The Cowboy Boot

The wise would say that wherever you have ranch animals such as cattle, you will always see people on horseback who are taking care of them. Based on history, these cattle farmers as one would call them are also called other names. They are called the cowboy in the Old West and in the West (the modern one); the gauchos of Argentina and that of southern Brazil and Uruguay, the vaqueros of the northern part of Brazil, the huasos of the Chileans and the llaneros of Venezuela and Colombia.

In the Argentine countryside and the pampas of southern Brazil and Uruguay, cattle raising is not just a tradition but the most important part of life. These men who tend to cattle are known as gauchos. Before when the gauchos had a very bad reputation in the land, the term gaucho was not used by well-mannered individuals because the word was very derogatory. Later on however the word evolves to mean orphan or vagabond. Some say though that the word gaucho comes from huachu which has the same definition as that mentioned above –vagabond.

There are a number of accounts that pertain to the gauchos of these parts of the world and they ranged from almost mythical to those that were written in novel form to true historical stories. But who were these cowboys? These early horsemen were usually loners who wandered in the vast plains of Argentina and its neighboring countries. They lived off the land and also worked for the commercial ranches in the area especially when there is a need to track down cows. The ranchers they work for also get the benefit of being protected by the gauchos. For a certain time, the gauchos also provided military service to the resistance.

The nomadic lifestyle of these men meant that they rarely or even never spent time at home but some of them must have had common law wives whom they had children with.

The constant wandering of the gaucho meant they carried nothing but the clothes on their back and their weapons. They of course had their horses which were their trusty companions throughout their lives. Some had wives too but most of these cowboys rarely went home to see the kids. As bad as this may sound, this is the lifestyle a gaucho has chosen and more often than not, their sons follow their footsteps too.

During the time of the gauchos, there were no bootmakers yet in Argentina but these men already wore gaucho boots. What they did was to wrap their legs with the hide of a freshly killed cow or calf and as it dries, it will just take the form of the foot and the rest of the leg covered in the said material. This tidbit of history makes Argentine cowboy boots rather interesting.

With their rather lowly reputation in the beginning, these mestizos did not get as much respect as they do today. Today June16 is a holiday in Argentina –it is a celebration of the contribution of the Argentine cowboys to the War of Independence.

There are a number of stories that talk about the gauchos. One classic example is the poem by Jose Hernandez titled El Gaucho Martin Fierro. Gauchos are not more popular today than before though because sports teams even call themselves gauchos. When visiting Argentina, there are clothiers that sell hats of the gauchos making the gaucho tradition an attraction for tourists.

In Brazil on the other hand, most of the inhabitants were called gauchos. Brazil also has rodeos making the Latin American country a good place to visit if one is interested in Latin American cowboys. For tourists who want to see Brazilian gauchos, going to Mato Grosso do Sul is a wonderful idea.

Looked upon as unruly and rough individuals who wandered the Argentine countryside, the gauchos did not enjoy a recognition that cowboys deserve. Today however, they are now recognized for the valuable tasks they performed and for their contribution in the Argentine resistance. Although they were said to have disappeared when the book title Don Segundo Sombra, a fictional story about the life of gauchos, was published, they have reappeared later on. They can still be seen in a number of villages in Argentina. There was a rather long period of darkness for the gauchos but much like their asado and other Argentine traditions of Tango among others, they re-emerged.

The gauchos much like their counterparts in the West, have a very long history and are considered as heroes. The dramatic story of the gauchos being ostracized in the 1600s until the latter part of the 1700s just makes their story more interesting. As always, and as we’ve seen in many a Hollywood films, it’s always the true blue cowboys who emerge as heroes. Dramatic yes but the history of the gaucho who wandered through the countryside of Argentina is a true account and is much better than any story of a fictional cowboy. These cowboys helped in turning the economy of Argentina into a more productive one thanks to their knowledge about cattle and their ways of preserving and cooking its meat. They also helped in fighting the conquistadors who ruled Argentina at the time.

In celebration of equestrian life, Hermes’ 2012 fashion show in Paris showcased gaucho-inspired clothes making them look very chic. Hermes was a producer of harnesses before it ever became the luxury brand that it is today and along with the gauchos of Argentina, the French company celebrates the life of the horse rider.  The collection also incorporated other tribal influences from the world over.

Few men across all walks of life have been collectively mourned in death the way Tom Mix was. A symbol of the West for a time during his heyday, Tom Mix is not your regular actor –he was a hero and is still is a hero to many.

Upon his death, Tom Mix was remembered as a well-loved friend and a man who would drop anything to fight for the good. Some may think of this as an exaggeration but Tom Mix did not only bring entertainment in people’s lives but also served as an inspiration to many young Americans in his time. He was a hero and an adviser to every man or boy who went to see his films and listened to him on the radio.

Tom Mix’s advise to the younger generation was based on his down to earth type of living and a code that gives emphasis on honesty, courage, and fair play.

His life was a blast and he and his wife Victoria Ford lived their lives together to the fullest. His life, according to those who knew him, was as adventurous as any of the fictitious characters the actor portrayed in the movies.

During the Cuban campaign in the time of the Spanish-American War, Tom Mix served as a scout for Col. Theodore Roosevelt.  Later on he was sent to the Philippines for the Luzon campaign. Mix also went to South Africa before returning to the United States to be a professional peace officer. Mix served as a peace officer in Oklahoma and Texas, accounts say.

Another amazing thing about the actor is that he served as a Sheriff in different parts of the West and then became a US Marshall later on.

He was offered a project in the movie industry afterwards but during the Mexican revolution in 1910, Tom Mix dropped everything. He went back to moviemaking of course and became one of America’s most loved entertainers.

The American silent film entertainer William S. Hart may not be today’s Orlando Bloom, Gerard Butler or Brad Pitt but he is definitely someone a lot of people looked up to during his heyday.

William S. Hart is not just a film actor though but now also a name for a ranch and museum and one high school –an indication that William S. Hart is well-remembered even in this era where silent films are no longer in existence.

Deemed as a storybook hero and the original on-screen cowboy, Hart may be remembered by many as a villain in most of his films but he will always be remembered by his contemporaries as “ever forthright and honest”.

The 6’2” Hart’s first film His Hour of Manhood released in 1914 was a two-reeler. The next year, he signed another contract and joined Triangle Film Company.

During his retirement, Hart was disturbed by the sound of a plane that kept flying over his house. The plane was owned by Amelia Earhart. For him to complain about the noise that Earhart’s plane makes, he invited the lady to dinner. The two later on became very good friends.

Before his retirement, William S. Hart also went into producing movies and directing them.

One of his most memorable films is Tumbleweeds released in 1925. His career as a film star started with him on a New York stage. However, one has to note that his passion for the American West did not start in his boyhood but when he was already a young man traveling to the West. This is as much a good story as any of his films shown in cinema in those days.

What is most interesting about Hart is that he was ahead of his time and developed a deep respect for the native American culture.