working cattle | ||
| spread across the High Plains and the western part of the United | ||
| States; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today, the proud culture of the vaquero is being | ||
| kept alive by such notable organizations as the Vaqueros of South | ||
| Texas, whose members, nearly 2,500 strong, work to preserve the | ||
| vaquero tradition for future generations; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through a deep appreciation of the land and through | ||
| skills honed over the course of centuries, the vaquero has | ||
| contributed immeasurably to the history, culture, and economy of | ||
| South Texas and to the rich ranching heritage of the Lone Star State | ||
| and the American West; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate June 30 as Vaquero Day; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
| 391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
| until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
| passed by the legislature. | ||
