CITY FOCUS:Cows come to sand

Surf met turf as dozens of cowboys drove a 100-member herd of cattle down a mile-and-a-half of beach south of the pier, an event timed to coincide with the U.S. Open of Surfing.

Last week’s event went off without a hitch, city spokeswoman Laurie Payne said. Cattle dogs kept the herd in line, and a crowd gathered to watch from the pier.

“It was tremendously successful, she said. “People enjoyed the interaction between the surfers and the Herefords, and the cleanup was very efficient.”

A few hundred people watched the spectacle, as the steers made their way down the beach, she said. Many of them were dressed in festive cowboy outfits in celebration of the day, she added.

One cattle dog, Tuffy, got spooked by the cattle and ran off; it was difficult to entice him back because he wasn’t used to so many people.

But as of Thursday he has been returned to his owners from Modesto, Payne said.

For a photo gallery, click here.