By Chris Millikan
While visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, my daughter Jessica, husband Rick and I sign up to horseback ride. From Keauhau, Kona, we head north to the Kohala peninsula, the oldest part of this still-growing island. Kohala Mountain Road takes us 3000 feet above the Pacific and into plush green ranchlands.
Arriving early, we city slickers check out the situation. Breathing in fresh mountain air, we watch an earlier group return…reassured to see that everyone enjoyed the ride. Saddles and bridles removed, their horses roll enthusiastically in the grassy pasture. Meanwhile, handsome rested horses stand patiently in the stable…curiously looking us over!
Another couple joins us as wrangler Janna introduces herself and offers everyone an amazing gear selection: leather chaps, cowboy boots, hats, jackets…and stylish Australian rain slickers! After debating jaunty cowboy hats versus riding helmets, our rookie group fastens on helmets.
Outfitted and outside on the porch, Janna begins our orientation, “Surprising to many, Hawaiians were raising cattle long before their mainland counterparts. Even today, four of the USA’s biggest ranches thrive here. We’ll be riding across the Ponoholo Ranch, an 11,000-acre working cattle ranch.”
Demonstrating how to hold and properly use the reins, she instructs, ” Hold ’em like an ice-cream cone; firmly pull the reins right to go right, left to go left…” Calling us forward one-by-one, she introduces us to our horses, all handpicked according to our height, weight and experience. Janna winks at me, “Meet Ipo. His name means sweetheart!” With flowing blond mane and tail, he becomes my new boyfriend. She grins at Rick, “Named for this solid mountain, Kohala’s gonna be YOUR all terrain transport!” And Jessica falls in love with Ali’i, her royal beauty.
Launching from a handy step, we each settle into our saddles. Tying rain slickers behind our saddles, Janna adjusts our stirrups just right and we ride our mounts to the water trough in the paddock. At first, Ipo has my number, sneakily snatching mouthfuls of grass. Reining him in, we pick up our pace and join the others heading toward open range. With confidence increasing by the minute, we soon begin to feel like Hawaii’s famed paniolo cowboys.
Passing through several gates, we ride upward into emerald pasturelands dotted with black cattle. A magnificent panorama appears from the top of the rise. Jana notes, “On clear days up here you can see the Kohala and Kona coastlines, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai volcanoes…and sometimes even Maui’s Haleakala. Early Hawaiians grew sweet potatoes here, later sugarcane flourished!”
As the terrain becomes more rugged and windswept, Ipo and I enjoy our comfortable pace, sometimes trotting; others try cantering or galloping. Circling a rusty-red cinder crater, we dismount among ancient ruins…our legs surprisingly wobbly. It seems surreal to be munching delicious deli sandwiches sitting along a wall where Kamehahameha I once trained his warriors.
Janna tells us about Hawaii’s cowboy heritage. “When Captain Vancouver gave Kamehameha I five longhorns in 1798, the king made them kapu, untouchable. Escaping a stone corral in Kona, they thrived, multiplied into thousands…and rampaged over native crops for years. The king brought in Mexican vaqueros to teach Hawaiians how to rope and wrangle the mavericks. Paniolo traditions emerged integrating Spanish and Hawaiian cultures. And over time, modern ranching methods developed.”
A light, misty rain begins to fall. Buttoning on our slickers, we mount up. Our horses readily trot us back to the stables. A rainbow arcs magically across the horizon. With sweeping pasturelands, spectacular upcountry views and ancient ruins, this paniolo adventure reveals a different side of paradise…and bumps up our Big Island fun.
When You Go:
” Paniolo Adventures: www.panioloadventures.com
” Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort &Spa: www.sheratonkona.com