Games and sports of Gauchos

Gauchos are very active men that enjoy playing games and practicing different types of sports. Because of their close bond with horses and their impressive riding skills, most of these games and sports include horses! Here they are:

Jineteada

The gaucho’s jineteada is a characteristic and traditional equestrian activity of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. The activity consists on the rider having to hold himself for between 6 and 15 seconds on a colt until the bell rings. The goal is to last all that time and not fall off the horse.

Corrida de Sortija

This game consists of a wooden structure made from two upright wooden posts of about 10 feet or 3 meters that are crossed by a beam placed in the center of a street or plaza where people can gather around. In the middle of this cross-beam, a small ring (or sortija) is suspended. The goal is to introduce a wooden stick inside the small suspended ring without knocking it off the beam, all whilst standing on the saddle’s stapes galloping at full speed.

Pato

The sport Pato combines the best of Polo and Basketball. This unexpected combination is a lot of fun for gauchos and their traditional sport. It consists of 2 teams of 4 riders each and their criollo horses, all running after a ball with 6 leather handles. The goal is to throw the ball through a net hoop.

Would you like to play any of these games?