A Day at the Rodeo

---

Rodeo

A Day at the Rodeo

 South America » Chile » Osorno By Maria B
April 19th 2007
Rodeo In April, Jen and I were fortunate enough to catch one of the last events of the Rodeo season here in Chile - apparently it's a big deal. The family that Jen's staying with compete each year. We got to see all their trophies! It was so funny to see the Chilean huasos (pronounced “waso”- kind of like cowboys we have in the states) who walk around wearing their big hats and spurs with pride.

During each run, the team gets points depending on what part of the cow they pin against the wall. Don't worry, no animals were harmed at the rodeo, just annoyed at being chased around in circles and knocked into a bumper a few times!

---

Photos

Me, Cristobal and Jen
Cristobal is Jen's Chilean "cousin"

Us with the Cousins
Tired from thier run. Unfortunately, they didn't do too well, but I was impressed!

Inside the Stadium
The famous "Medialuna".

Look at those Spurs!
They sound like pretty windchimes when they walk- just don't get too close!

At the Bar
The wives run this Rodeo Club while the men are competing.

Huasos
Warming up their horses. Each team of two wears matching stripes.

More Huasos
Wondering why I'm taking a picture of them...

Cristobal and Sebastian
Jen's cousins waiting to take their turn.

Rounding Up
The object is to pin the cow against the wall.

Crowd of Huasos
These men weren't competing, just wanted to dress up in their huaso gear. Even the youger guys were proud to wear it.

With Cristobal
Still not sure who the man in the background is, but he seemed to know the family and decided to jump into the picture.