Rodeo in Lethem 2005 Guyana

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MARCH 2005
When and where in Guyana can you dress like cowboys and
cowgirls and have a feel of the life in the South American
Wild West? Yes… during the Easter Rodeo in Lethem!
Easter weekend in Guyana can be
spent in various ways. Activities this
year ranged from going to church on
Good Friday to Phagwa on the
Saturday, Lethem Rodeo and the
Bartica Regatta and on Easter Monday
family pick nicks and Easter Kite
Flying at the Seawall. Usually the
Annual Easter Bunny Parade and the
Easter Bonnet Competition add to the
fun in Georgetown. The ones who
really wanted to have a taste of
adventure and excitement this year
headed, by road or by plane, for
Lethem, the small town in the
Rupununi Savannah on the South West
border with Brazil.
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To reach the Rupununi
Savannah you have to
pass
through
the
Iwokrama Rainforest,
a 360,000 hectare
protected area in the
Upper
Essequibo
Region, used for the
promotion
of
sustainable rainforest
management and for
research which should
bring
ecological,
economic and social
benefits
for
the
indigenous peoples, the
people of Guyana and
the world in general.
This area houses a rich diversity of flora and fauna, a
Field Station, Ranger Stations and a Canopy Walkway.
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No Hunting sign upon entering the Iwokrama Rainforest
The Rupununi Savannah is located in the southern part of Guyana, some 360 miles
from the capital town, Georgetown, and extends into neighbouring Brazil. It is
understood that this area is considered the largest open range savannah in the
world. It lies between the tropical rainforest of Guyana and the Amazon Jungle in
Brazil.
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The Rupununi
Savannah against
the background
of the Kanuku
Mountain range
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The
savannah
is
divided by the Kanuku
Mountains into North
and South Rupununi.
The area is known for
its mountains, fresh
water systems, various
Amerindian
villages,
large
rustic
cattle
ranches and majestic
termite mounds which
can be as tall as six
feet.
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Cows grazing on a ranch with the Pakaraima mountain
range in the background
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A three feet tall termite mound in the savannah and
the Kanuku mountain range in the background.
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How to get to Lethem?
You can get from Georgetown to
Lethem by air plane or by road. Local
airline operators like Trans Guyana
Airways and Roraima Airways operate
a flight schedule between the Ogle
airport on the East Coast and the
Lethem airstrip. Air travel between
Ogle and Lethem is approximately two
hours.
Map: amazon-guyana-bridgetours.com
By road, either private transportation
or the bus service GeorgetownLethem, it takes between fourteen to
sixteen hours. Stops along the way
include Mabura Hill, the Kurupukari
pontoon crossing, the Iwokrama
Rainforest with its Canopy Walkway
and Annai.
Lethem is located in Region Nine at
the bank of the Takutu River that
borders Guyana from Brazil. With a
population of approximately 2500
people, main activities in this area are
cattle rearing, farming and trade with
Brazil.
The indigenous population
comprise mainly of Makushi and
Wapishana tribes.
Lethem is the largest town and the
administrative centre of the Rupununi
Region and includes a hospital, a police
station,
an
army
camp,
a
telecommunication station, schools,
guesthouses, restaurants and stores.
Route by road
Route by air
Caribis@networksgy.
View of Lethem
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Takutu Hotel in Lethem
Business in Lethem
The Lethem Rodeo
The Lethem Rodeo or Rupununi Rodeo
is held each year in the Easter
weekend by the ranches in the area.
It is said that the rodeo was
introduced by an American from
Dakota by the name of Ben Hart in
the late nineteenth century. His idea
of entertaining guests was then
picked up by the local ranchers and
became an annual tradition in the
Rupununi.
This sports event, which is now
developing to a popular cultural
festival, attracts many visitors and
participants from every where, from
the coastland as far as Berbice and
from neighbouring Brazil. In addition,
the rodeo has growing support, not
only from the local ranches, but also
from
the
private
sector
in
Georgetown.
All
of
this
has
strengthened the wish to give the
Lethem or Rupununi Rodeo more
regional and international exposure.
The fun kicks off on the Saturday and
continues to Easter Monday with day
time activities like wild bull riding,
horse racing, wild cow milking, wild
horse riding, a female barrel race,
steer roping, etc. The evening
programme presents festivities in the
form of a cultural fair with food,
games, music and the lively so-called
“Faha” dance, which is a pair dance
and, is said, to have its origin in the
popular Northeast Brazilian ”Forró”
dance.
Crossi
Crossing the Takutu River at the Guyana-Brazil
border for the Rodeo
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Heading to the rodeo ground
The front entrance of the Triple R
rodeo ground gives access to the
vendors and fair games section with
various stalls exhibiting their items
ranging from the popular cowboy head
gear and leather works to various
dishes and drinks including the
favourite BBQ chicken and Brazilian
style beef and pork. At the back of
the ground the local Amerindian
people have set up their camps from
wood and tarpaulin or just use their
horse carts.
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A feel of the South American Wild West
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Vanessa, a local amazon on her way to the rodeo
The rodeo ground is then further
divided into a wooden fenced arena
and the various compartments housing
the wild horses, cows and bulls. One
side of the arena is reserved for the
officials and special guests platform
and a public grandstand, while from
the other side the Rodeo Judging
Committee as well as other spectators
can have a closer view of the
proceedings in the arena.
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Spectators in the cool
shade of the grandstand
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Doing business at the rodeo
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Discussing the techniques
In the wild cow milking competition the challenge for competitors is in roping the
wild animal and trying to milk them. If this would be a daily routine in dairy
production, our population would have a diet very low in lactose. One of the major
attractions is bareback bronco in which Guyanese as well as Brazilian competitors,
including one female vaquero, challenge each others skills in the riding and break-
in of wild horses. The winning vaquero is the one who manages to stay the
longest time on the back of the untamed bucking horse. The same principle
applies for the wild bull riding, which looks like a far more dangerous event
not only in terms of the bull’s temper but also for its weight.
The barrel race is another
attraction in which local amazons
can demonstrate their riding skills.
The winner is the one who can
finish the track within the
shortest possible time. Auntie Pat,
one of the few amazons in the
rodeo and the eldest among the
competitors, proved to be still the
best.
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Auntie Pat in action in the arena
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Easter Rodeo is the busiest time of the year in
Lethem and it is recommended to make reservations
for accommodation months in advance. Apart from
hotel accommodation, campers may find a spot to set
up their tents in the backyard of the guesthouses.
Where are we
heading next year
for Easter?
See ya in Lethem!
Production: Caribis
Georgetown, Guyana
April 2005