It wasn't always so.  The breaking of the colts was no entertainment; that and the herding of cattle was hard work and a tough way of life.  The gaucho, a romantic image of the past, he represented freedom from colonial control.  Today, a heroic image of the present, he represents freedom from social constraints.  In reality, life for the horsemen of the pampas (grasslands), then and now, is harsher than myth relates.

During the 19th century when the first European settlers arrived in Argentina they brought their horses and cattle with them.  Some animals escaped domestication and quickly populated the fertile pampas, and from these free resources emerged the gaucho, relying on the cattle for food and clothing and the horses for transportation.  It is said that the real gaucho is recognized by his bandy legs as he is seldom out of the saddle!

The name gaucho, history has it, is derived from the Quechua language and means, 'orphan' or 'vagabond'.  Quechua is the indigenous language of the Andean region of South America and is spoken by approximately 13 million people today in Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile, southern Colombia and Argentina.  It was also the official language of the Inca Empire.  The first recorded use of the term gaucho dates from around the time of Argentine independence in 1816 although gauchos, as such, were known to have wandered the countryside as early as the 1600s.

The gaucho was nomadic and did not need to reside in a formal settlement to have a code of conduct of his own.  Gauchos shunned social interaction and were hardy and uncompromising, but famously kind to weary travellers, always sharing their food or what little shelter they had.  If the mood took them they would work on the massive cattle estancias (estates) for a season, before moving on.  Their wandering existence meant those who might have had homes, with a common law wife and even offspring, spent little time there.  Sons of gauchos invariably became gauchos too.  Early account of the gauchos describe them as uncouth, with plenty of time on their hands, much of which was spent drinking mate (a mildly narcotic herbal concoction drunk from a gourd), and gambling.

In the 18th century, leather was a more prized commodity than meat and became the major trading item between the old world and the colonies.  Thus once the cattle had been slaughtered for their skin, the rest was discarded to be purloined by the gauchos.  The meat was quickly cooked on an open fire before it went bad and today this means of cooking meat - asado, has become a national dish.

Not only were the gauchos independent and tough; they knew the terrain of the interior intimately and were consummately skilled horse handlers and so became ideal conscripts into the army for the wars of independence and subsequent civil wars.  Through their fighting ability and loyalty they gained a new respect and a certain amount of political force in the early years of the Argentine republic.  Today they still enjoy the former, but not the latter.  Laws restricting freedom of movement coupled with mass immigration from Europe at the end of the 19th century led to the demise of the 'real' gaucho, who passed into the realms of myth and became a symbol of Argentine identity.

The gaucho's flamboyant dress is as much a part of their culture as their distinctive character, and despite a few modern additions the costume is much the same as it was a few hundred years ago.  The typical gaucho outfit would include a poncho which doubled as a saddle blanket and sleeping bag, loose fitting trousers called bombachas, belted with a tirador (sash), or a chiripa which was a piece of cloth tied to resemble a diaper!  The gaucho also typically carried a facon-a long bladed knife, always worn at the back of the waist, a rebenque (whip) and a lasso-a rope made of plaited hide.  His most unusual accessory would be the boleodoras-basically three leather bound rocks tied together with approximately three feet long leather straps -these were used to catch wild horses, ostriches or deer - by throwing the boleadoras at the legs of the escaping creature the balls swing round and round until the poor animal's legs are tied together.

The modern day gaucho commands a degree of celebrity status, and can often be seen galloping on his horse alongside the road, long hair streaming in the wind, looking majestic and somewhat godlike.  He may  still travel from town to town performing valuable seasonal work on the estancias, especially to the west of Buenos Aires, and exhibit their skills at the country bordilleros (horse shows).

'The poltros is quiet, frightened, its head low to the pole, his forelegs hobbled.  A brief struggle as the recador (small saddle) is placed on his back.  The gaucho stands silent as the horse is prepared, feeling his character, weighing him up. He swaps his wide brimmed hat for a beret and takes a few deep breaths - the crowd breathe with him.  The excitement grows as the gaucho mounts.  The potros is momentarily subdued, but on being released from the stake he goes wild.  The cheering crowd almost disappears behind a film of hot dust kicked up by the hooves.  The gaucho holds thereigns short and tight, his body arching back, his knees gripping the sweating flank of the awesome creature beneath him.  Man and beast in a desperate struggle for supremacy.  That's entertainment!'