Today, while out looking for cows to sketch, I stopped at a pasture. I met the rancher who owns the land and cattle. Being curious, I asked him about his herd. The rancher told me the cows are a Corriente Cattle breed from Mexico. He also told me the larger red cow named Ginger is not a Corrente. As a calf, Ginger, abandoned by her mother, was raised by the rancher's son. That is why she is sooooo friendly! And, as you can see, she loved having her picture taken. It was a fabulous day!
When I returned to my studio, I researched the breed.
Here is a small excerpt from http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/corriente/ :
The Corriente can be traced back to the first cattle brought to the new world by the Spanish as early as 1493. These cattle were hardy breeds chosen especially to withstand the ocean crossing and adapt to their new land. They were brought to the West Indies and South Florida, as well as to Central and South America. Over the centuries, the descendants of these cattle bred for different purposes - milk, meat, and draft animals. They also adapted through natural selection to the various regions in which they lived. Eventually, their descendants spread across the southern U.S. and up the coast of California.
That's all for today…Back to the studio to refine my sketches of Corriente cattle!
