The first Friday of each month, the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos, a museum devoted to the art of America’s wilderness, screens notable films about nature or art and invites the public to come see them free of charge. The Museum also provides free popcorn and cookies, wine, water and soft drinks. Reservations are not required, but space is limited and seats are available on a first come, first served basis.

On Friday evening July 7th, the Wildling Art Museum payed homage to these treasures and traditions with a documentary film titled “Tapadero”, created by local filmmakers Susan Jensen and Paul Singer. The event is part of the Museum’s Free Friday Flicks, a monthly program underwritten by the Valley Foundation.

California’s Central Coast is a land of many natural treasures with rolling green hills dotted with oaks and vistas so magnificent they take your breath away. But it also has traditions that go back over 300 years to the padres, who settled this paradise we live in and established the mission system and the cattle industry to support it.

“Tapadero” goes back three hundred years, and tells the story of the vaqueros, who came up from Mexico with the padres and became recognized as some of the world’s greatest horsemen.

Their accomplishment as horsemen was no accident — it was due in great part to the California environment. Here, they had great rolling hills full of lush green grass to feed their cattle and plenty of time to train their horses — because to produce greatness, things cannot be rushed.

“Tapadero” tells the story of the making of a bridle horse — a slow, painstaking process which begins when the horse is four or five and can take another four or five years to complete. One of the most salient points of “Tapadero” is that’s it’s not just an historical treatise, but rather, a real life dramatization of how the Californio tradition survives to this day.

Participants saw some of the nearby great land grant ranches, like the Santa Margarita, the Cojo-Jalama and the Rancho Espanol de Cuyama. They also were introduced to young Californios, many of them college grads from schools like Cal Poly, who have chosen the vaquero way, not for the money, but for the love of being close to and a part of the nature which surrounds them.

Participants saw them put their finely trained bridle horses through their paces and rope with the rawhide reata. And listen to them in up close interviews as they reflect on why they wouldn’t trade the cowboy life for anything else on earth.

In “Tapadero”, mainstays of the vaquero world are featured — like old-timer Ernie Morris of Templeton, who not only rides ’em, but also writes about ’em, paints ‘em, and braids exquisite horse gear. It took you to the top of the mountain — Toro Mountain, overlooking Carmel Valley to meet the Dorrance family, where patriarchs Bill and Tom Dorrance fostered the idea of “seeing the world through the horse’s eyes.” Plus local cowboy singer/songwriter Dave Stamey of Nipomo, cowboy’s cowboy singer Ian Tyson, Mike Beck and songstress Christina Ortega whose voice will send chills up your spine.

“Tapadero” is not your normal documentary— it’s the story of a 300-year love affair with the horse.

Local filmmakers Susan Jensen and Paul Singer (who also produced Vaquero) was on hand to answer questions. “Tapadero” DVDs were also be available for purchase.

• Learn more about Tapadero at the website: www.tapadero.com