Thousands take part in annual gaucho day celebrations

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(17 Nov 2013) Thousands of Argentines gathered to celebrate the annual day of Gaucho in the town of San Antonio de Areco, on Sunday.
Horseback Gauchos paraded through the streets of San Antonio, some 115 kilometres (71 miles) north-east of Buenos Aires, which is recognised by many as the spiritual birthplace of the great Argentine cowboy.
For the last 74 years Gauchos have arrived from all over Argentina to participate in a hat-tipping assortment of events which culminate in a "cabalgata" or Gaucho parade on horseback through the colonial streets.
Local mayor, Francisco Duranova said it's the cultural web that binds their community together.
"Beyond globalisation, even beyond the breaking down of countries borders, what will continue to maintain the representation and the identity of the communities is culture and this is our culture", he said.
As well as a local and national institution every year the event attracts an increasing number of international visitors, drawn to its rustic charm.
"It's very simple, no Brad Pitt, no stars, just the people and for me it's enough", said French tourist, Jean Claude Halami, who managed to fit the festival into a three week tour of Argentina and Chile.
The town of San Antonio de Areco dates from the early 18th century and is a veritable living museum to the nomadic horsemen, who much like the North American cowboy, have become a national institution in Argentina.
In the municipal centre a shrine to the Gaucho tells the history of this iconic figure.
During the mid-19th century, a clash of cultures between Gauchos and European settlers meant the former were slow to find employment with the new landowners.
However, Gaucho skills were indispensable when it came to tending to the roaming herds of cattle on the plains of Argentina, once a mainstay of the national economy.
Local resident, Horacio Gomez said Gauchos take a strong sense of pride in how their tradition is revered.
"It moves you, it makes you feel alive, it makes you rethink all of our styles of life today", said Gomez.
Moving from the streets to the local "Gaucho park" the annual event runs late into the night, and culminates in a Gaucho rodeo.


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