In Central and South American countries, it is safe to assume their favorite sport is fútbol or soccer. However, this is not the case in Chile. Especially in the rural parts of the country, soccer takes a close second to traditional Chilean rodeos, which differs from North America’s. Chilean Rodeo emphasizes the teamwork of the riders (Huasos) and the agile footwork of the horses working in tandem to guide and ultimately subdue a calf. The origins and popularity of the Chilean Rodeo stem back to the time of Spanish colonization and are directly tied to the importance of the horse within European society.

Chilean Rodeo begins with the Spanish, who had a “historical reputation as the region of Europe known for horse-breeding.” This can be traced back to the Roman breeding traditions preserved by the Merovingian Dynasty and the influence of the Islamic Moor Empire, who ruled the area for centuries. The Moors kept “extensive pedigrees of their Barb and Arabian horses through oral tradition.” They were known for their equestrian arts and had specialized breeding programs and types of horses. Similarly, Spanish monks recorded their horses’ pedigrees, some of the oldest texts found in Europe. The most famous Spanish horse was the Spanish Jennet, which was admired worldwide. The merging of these two equestrian cultures would invariably create an environment that would be the envy of the equestrian world. Consequently, the Germans used “spanjol” to mean quality war horses.

During Spanish Imperialism in Chile in the sixteenth century, a governor named

García Hurtado de Mendoza initiated the beginning of the Rodeo out of necessity. Mendoza, a former cavalry officer who admired the Moor’s equestrian abilities, solved the problem of lost cattle using the horse. For the season’s new calves who needed branding, they rounded up and transported them through the Andes to the central market plaza. This would happen in the summer during the feast of St. James, known in Spanish as Santiago, who was the city’s patron saint. Only the most skilled horses and riders could consistently do this work for extended periods. To combat the fatigue from several days of non-stop work, the riders turned it into a game scored by a point system demonstrating mastery and skill. These cowboys would be known as Huasos, and their impromptu competitions would become spectacles that could earn them awards and prizes. Over time, the spectacle of steer branding transformed into organized and official rodeos. In 1860, the iconic medialuna ring, literally meaning Halfmoon due to its shape, was installed to help corral the steer. The curves of the medialuna were far superior for steer guiding to the previous rectangular pen. This would be a central feature of the Chilean Rodeo and dictate how the Collera (meaning collars), or a team of two Huasos, earn points in their competitions.

The official sport would evolve from its cowboy origins to how it’s played today. In Chilean Rodeo, two Huasos with horses rides in laps around the arena controlling
the calf. They have three chances to trap and pin the calf against large cushions. Pinning the calf is called an “ataiadas,” which translates to “attacks,” but for the sake of the Rodeo, it means “attempts.” During the ataida, one rider of the collera guides the bull from behind while the other rider from the side uses his horse to pin the calf against the

padded wall (called quinchas) of the inner ring with its chest. Once the calf is pinned, it is turned around, so it now runs in the opposite direction, and the riders switch roles. Points are earned every time the steer is properly driven around the corral, with deductions for faults. One example of a fault is incorrect maneuvering of the calf or even worse. The calf escapes the collera. The second part of the contest involves a dance-like performance of the horse that demonstrates coordinated steps showing off its agility and training.

Horse training is very involved and requires around five years to achieve the desired outcome of the horse performing well in the collera and the competition steps. Good training teaches the horse to obey the rider and keeps itself safe since injuries are often catastrophic for a horse’s competition career. Training always starts slow with walking speed and eventually escalates to trots and gallops as the horse learns to respond to the rider and the spurs. Once the steps are mastered, the horse begins to work with a young tame calf to practice maneuvering and pinning. Eventually, the horse becomes ready to work against fully grown bulls, and training sessions can be intense. This requires lots of rest for the horses’ between sessions to keep them healthy and prolong their competitive career.

By 1962, the Rodeo was declared the national sport of Chile by the National Council of Sports and the Chilean Olympic Committee. With this designation came strict regulations overseen by the National Federation of Chilean Rodeo and the National Federation of Huasos. For example, only Chilean horses must be used, and huasos must wear traditional clothing during competitions. Traditional clothing for the horse and rider includes “colorful ponchos and sashes, leather vests, large brimmed cowboy hats striped pants, large spurs, and fine black leather boots. The horses’ tack is also equally

impressive and intricate, highlighted by stirrups and ornately carved from orange wood.”

The national championship is held annually in April in “La Monumental Medialuna de Rancagua,” the leading tournament destination attended by all parts of Chile and several other countries, especially Argentina and Brazil. They also host their own major rodeo competitions (that Chileans traditionally do well in). Even though Rodeo is the national sport of Chile, it does not receive the same funding as other sports because of its lack of overseas competition. The Chilean Rodeo Federation has continued to lobby the government to increase funding as the Chilean Rodeo is more popular than almost any other sport in Chile and has a rich tradition within all parts of the country.

Despite the Rodeo’s popularity, it has not gone without criticism from animal rights organizations. These organizations argue the calves used in these rodeos are frequently injured during the competitions by the horse pinning them against the padded walls. While the calves are rarely injured during the events, it happens frequently enough that people cite these instances as cruel and barbaric. Protests had happened at the national championships, with one instance in particular in 2010 that became violent when protesters entered the medialuna and were forcibly removed.

However, many Chileans see the Rodeo as a family-friendly national tradition. Competitions are usually held on weekends, with craft fairs, horse shows, and more. People will gather at a ramada (tavern) to have parties to listen and dance to cueca music (a Chilean genre of music) and consume traditional Chilean foods and drinks. One would typically find an “asado,” or open pit barbeque, empanadas, humitas, and other foods. Many rodeos are held during major holidays, which has solidified the Rodeo as a can’t- miss affair for many Chilean people.

We combine Chilean Rodeo with basketball for this lesson to create an exciting invasion-style game. One player will symbolize the calf trying to invade the inner circle of the playing area. In contrast, two (or more) other players symbolize the collera and guide the basketball player until they can steal the ball. This game explicitly reinforces basketball concepts of double-teaming and trapping an opponent on defense. When your students play this game, they learn about Chile’s national sport and work on their defensive basketball skills too!

Materials: 

·      An ample open space (such as a gym or field)

o   If using a gym with court lines, use the space between the volleyball court’s perimeter and the basketball court’s baselines and sidelines to make the track of the medialuna.

o   Use cones or rubber disc dots to make the medialuna

o    if you are outside or in an area with designated spaces.

·      A basketball if in a gym

·      A soccer ball is outside in a field

Number of Students: This game could be played with as few as three students, but after a while, you would need to take ample breaks because the game would become tiring. With larger classes, players would rotate in and out of the game, providing natural rest times for tired students.  

Age: All Ages