South American folklore: the ‘paleteadas’

Paleteadas, also known as ‘corridas de rodeo’, are competitions linked to Criollo horse breeding in Latin America, particularly in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. These competitions test the Criollo horse’s abilities in its traditional role as a working animal with livestock.

During competitions, the focus is on the horse’s ‘vaquera’ attitude: the horse must demonstrate speed, the ability to block calves and, at the same time, a certain docility in following the rider’s commands. The test consists of stopping a calf running between two horses and keeping it still for a distance of 60 metres.

The maximum score that can be achieved in a well-executed test is 15 points, distributed across four evaluation criteria. Among the most prestigious competitions are the Freno de Oro, the Copa VW and the Copa del Mundo del Cavallo Criollo.