Around the World in 8000 days: A visit to the Feria de Matadores

Sunday, August 27, 2017

A visit to the Feria de Matadores

Corrida de sortija, Feria de Matadores, Buenos Aires

One thing that we had meant to go to previously, but hadn't got around to, was the Feria de Matadores. This Gaucho market is held in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, about a forty minute bus ride out of the centre.

There are lots of market stalls, some of which are very generic, but others have some good authentic goods, including mate cups and bombillas, and some - though not as many as we had expected - gaucho related items. There were certainly a lot of knives on sale.

Feria de Matadores, Buenos Aires

There are also food stalls, where we had a few more decent empanadas, but you could also get other traditional fare like locra, and there are a couple of nice old fashioned places to eat.

The locals enjoy the market, with live music and traditional dancing in the square, which generally draws a small crowds of onlookers, and a few hapless tourists may be tempted to join in.

Corrida de sortija, Feria de Matadores, Buenos Aires

But the main reason that we had come along was to enjoy the spectacle of the corrida de sortija, a gaucho sport that involves galloping your horse along and trying to collect a small ring, that is dangling at about head height, on a little stick.

We watched this for quite a while, and it is clearly not easy at all. Most people failed, either missing the ring altogether, knocking it off, or managing to collect it, only to drop it afterwards. But some did get it, and trotted back, proudly showing off the ring.

Child's play? Corrida de sortija, Feria de Matadores, Buenos Aires

They start them early at this sport, and we saw a kid of about twelve, (maybe, I'm lousy at judging ages,) and another that can't have been older than two, having a go at a lowered ring.

What is nice about this market and the corrida de sortija, is that whilst there are obviously tourists here, being a bit further out of town, the numbers are rather less than at San Telmo for example. Of course the vendors are used to visitors, and cater to them, but this is predominantly an event for local people.

Starting them young at the Corrida de sortija, Feria de Matadores, Buenos Aires

There were comparatively few people watching the gauchos tilting for their rings, and it was evident that they were doing this for themselves, not to entertain a crowd. In our eyes, that made this a very worthwhile trip out of the centre.