Chilean rodeo

Did You Know?

• The Chilean Rodeo Federation does not receive funds from the Instituto Nacional de Deportes de Chile because only sports representing Chile overseas receive such funding.
• In 2006, a group of 40 people protested against Chilean rodeo outside the Medialuna de Rancagua during the National Championship.
• The labour organisation for the sport is the National Federation of Chilean Huasos of Rodeos and Clubs, founded in 1986.

Description

The sport involves a horse collar event where two huasos on Chilean horses must stop a young bull within three attempts to earn scores. Rodeos take place in circular enclosures called rodeo rings. The highest-scoring move is the flank save (four points), followed by the free paddle save (three points) and the paddle save (two points). Points can be deducted for cutting across or passing the ring. The official season runs from September to April, featuring about 320 rodeos nationwide, culminating in the National Championship at the Medialuna Monumental de Rancagua.

History

The origins of Chilean rodeo trace back to the colonial era of Imperial Spain (1598–1810), rooted in traditional peasant festivals. In the sixteenth century, Governor García Hurtado de Mendoza, a cavalry officer and admirer of Moorish equestrian art, ordered cattle gatherings on specific dates for selection and sale. By 1557, the rodeo became mandatory, shifting to 7 October. In 1860, the medialuna was introduced, a circular ring with two thatches where riders stop cattle, replacing an earlier rectangular court. Earlier rodeos involved thirty or more cattle per event. In 1927, under General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, a law placed the rodeo under the supervision of the General Directorate of Equine Development and Remonta of the Chilean Army.

Women's Rodeo Movement

For many years, rodeo was exclusively male, with women only in administrative roles. Change began in the late 1990s when women could participate in the Chilean Equestrian Trials (PECH). In 2003, the Chilean Rodeo Federation allowed women into main events. The first women's national rodeo was held during the 2005 National Rodeo Championship, won by Romané Soto with 57 points. In 2009, Soto qualified for the final with the horse 'Aviador' and won the championship with 44 points. Article 181, which restricted bull riding to men, was abolished by President Sebastián Piñera on Chile's 200th anniversary. In 2012, Michelle Recart became the first woman to qualify for the Champions Series of a National Rodeo.

Internationalisation

In the 1990s, rodeo spread to Argentina, particularly Mendoza province. In January 2018, an agreement between the Chilean Rodeo Federation and the Cuyo Rodeo Association allowed mutual participation. In Argentina, the sport is called 'rodeo cuyano' and riders wear gaucho clothing. Interest also grew in Uruguay. In 2009, a rodeo at the Expo FICCC in Esteio, Brazil, featured a new arena, with champions José Astabiriaga and Alfredo Moreno.