Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in the California Tradition

Chapters

Introduction Luis Ortega, 1897-1995 The Ortega Family of California Tools of the Vaquero California Braiding Tradition Rawhide as Art

The Horse Show Arena

Heirloom Quality Braiding

Programs

The Artistry of Luis Ortega Festival of the Horse

Education

Ortega Activity Guide What are these?

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“Luis Ortega” “leatherworking tools” “leatherworking patterns” “reatas”

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sponsored in part by:

THE HORSE SHOW ARENA

Rose and Luis Ortega stand among their prized wares. Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City, OK.

In 1941, Luis and his wife, Rose, moved to Walnut Creek, California, near the home of their friend, Paul Albert, publisher of Western Horseman magazine. This put Ortega closer to influential horse trainers and the horse show trade he had been cultivating through the production of reins with fancy colored interweaves and hand-engraved Sterling silver ferrules. Several times each year, he traveled to regional horse shows to offer some of his best work and keep in touch with the leading horse trainers. His relationship with Albert also resulted in a long association with Western Horseman magazine, yielding a series of 40 articles between 1941 and 1955. This literary experience encouraged Ortega to write and privately publish two books; California Hackamore,1948, and California Stock Horse,1949.

Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in the California Tradition is organized by
the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.