Adrian Lόpez

Cowboy, Horseman, Trail-Blazer & Good Ol Boy
Born in the South Texas town of Alice, Texas, in 1951, his family can be traced back to the Spanish Land Grants in the Rio Grande Valley. His 4th Great Grandfather got the first Land Grant in what is now Jim Wells County called “Los Preseños,” east of modern-day Alice, Texas, where a Historical Marker was placed in 2018. While doing the research for the Historical Marker, he traced his Family Tree to 1400 Spain and 1600 Italy. All the while, he studied much of the History of South Texas. He spent much of his childhood days living north of Raymondville, Texas, where he learned the art of Roping from his Godfather.

After moving back to Alice, Texas, he started riding horses for Homero Sandoval, and later he started green horses for him. Homero then started working with him on his roping skill, along with his Cowboy/Horsemanship Skills. During these years, he worked as a Cowboy during the Screw Worm Eradication and Tick Quarantine around Jim Wells County. He worked for and with his uncle Richard Molina on his M3 Ranches in Jim Wells, Duval, and Live Oak Counties. Later he helped his Uncle Al Lόpez at his father-in-law’s “La Chona Ranch” in Duval County. During all those years, he worked horses for ranch uses for other people. He returned to college and received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science Livestock Management (2 Classes shy of a Pre-Veterinary Degree) and a Minor in Soils. He has done contract ranch work on several ranches in South Texas. He is now semi-retired, working for friends on a short-term basis.

During these years, he spent many nights sitting around the campfires listening to the old cowboys’/vaqueros’ stories of the old days during the round-up. He helped start and is a Founding Member of the South Texas Ranching Heritage Association and the Cowboy Heritage Association to promote the History and Preservation of the Cowboy Way of Life. He has performed at the Texas State Fair, Dallas, Texas; National Cowboy Symposium, Lubbock, Texas; Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Alpine, Texas; The All-American Cowboy Get Together, Bandera, Texas; Red Steagall Cowboy Celebration @ the George Ranch, Richmond, Texas; Hispanic Storytelling Festival, Austin, Texas; South Texas Ranching Heritage Festival, Kingsville, Texas; Old West Festival, El Paso, Texas; Cowboy Poetry & Story Telling of West Texas, El Paso, Texas; New Mexico Farm & Ranch Gathering, Las Cruses, New Mexico; New Mexico Poetry Gathering, Las Cruses, New Mexico; Texas Folklife Festival, San Antonio, Texas; The George West Storyfest, George West, Texas; Corpus Christi Folk Life Festival, Corpus Christi, Texas; Texas Travel Show @ McAllen and Houston Texas; King Ranch Trail Rides, Saddle Shop, Ranch Hand Breakfast and many private parties. Holder along with Chito Mendietta and Wille Mendietta in Team Penning @ the King Ranch, Kingsville, Texas, and a Private Show @ International Furniture Expo, High Point, North Carolina.

He is or has been a member of: American Quarter Horse Association; Independent Cattle Association; Working Ranch Cowboy Association; Texas Cowboy Poets Association; South Texas Ranching Heritage Association; South Texas Cowboy Heritage Association; and the Jim Wells County Fair Association.