Hawaiian Cowboys Did you ever hear about the cowboys in Hawaii? Even though
that sentence sounds like a joke,
in reality, cowboys have been in
Hawaii for over 200 years.
In the late 1700s, Captain George Vancouver explored
the Sandwich Islands, ___1___ would later
be known as
Hawaii. During that time, he met the Hawaiian ruler,
Pai`ea Kamehameha. As a gift, Captain Vancouver gave
Kamehameha five head of cattle. The cattle were allowed
to roam freely and began to ___2___ rapidly. Soon, the
large population of cattle was causing
damage
everywhere. John Parker, a sailor who had
settled on
the islands, came
to the rescue.
___3___ not a cowboy, Parker was a loyal friend of Kamehameha's and was given
permission to start a beef industry.
The Hawaiian cattle industry grew slowly until Kamehameha's grandson visited California and
invited
Mexican cowboys to the islands in 1832. These cowboys
taught the Hawaiian herders important skills and better
techniques for ___4___ cattle. Because of them, herders in
Hawaii were transformed ___5___ excellent cowboys. They
even became known as the most daring cowboys of all.
Since then, the cowboy scene ___6___ in Hawaii. Cattle
ranches, like the Parker Ranch, still offer locals and
tourists a chance to see cowboys ___7___. Hawaiian cowboys
have also won top awards at prestigious rodeos, events
where cowboys compete
and show their skills. These cowboys have proven
they're definitely no joke. |