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Well - what luck! I'm totally fascinated by the horses of Argentina, the
Gauchos, the history of the pampas. The crafts, costume and artwork of this
era, these people whose lives were entwined with the horse. I can't take my
eyes off the men with their broad leather belts, or the patterned woven
belts with the ubiquitous knife tucked in the back (I have a million
pictures of the 'gaucho butt'). The intricate silver and leather work of
their tools, tack and bridlery. The bombachas (baggy legged pants), the
leather boots or cloth slippers - Alpargatas. The flat black hats, or wool
caps (berets). The horses with the peculiar argentine halter and headstall,
the saddles - which are like pack saddles with layers and layers of fleece
skins and patterned blankets. The strange and ornate stirrups - with just
enough room for the toe.

So - for one who is drawn like a magnet to anything gaucho or criollo - to
find out that there was an important traditional gaucho/horse competition -
the Fiesta de Tropillas - during the week of our stay with Claudia, was
beyond exciting!

To back up  -

After the ride at Pinamar, Claudia invited us to come and visit at her
Estancia, Haras Las Cortaderas. 'Haras' roughly translates to 'Stud', as in
breeding farm. And Las Cortaderas is the Argentine word for pampas grass -
the tall billowing grass with the white plume flowers - the signature of the
pampas. Haras Las Cortaderas is located in the 'fertile triangle'- the
highly productive agricultural region in Buenos Aires province, several
hours' drive south of the city of Buenos Aires. Claudia Quentin is the owner
of RAS Kasal, the horse that Mercedes Tapia rode in the World Championship
in Dubai. (and also the WEC in Jerez). She is a gracious and energetic
woman, with a passion for Argentine history and art, and also a very strong
passion for breeding Arabians. She rode horses all her life, growing up on
the Estancia where horses and cattle were everyday work. She has long been
involved with Arabian horses, since she acquired her first Arabian horse 40
years ago, a gift from a friend. Just the beginning. Soon Claudia began to
raise Arabians, carefully developing a breeding program from Crabbet,
Egyptian and Argentine Arabian bloodstock.

Always with an eye for good legs and athleticism, Las Cortaderas has
produced a strong line of performance Arabians, some of which became the
foundation stock for others, including Miguel Pavlovsky's
Arabians. (Miguel and Celena's estancia is very close to Claudia's).
Together they, and others, promoted the Arabian breed through the Argentine
Arab Horse Society (Asociación Argentina de Criadores de Caballos Arabes).

In the early 1970's - not long after Endurance became an 'official' sport in
the US (AERC) -  Claudia hosted Argentina's first Endurance event, through
the AACCA, at Las Cortaderas. Endurance in Argentina was born. And the
Arabian horses of Argentina now had a venue for testing their strength and
Endurance, and proving certain lines.

So, through the constant magic of this sport - the mix of people from around
the world - bound in spirit by the horse and the toughness - we met Claudia.
In Argentina the circle of Endurance is rather small, and the breeders of
the Arabians have a significant role - in supplying the horses, and in
helping to organize, support, and patronize the sport. Through Miguel we met
Claudia. Through Miguel and Claudia and Endurance Net (!!) we met Mercedes
and Eduardo. And now the friendships grow. (and I just spoke with Grace -
she and Jan and Sheikha Madiya will be coming to Argentina for the Pan
Americans! too cool!)

Now -  a little more on the Gaucho (my own version 'The Beautiful Gaucho
Butt')

The guacho evolved in Argentina during the 17th and 18th centuries. These
people were primarily a mixture of Indian and Spanish (Andalusian) blood,
but they were neither Spaniard nor Indian in culture or acceptance. They
developed a distinct lifestyle - with distinct dress and cuture. They were
independent and self sufficient, borrowing from the lifestyles of both the
Indians and the Spaniards, but finding their own niche in vast lands of
Argentina.

> From writings by George W. Umphrey, University of Washington: "Although
there is considerable diversity of opinion among historians as to the extent
to which they took Indian wives, it is certain that there was some
intermingling of races; the gauchos were, at least in part, the descendants
of the Andalusian pioneers and Indian women. Since the Andalusian had in him
a strain of Arab blood, the gauchos inherited three races characteristics
that were further modified by the pastoral life of the pampas. From the
Indian ancestors came the love for the free life of the plains, their hatred
of restraint, of law and order, their patient acceptance of hardship and
physical pain; from the Arabs came their love of the noble companion of
their nomadic life and their superb horsemanship, in which they rivaled, if
they did not surpass, our own western cowboys. From the Andalusians they
inherited their intensity of feeling, their religious superstition, and more
particularly, the characteristic that brings us to the main purpose of this
study, their fondness for poetry and music."

Today's gauchos are much like the present day cowboys of the States. Without
the free landscape, they can't maintain the lifestyle that defined them -
but they still proudly preserve the tradition, the dress, the demeanor.
Grandfathers and grandchildren sit their horses with the same signature
slouch, they still slide their beautiful crafted knives (which they use for
everything) into their belts. They still prefer the land, the campo. And
they are still superb horsemen.

And what horsemanship! next - the amazing tropillas...

Steph



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