NPR

'Aloha Rodeo' Book Illuminates The History Of Hawaiian Cowboys

In 1908, three riders from Hawaii came to compete in the biggest rodeo in America — Frontier Days in Wyoming. Their abilities stunned spectators.
Aloha Rodeo, by David Wolman And Julian Smith. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

In 1908, three riders from Hawaii came to compete in the biggest rodeo in America — Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Their abilities stunned spectators unaware of Hawaii’s cattle culture.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd talks to authors Julian Smith (@Julianwritesand David Wolman (@davidwolmanabout their new book, “Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World’s Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West.”

Book Excerpt: ‘Aloha Rodeo’

The new world’s first cowboys were called vaqueros, from the Spanish vaca, for cow, and querer, to love. Vaqueros wore clothes that combined practicality with ornamentation: hats with wide upturned brims, low-heeled boots with jingling metal spurs decorated with silver, and pants adorned with bright buttons up the seams. Their skills at riding, roping,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readAmerican Government
California Judge Recommends Disbarment Of Pro-Trump Attorney John Eastman
A California judge found that attorney John Eastman committed "exceptionally serious ethical violations" in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and recommended disbarment.
NPR3 min read
Biden Administration Restores Threatened Species Protections Dropped By Trump
Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.
NPR9 min readWorld
Fractures In The Grand Alliance Between Black And Jewish Americans
The Grand Alliance between Black and Jewish leaders, known largely for shared work on Civil Rights in the 1960s, has a complicated legacy--and an uncertain future between these communities.

Related Books & Audiobooks