Among all the festivals of Chile, the rodeo is one of the most exciting, joyful and colorful.
To describing it in a simple way you could say that it symbolizes the ongoing struggle between man and animal, to bring the animal to the needs of agriculture. Today, rodeo is a native sport, governed by strict rules, but it originated in the hard work of the farmer and was born centuries ago from the need to manage cattle.
Every spring, the animals were brought from the hills, where they spent the winter. On returning, the huasos* have to count the number of animals, mark the new ones and castrate others. Huasos have to be strong and good at handling the horse and the rope. They had to drive animals along precipices, crossing rivers, going up and down slopes. Many cattle were frightened and strayed, and had to run fast behind them, restrain them, to bring them back to join the herd.
Finally, they were taken to the pens, and making them enter the path was difficult, and only the best riders were suitable for this activity. As choosing the best Huasos was so strictly and generated rivalry, being the best rider, creating the game: the rodeo.
* These are traditional Chilean farmers from the heartlands
