Before rodeo became a big-money, TV-ready sport, cowboys like Ramon “Ray” Castro were already legends in the chutes and dusty arenas across the Southwest. This story digs into the forgotten side of rodeo history, where Mexican American cowboys and vaquero families shaped the way bronc riding, calf roping, and steer wrestling were done long before the bright lights and sponsorships showed up. If you care about real cowboy history and the riders whose names never made the highlight reels, this one

Before cowboys became the symbol of Texas, Mexican families built the ranching culture from the ground up. The tools, the skills, the traditions — all came first. texas ranching history vaquero history mexican families texas cowboy origins texas cattle history hidden texas history mexican american texas history vaqueros vs cowboys texas traditions explained true texas history #texashistory #vaqueros #mexicanamericans #texasroots #chicanos