The Vaquero
Origin Of The Cowboy
Vaquero is the Spanish word for a horse-mounted cattle herder. It derives from vaca, meaning "cow".
The origins of the vaquero tradition come from Spain, beginning with the medieval hacienda system. This style of cattle ranching spread throughout much of the Iberian Peninsula, and later was imported to the Americas in the 16th century with the arrival of the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers. The arrival of horses in the Americas was particularly significant, as equines had been extinct there since the end of the prehistoric ice age. Horses quickly multiplied in America and became crucial to the success of the Spanish and later, settlers from other nations.
The traditions of Spain were transformed by the geographic, environmental and cultural circumstances of New Spain, which later became Mexico and the Southwestern United States. In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence. American traders along the Santa Fe Trail encountered both hacendados and vaqueros, trading manufactured goods for the hides and tallow produced from vast cattle ranches. Starting with these early encounters, the lifestyle and language of the vaquero began a transformation, merging with English cultural traditions and producing what became known in popular American culture as the "cowboy".
Vaquero is the Spanish word for a horse-mounted cattle herder. It derives from vaca, meaning "cow".
The origins of the vaquero tradition come from Spain, beginning with the medieval hacienda system. This style of cattle ranching spread throughout much of the Iberian Peninsula, and later was imported to the Americas in the 16th century with the arrival of the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers. The arrival of horses in the Americas was particularly significant, as equines had been extinct there since the end of the prehistoric ice age. Horses quickly multiplied in America and became crucial to the success of the Spanish and later, settlers from other nations.
The traditions of Spain were transformed by the geographic, environmental and cultural circumstances of New Spain, which later became Mexico and the Southwestern United States. In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence. American traders along the Santa Fe Trail encountered both hacendados and vaqueros, trading manufactured goods for the hides and tallow produced from vast cattle ranches. Starting with these early encounters, the lifestyle and language of the vaquero began a transformation, merging with English cultural traditions and producing what became known in popular American culture as the "cowboy".
Vaqueros of Beni
Cattle and horses were introduced by the Spaniards when the mission of Los Santos Reyes was established in 1706. However, it wasn’t until the rubber-boom in the mid 1800's that ranching emerged as an economic force in the area. Reyes ranches supplied the workers’ barrack with meat and began exporting it thereafter, bringing wealth to the area, especially during the Altiplano’s mining boom in the 1940’s.
Today, Beni Department is Bolivia's second largest cattle-ranching region. Official estimates calculate that there are between 2 and 2.5 million heads of cattle throughout the year. Most of these are turned out to pasture. The importance of cattle ranching is prominent in the regional culture and vaqueros still play an important role in Beni society. They comprise a significant proportion of the working class.
In the pampas, Bolivia’s tropical wetlands, cattle ranchers build homes and keep their herds on patches of high ground. As water recedes during the dry months, ranchers move their cattle into areas of fresh grass. Beni’s ranches also host a multitude of pampas species, including thousands of aquatic birds and over 80 species of mammals, such as the jaguar, marsh deer, and giant anteater.
Cattle and horses were introduced by the Spaniards when the mission of Los Santos Reyes was established in 1706. However, it wasn’t until the rubber-boom in the mid 1800's that ranching emerged as an economic force in the area. Reyes ranches supplied the workers’ barrack with meat and began exporting it thereafter, bringing wealth to the area, especially during the Altiplano’s mining boom in the 1940’s.
Today, Beni Department is Bolivia's second largest cattle-ranching region. Official estimates calculate that there are between 2 and 2.5 million heads of cattle throughout the year. Most of these are turned out to pasture. The importance of cattle ranching is prominent in the regional culture and vaqueros still play an important role in Beni society. They comprise a significant proportion of the working class.
In the pampas, Bolivia’s tropical wetlands, cattle ranchers build homes and keep their herds on patches of high ground. As water recedes during the dry months, ranchers move their cattle into areas of fresh grass. Beni’s ranches also host a multitude of pampas species, including thousands of aquatic birds and over 80 species of mammals, such as the jaguar, marsh deer, and giant anteater.