Feature - Patagonia's Veteran Gauchos
Cristina de Middel
It takes maturity and skill to roam the vast fields of Patagonia as a traditional horseman, which is why older Gauchos like Horaldo Soto, 51, here on his horse, El Engaño, earn the utmost respect. The short wool poncho, sheep skin and hat are some of the distinctive elements of the role, but what sets great Gauchos apart are essential character traits that come naturally with age, namely the experience to get a job done and the know-how to do it with grace.
Seen as a rejection of European modernization, the Gauchos of South America are not unlike American cowboys in representing romantic ideals...
