The mule’s move
On 16 and 17 December 2023 I attended a mule-riding competition at “La Vuelta al Pago”, a festival with a rich history that was revived by a group of residents of Garzón (Uruguay).
The mule jineteada (gaucho bronc riding) is a gaucho and criollo tradition1 consisting of a contest between riders who must mount and stay on mules for eight seconds. Mules are untamed, stubborn and obstinate animals, especially hard for the riders to mount and control: to ride a mule bareback for eight seconds is quite a feat2.
Mule-riding at the “La Vuelta al Pago” festival held in the village of Garzón, Uruguay, on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December 2023.
What really caught my attention was the technique adopted by the only mule that opted for inaction, sitting down on the ground and disabling the riders. Suddenly, the mule decided to withdraw from the game with a move that dismantled all the rules and put the imposed power in check. The mule’s move was to do nothing.
“La Vuelta al Pago”, Garzón (UR), 16.12.2023
“Letteralmente: non c’è più niente da fare. E allora non facciamolo.”
La vuelta al Pago 2023
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In Uruguay it has been a national sport since 2006. ⤶
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Bareback (crina limpia): the rider must mount the animal with no saddle or gear of any kind, except for a strip of leather placed around the neck, which is what they must hold on to (Jineteada gaucha - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre). ⤶