Beuno Chaparreras Cowboy Poetry

If you go to a rodeo, you'll see that the bull riders and the bronc riders are wearing fancy Batwing chaps, usually with friends that really shows for the competition. I have a couple of chaps that we use here at the ranch. One are these heavy duty workshops, complete with manure. They're very thick and heavy leather. They really come in handy if you're working like with locust trees on the fence line. And then I have my fancy show chaps made by an outfit in Abilene. And these are great for performance, or for riding in a parade. I really like to look at these chaps. If you study the history of chaps, you'll find that it goes back to the Hispanic culture. That's where the name chaps originates.

This poem is called Bueno Chaparerras.

When a cowboy is riding hard, his legs need protection

from stickers or thorns that might need deflection.

Centuries ago writers wore a kind of apron of leather,

but those were awkward for riding in any kind of weather

than the wise vaqueros in old Mexico

made leggings of leather to wear on the go.

They were called scheppers and Mexican lingo

soon shortened to shops by the American gringo.

Chaparerras took their name from the low Chaparral

with thorns which gave the shops rationale.

The first chaps were called shotguns with like tight leather pants.

Then Batwing chaps were the ones that supplants

chinks are shorter for the legs top half of course,

which is handy for a farrier, who'd be shooting a horse.

Now motorcycle riders wear leather chaps too,

for protecting their legs just like the Cowboys do.

We give thanks for this protection when we get into mishaps,

and we thank the Hispanic culture for giving us chaps

Happy trails.