It may be officially fall in Buenos Aires, but this Domingo, Sunday, brings clear blue skies and pleasant summer climate. What better to do, than stroll a few blocks towards La Rural and take another look at horses and dogs, together with hundreds of families on Sunday outings. General Admission: 35 pesos
The number of gauchos and horses seems to have doubled since Thursday, sheep and cattle await their part in the proceedings, and even a few dozen show cats have populated one of the exhibition halls meowing in their show cat houses.
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| A bronze statue at the entrance of La Rural, showing a typical Criollo horse |
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| Another stone statue celebrates Man's best Friend |
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| The stands are packed today, and the Parillas, Pizza Stands, and Hot Dog vendors are doing a great trade. The fact that beer is sold everywhere as well, makes for hearty lunchesn and happy spectators... |
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| Allegorical bronze castings tower above the glass and wrought iron roof tops of the spectator stands |
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| Boinas are the head gear of choice, and their creative individual interpretation of wearing them, seems to offer a greater variety than our baseball caps, as well as looking rather attractive. |
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If not wearing riding boots, here is the footwear of choice: Alpagartas, cloth shoes without laces. Originally these shoes had braided straw soles, today the soles are made of plastic. Normally REAL gauchos wear them without socks. Gaucho riding pants are pretty loosely cut, however at ankle level, there is a little fastening. This is closed when boots are worn, to keep the pant legs from riding up inside the boots.
Prices for these shoes at the show: 70 pesos a pair, 100 pesos for two pairs
And the pants: 120-150 pesos a pair.
The math: 8.50 pesos to a black market dollar |
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| Definitely a dog and pony show.... |
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| First performance of the day...the younger set, up and coming gauchos (really cattle ranch workers) are competing in barrel races, obstacle races, and speed competitions between boys and girls. |
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| Parents and friends watch...the red boina is a somewhat lesser seen variety, almost as large as a western cowboy hat. |
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| Minding a friend's mount |
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| Spectators...mate flows readily. Gauchos wander around with leather crafted shoulder bag like containers, shaped as to accommodate mate fixings: a thermos, a bombilla, a silber straw and of course - mate tea leaves. |
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| Racing around the barrels... |
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| The flat hats are mostly worn by riders of Peruvian Paso horses, but there is no definite rule |
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| This young boy was just flying around the barrels |
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| Critical audience at the rails |
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| Criollo Horses of the Coastal Plains and 'Elite Criollo Horses' |
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Criollo Breed, the horse of the Americas
Note the flags... |
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Criollo Auction
I watched for a couple of auction lots and could not believe my ears...
Some of these prized criollos, still wearing their winning ribbons, fell under the hammer at between 1000 and 2400 PESOS.
At a black market rate of 8.50 pesos to the dollar, these horses are a give away... |
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| For lack of a full sized pony, this girl was seriously trying to 'climb' astride this little toy horse. |
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| And if there is no toy horse, a pile of sacks filled with horse pellets will do as well |
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Midday rest under the Ombu tree, the canopy of this tree specimen would have covered a football field...
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Still to Come: a little more exhibition and then
PATO, the duck, the National Sport of Argentina
