User blog:123chaseyoung/Cowboys vs Gauchos

I'm back guys! I know it's been a long time and many of you probably thought I'm gone, but now I've returned with a new bigger and bolder season that would feature history's greatest badass in a battle to the death!

First, I'm battling two of the most iconic herders in warrior history! Cowboys... the American horsemen of legend and folklore who gunned their way across bandits and Indians to history! VS Gauchos... the Argentinian irregulars who fought for their country's freedom and became national icons! WHO IS DEADLIEST?!

Cowboy
Central to the myth and the reality of the West is the American cowboy. The cowboy has for over a century been an iconic American image both in the country and abroad; recognized worldwide and revered by Americans. His real life was a hard one and revolved around two annual roundups, spring and fall, the subsequent drives to market, and the time off in the cattle towns spending his hard earned money on food, clothing, gambling, alcohol, and prostitution. During winter, many cowboys hired themselves out to ranches near the cattle towns, where they repaired and maintained equipment and buildings. For young cowboys and buckaroos, working cattle was not just a job but also a lifestyle, one that was lived in the freedom of the outdoors and, most of the time, on horseback. On a long drive, there was usually one cowboy for each 250 head of cattle. Alcohol was everywhere in the West (outside Mormondom), but on the trail the cowboys were forbidden to drink it. Often, hired cowboys were trained and knowledgeable in their trade such as herding, ranching and protecting cattle.

To protect their herd from wild animals, rogue Indians and rustlers, cowboys carried with them their iconic weaponry such as knives, pistols, rifles and shotguns. Other cowboys have participated in various range wars throughout the frontier, and on the trail, they also have to endure bad weather and unforgiving environments. Many of the cowboys were veterans of the Civil War; a diverse group, they included Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and immigrants from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East. Many even joined the Rough Riders lead by fellow cowboy Theodore Roosevelt. Trail cowboys who were also known as gunfighters like John Wesley Hardin, Luke Short, Tom Horn and others, were known for their prowess, speed and skill with their pistols and other firearms. Their violent escapades and reputations morphed over time into the stereotypical image of violence endured by the "cowboy hero".

Gaucho
Gaúcho or Gaucho (Portuguese pronunciation) is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Southern Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Southern Chile. In Brazil, gaúcho is also the main gentilic of the people from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The gaucho plays an important symbolic role in the nationalist feelings of this region, especially that of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The epic poem Martín Fierro by José Hernández (considered by some the national epic of Argentina) used the gaucho as a symbol against corruption and of Argentine national tradition, pitted against Europeanising tendencies. Martín Fierro, the hero of the poem, is drafted into the Argentine military for a border war, deserts, and becomes an outlaw and fugitive. The image of the free gaucho is often contrasted to the slaves who worked the northern Brazilian lands. Further literary descriptions are found in Ricardo Güiraldes' Don Segundo Sombra. Like the North American cowboys, as discussed in Richard W. Slatta, Cowboys of the Americas, gauchos were generally reputed to be strong, honest, silent types, but proud and capable of violence when provoked. The gaucho tendency to violence over petty matters is also recognized as a typical trait. Gauchos' use of the famous "facón" (large knife generally tucked into the rear of the gaucho sash) is legendary, often associated with considerable bloodletting.

X-Factors
1. Training: Cowboy - 75, Gaucho - 60

Many cowboys had military training as some were veterans of the Mexican-American War, Civil War and Indian Wars. The Gauchos on the other hand were irregular troops who recieved little to no formal training.

2. Experience: Cowboy: 80, Gaucho - 85

Many cowboys were veterans, and some fought against bandits, Indians and other fellow cowboys and gunfighters in various range wars. However, the Gauchos were not only veterans, but they were a key cavalry during the Argentine War of Independence. They were a major factor in winning liberty for their country.

3. Marksmanship: Cowboy: 90, Gaucho - 87

Many cowboys were noted for their marksmanship and some became gunfighters themselves. While Gauchos were also hunters and frontier people who lived off the land and hunted game, they were more famous as knife-weilders than gunmen.