PHOTOS AND STORY BY CATHY KAPULKA
They have been called “the wanderers of the Pampas.” Gauchos, cowboys of Brazil, have been wandering the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul for centuries and have been known as outlaws.
Today, men on motorcycles replace these men on horseback because of practicality. It is easier and more cost effective to maintain a motorcycle than it is to keep a horse.
Jonas Garces de Oliveira, 40, keeps the cattle raising tradition alive in Lomba Grande, Brazil by raising his herd and lassoing them just as his grandfather did decades earlier.
Oliveira, a tall slender man who resembles the Marlboro Man, rides his horse quietly across the brilliant, green countryside. As the radiant sun sets over the rolling hills of Lomba Grande he sips his chimarrao, a tea made from Mate, and watches over the land of his forefathers.
The traditional gauchos of today perform valuable jobs and are highly respected among their piers. The gauchos in Lomba Grande hold great esteem and are cherished by the locals.
Oliveira originally took over the farm after his own father died in a truck accident while bringing cattle to a gaucho competition. He was only 6 years old at the time.
Oliveira's first career was in banking. He worked 15 years at the bank and held the third highest position. His brother Marcelo ran the farm. Oliveira said to further his career at the bank he would have to take master's classes.
"Why should I take a graduate course for something I hate, when I have this farm?" Oliveira said.
Oliveira said the bank was stressing him out.Oliveira said h He wanted to work on the ranch, but at the time it was not self-sufficient. Oliveira decided to retire from the bank. He received a "good" pension and invested it in the ranch.
He respectively named it "Vo Zeca" which means "in tribute."
Oliveira said Vo Zeca is homage to his grandfather who was one of the first men in Lomba Grande to work cattle in the true gaucho tradition with a goal of preserving the past.
Oliveira proudly sports his light brown cap, a traditional gaucho appendage somewhat resembling a New York brim. He yells to the ranch hands letting them know that he is ready for the gaucho competition to commence. One by one the weathered cowboys slowly approach the gate on horseback where it will be their turn to prove that they can hold their own on the field.
With almost natural repetition, Oliveira grasps the cold, metal handle of the craggy, wooden gate holding the discontented bull back, and opens it for the competition to begin. The bull violently charges out of the cramped stall as a gaucho tries with all of his heart to lasso the large creature. As the next gaucho and bull approach the gate, Oliveira sips his hot chimarrao while simultaneously filling his mouth with popcorn as nonchalantly as a baseball fan would devour Cracker Jacks at a Yankees game.
About 150 gauchos compete for money and prestige. The competition is a single-elimination tournament and costs 25 reais (about $8) to enter. The gauchos lasso the bulls until there is only one gaucho that has not been eliminated. The bulls must be lassoed around the horns.
Oliveira hires an announcer and two men to judge each competition. The winner takes 20 percent of the entry fees. The remaining money goes to keep his ranch running. The competition is so large that he has to rent more cattle to keep the judging fair. Too many gauchos competing and not enough cattle result in an unfair advantage for the gaucho because of the cattle tiring.
The cattle Oliveira raises are for the gaucho competition. Eventually when the cattle get used to the competition they are sold for consumption.
"They get smart," Oliveira said. "By the end of the season, they figure out how to outrun the gauchos."
Every season Vo Zeca purchases and raises a new heard of cattle to be ready for the upcoming gaucho competition. Oliveira said Brazilians love to compete and it does not matter whether it is soccer or gaucho competition.
Oliveira said after each competition there is a "churrasco." A churrasco is the Brazilian way of barbequing. Barbequing is a Brazilian way of life. "There are many reasons to have a churrasco." Oliveira said.
"If your soccer team wins, you have a churrasco. If your soccer team losses, you have a churrasco.