The Hawaiian Cowboys

Cattle first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1793 as gifts for King Kamehameha I, and they soon overpopulated and ravaged the land from the mountains to the seashores. Seeking to control them and build a cattle industry, King Kamehameha III brought Mexican vaqueros from California in 1833. These Hispanic horsemen subdued the wild cattle and trained native Hawaiians as mounted cattlemen, whose natural abilities suited riding and roping. These Hawaiian cowboys became known as paniolo, a Hawaiianized form of Espanol. From these beginnings, Hawaiian cowboys later became rodeo champions, and the paniolo also helped perpetuate the Hawaiian language. Among them was Ikua Purdy, a native Hawaiian Parker Ranch cowboy who won the World Steer Roping Championship at the 1908 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo with co-champions Archie Ka'au'a and Jack Low, sponsored by Eben Low. Their work reflected the risky life of Hawaiian cowboys, including roping wild bulls on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and the broader ranching heritage built by families of many origins across Hawai'i.

Waimea, Hawaii · United States