Chilean Rodeo
Chilean rodeo is the national sport in Chile. This kind of rodeo is different from the rodeo in North America. In Chilean rodeo, a team with two riders, which are called Huasos, and two horses will ride laps around the arena and they will try to stop a calf. Points are awarded to the team who can properly drive the steer around the corral. Rodeos are usually held in crescent-shaped corral called medialuna.
The riders usually practice all throughout Chile, but rodeo is mostly popular in the central zone. The riders sometimes travel hundreds of miles to join competitions. Chilean rodeo is very strict. The riders must use Chilean horses, and they should wear the traditional huaso garb.
The Chilean city of Rancagua annually hosts a Campenatio Nacional de Rodeo or the national rodeo championship. According to the records, the greatest rider in history is Ramon Cardemil. He won the national title seven times. Some of the recent champions were Juan Carlos Loaiza and Eduardo Tamayo.
Similar Sports
- Roping — a rodeo event where calves or cows are caught by throwing around it a rope with a loop as qucikly as possible.
- Toros Coleados — involves chasing down a bull while riding on horseback (also called Bull-Tailing).
- Rodeo Sports
- Charreada - a competitive event similar to rodeo and was developed from animal husbandry practices used on the haciendas of old Mexico (more of a demonstration than a sport)
Related Pages
- Sport in Chile
- List of all sports involving horses
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
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