Chilean rodeo: A family Tradition

When I was a child my father carried me on to see the sport that he loves; it was Chilean Rodeo.
I remember when he was a rider and practiced all the evenings this sport with other friends I was sitting there waiting for him I was scared because I was thinking that my father could suffer some accident while he was riding a horse, but he was happy so that made me happy too. I could see in his face a smile of pleasure, and it remained me when he told me that he wanted to become a professional horse rider, so his dreamt was being realized. It made me feel proud of him.

My father had a favorite horse called “Olmo Viejo” it was beautiful with, brown eyes and his teeth were very big. I went up to him and I touched him; his skin was soft and comfortable. In that moment I felt a connection with animals, I mean especially with the horses at the same of my father.
However, with the time I learnt that there are different kinds of love of animals. There are people who dislike Chilean Rodeo and someone who like it. When my father entered to this sport he knew that there were some difficulties; some people were against chilean sport.
Those people think that in this sport horses and cows are mistreated, and it is an aggressive sport. They believe that this practice can become the animals violent. Nowadays they fight to find a solution and to stop this animal mistreated.

While the practices of this sport think that it is a way to enjoy of animals; it is the way to show to everybody that horse is a skilful animal and this activity don’t cause damage in it. The owner of these horses takes care and prepares them for the competition and to become the best.
Anyway, it is difficult to understand how people have different point of view of the Chilean Rodeo. However, there are similarities between this people, I mean, the love of animals.
My father in spite of those difficulties practiced this national sport which was his passion.

The rodeo is the second most popular sport in Chile. There are many people who practice Chilean rodeo. Most of the horse rider belongs to families where competing in rodeos is a way of life and a skill passed down from father to son so there are many factors that causes the motivation for this sport in some people.
One of the principal causes of this sport is that it is born of a family tradition. In the case of my family my grandfather was a famous rider when he was a young and agile man. He won many trophies when he competed. My father always looked at my grandfather while he was practicing this activity. That was the motivation for him becomes a horse rider. This shows that the most of sportsman practice this sport is by familiar tradition.

That is the reason why some horse rider wants to be as his father. In some cases they want to reach a dream that their ascendants didn’t get. The biggest dream of a rider is to compete in the Chilean championship. In this place are the best horse riders of the country.
On the other hand is commitment with the family, in the case of my father when my grandfather died, my father promises him that he would be the best rider in the family history.

After of all, this sport has been kept on thanks of love that some people have of animals and also by this sport, it is interesting how people of the same country and the same culture have different point of view by the same tradition.
The Chilean Rodeo tries to keep on in the time in spite of this sport is not being valued by society in this time.

By Valeria Contreras.