DESCANSO — The 2007 Winchester Widow’s Cotillion was something to see. Arriving at 7 p.m. last Saturday night, at the Descanso Town Hall, decked out in the finest that 2007 can offer in the way of 1890s designer duds, were women (and men) who were ready to dance the night away. While they were at it they group also did some fund raising through silent auctions, a 50/50 raffle, some old time portraits, and t-shirts and hats that had a $10 donation asking price.
     The ladies’ gowns were exquisite, each and every one of them. There was a lot of red and black in the room along with every other color under the rainbow, complete with laced corsets, rustling taffeta and be-feathered hair piled high in the latest 1890s fashion. Also appearing in the room were plenty of boots, frock coats and fine headgear worn by gentlemen everywhere.
     The ladies were all having a fine time doing the two-step with their gentlemen, and some were waltzing to the tunes of Jack Leary’s DJ service.
     The Winchester Widows are anticipated equestrians who are readily recognized in local parades. They currently ride in 16 parades a year, all over Southern California, and they have appeared in the Rose Parade three times.
Dressed in black, as is their station as widows, they model service to our community by reenacting the role that women played in the Old West. Their clothing is as authentic as they can make it, with only natural fibers and no modern additions such as zippers or synthetic fibers such as nylon or Lycra.
     All of the styles worn by the ladies include circular skirts, split skirts, baggy pants of the era, with blouses and vests. All of the ladies sported gloves and hats, and the outer garments they wear include boleros, capes, shawls dusters and jackets, also of the era. The tack they use is representative of the time and lifestyle of the late 1800s as well. Saddles and scabbards are genuine, some are antique, and no one will ever find a nylon strap anywhere.
     The Winchester Widows was founded in 1987, but by 1991, this fascinating group of women felt a strong need to adopt a cause. Keeping their own ideals in mind, and knowing that they represent the strength of women in the old west, they felt they needed to lend themselves to the empowerment of women. After meeting with representatives from the YWCA Battered Women’s Services a partnership was established. Fund raising is an ongoing event for the Widows, and they also lend their support to BETH, Bonita Equestrian Therapy for the Handicapped, and The Olaf Weighorst Foundation.
     For more information about the Winchester Widows, upcoming events, or to get involved, check online at www.winchesterwidows.com.