Yearly ride to Mission Santa Ines brings riders from all over, raises money for Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara
The first weekend of May 2025 renewed a Solvang tradition as Alisal Road contained a procession of not cars or trucks, but horses and horse-drawn 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 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 celebrities like Clark Gable, Walt Disney, Gary Cooper and Chuck Yeager. And in the 1970s, former actor and future President Ronald Reagan would make the traditional trek.
In this year reception at the mission, Father Donald Burke opened with his blessing to the riders.
“We ask you, Lord, to bless these Ranchero riders,” he said. “Bless them as they ride through the hills and valleys of the Santa Ynez Valley, but Lord, keep them safe.”
After the blessing, Amanda Martinez Combs sang a rousing rendition of the national anthem.
As in previous years, announcer Bill Feist announced the arrival of the riders as they came, and with it he added in a good amount of good-natured joshing.
Especially when the group of “Mavericks,” members participating in their first ride and notable by the yellow hats they wore, arrived.
“We welcome the 2025 Maverick class,” Feist said, drawing laughs with his next line, “Welcome, gentlemen, half of you won’t survive the trial.”
As the riders settled with their horses on the lawn in front of the mission, a presentation was made and pointed out why the ride is such a fundraiser.
Rancheros Visitadores Corky Ullman led the presentation of a check of $200,000 to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara. The check was presented to Lori Willis, ED, and Stephanie Carlyle, head fundraiser.
Feist, who pointed out how many of the riders wear pink scarves to promote cancer awareness, said “This is what we do, and this is why we do it. Thank you for letting us be a part of this.”
The afternoon culminated in the now-customary performance of Ranchero George Stillman playing “The Vaquero Song,” for “all past Rancheros.”
While there are riders like the Mavericks, who are just starting out, and others with a few years under their belt, Stillman is one who can boast of 25 years on the ride, and is happy to display his new commemorative pin for the milestone on his hat.
“Funny thing is, I didn’t start riding until later in life,” Stillman said. “I was surfing until I was 55, then some friends invited me up north to a ranch in Sun Valley. They said ‘hey, you want to do some roping,’ so I joined them and was roping for three days.
“I came back, bought a horse, then joined the Santa Barbara Straw Riders, and then the Rancheros,” he continued.”Now I’m on that horse six days a week.”
Another rider, Travis Baker of Morro Bay, said the ride went well.
“We came from Jackson Camp, and took about an hour to get here,” Baker said. “We had a great ride, just having a great time.”
Baker said the riders were going back to Jackson Camp for the night, and on Sunday would take the 26-mile trip to Janeway Camp near Cachuma Lake, where they would stay for a week.
Another rider, Jamie Hastings, who’s been part of the event since 2015, said it was another great experience.
“Seemed to go well as I could see; nobody got bucked off, so that’s good enough for me,” he said.
Hastings, who is originally from Paso Robles, but now lives in Clovis, said the ride is always an enjoyable part of the year.
“It’s my favorite week of the year,” he said. “Meeting up with your best friends is part of the deal, just a great time to get together.”
