MAY 6 – MAY 19, 2025
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SANTA YNEZVALLEYSTAR.COM
Rancheros Visitadores ride brings some real horsepower Yearly ride to Mission Santa Ines brings riders from all over, raises money for Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara
Spotlight | Pg. 8 Buellton’s annual Brew Fest goes country
By Mike Chaldu michael@santaynezvalleystar.com
News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2 • Fire breaks out at abandoned building in Solvang
T
he first weekend of May 2025 renewed a Solvang tradition as Alisal Road contained a procession of not cars or trucks, but horses and horsedrawn vehicles as the Rancho Visitadores riding group came through Solvang for a blessing at Mission Santa Ines on Saturday, May 3. Although the event has skipped a year or two, it is generally a yearly happening where members of the Rancheros Visitadores ride up from their camp in Santa Barbara and go down Alisal turning right at Mission Drive/Highway 246, and into Mission Santa Ines for a blessing. The riders made their entrace into Solvang a little after 3 p.m. and were greeted by crowds of people lining the street, many waving American flags. According to the website highnoon.com, The Rancheros Visitadores is a riding group that
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News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 4 • Buellton City Council approves Children’s Museum partnership Education . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 10 • Dr. Adam Bailey selected as next superintendent of Buellton Union School District Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 13 • Santa Ynez tennis player Bryce Wilczak wins individual Mountain League title Community . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 14 • Sunny skies greet participants at Buellton’s annual Easter egg hunt
Members of the Rancheros Visitadores enter the lawn in front of Mission Santa Ines for the blessing of the Rancheros’ ride on May 3. Photo by Mike Chaldu/SYVS
was formed in 1930 in Santa Barbara. The ride was inspired by the early California “Mission days” tradition where Rancheros from the neighboring countryside would gather in the spring time at the nearest Mission with their cattle herds — then advance
towards the next Mission working the cattle as they went — branding the calves, cutting out the beef for hides and tallow, castrating the calves and old bulls, and sending the sickly or injured cattle back to their respective ranchos. The group had the idea of doing
that ride and stopping off at Mission Santa Ines, where the priest would bless the herd and the riders before they moved on. Among the Los Rancheros Visitadores members who would make the ride over the years were CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Community . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 17 • STOMP beat last year’s record and continues to make a dent in child hunger Arts & Nonprofits . . . . . . Pg. 19 • Horse art piece finds safe home at Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 20 • Nighttime ‘incontinence’ could be problems stemming from stress and fatigue Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 23 • Government meetings and events