A Look at the Brazilian Rodeo

The idea that the rodeo is only a Midwestern America tradition, practiced by hardened tough cowboys is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Accompanying the growing popularity of rodeo programs in private boarding schools, some of the biggest rodeos are taking place in Brazil, where recently rodeo was declared a national sport.

Though it probably will never take the place of soccer, rodeo has climbed at an astonishing rate in the South American country. Rodeo has quickly risen to be the second most popular sport in Brazil. This isn’t surprising, since the world’s biggest commercial cattle herd in the world is located in Barretos, a large town in Brazil. It stands to reason that a city with so many cattle would eventually want to do something besides eat them. In the rodeos short lifespan it has already become an industry that grosses several hundred million dollars each year for the country.

The Brazilian rodeo is just like any American rodeo, just replace the red, white and blue with green and yellow. Bull riding, cattle wrangling and horsemanship challenges are all intact. Private boarding schools with rodeo programs could consider Brazil for a field trip and never know they left the country. Even the outfits, from the studded leather cowboy boots to the leather cowboy hats, complete with a shiny belt buckle big enough to eat off of in the middle.

Brazil isn’t the only country trying on this new sport, though they’re catching onto it the fastest. Rodeos have sprung up across Canada, Mexico and even France, all with the same drive to prove who can be the best cowboys and cowgirls. Private boarding schools that have rodeo as part of their curriculum are ahead of the curve, as the sport goes from being a strictly American pastime to an international sensation.

Joe Meyere is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on Twitter.