If you were to ask an Argentinian off the street what they thought the official sport of their country was, nine times out of ten, the person would respond fútbol. However, especially if they were a horse enthusiast, they would emphatically answer Pato, which can also be called Juego del Pato. They would be correct since Pato has been the official sport of Argentina since 1953. The sport had a rough start, but the rules were codified to make it less violent and more like a traditional sport. It cannot be overstated how important the horse was to the history of Argentina. A local saying goes, "The nation was shaped on horseback," referring to the conquistador Spaniards exploring and conquering the region and the importance of cattle ranching in the country. Other equestrian societies have made their national sports on horseback, such as Buzkashi from Afghanistan, Rodeo from Chile, Charrería from Mexico, and horse racing in Mongolia. It is interesting to note the many similarities between these sports, especially Pato and Buzkashi. It makes me wonder whether these sports were invented separately or if there was a common sport they were both derived from. There is a movement in other countries like France and Portugal that play a similar game called “horseball” to adopt the rules from Pato so it can be played internationally.

The Pampas region of Argentina is a fertile low grassland most famous for being ideal for cattle. This is the home of the Argentinian gaucho, or cowboy, which is seen as a living embodiment of the spirit of Argentina in a similar way that the cowboy is emblematic of the Wild West in the US. When there was free time away from raising cattle, “estancias," or ranches,

would compete with their gauchos (cowboys) and play a game akin to horse-mounted rugby. Gauchos would race with the duck-filled basket to their camp located a mile and a half away without being stolen by the opposition, who would try to bring it to their camp first. In modern times, the Campo de Argentina del Pato, located on the west side of Buenos Aires, is recognized as the most beautiful and revered area for Pato matches. This is where you will find the three most relevant pato championships, the Triple Crown.

Pato had a rough start in its history, which can be traced back as early as 1610, just after the Spanish conquests. Pato translated literally means "duck," which initially may seem strange because the game is played on horses. However, the ball the sport used started as a live duck inside a basket. Nowadays, the game has transitioned to a much more humane soccer-sized ball with six rope handles surrounding it instead. The original game was violent, for the duck was jostled in the basket and for the gauchos who fell off their mount. It was frequent for players to be trampled to death by a horse when they fell off, and it seemed commonplace for knife fights to break out when the game got intense. The violence became bad enough that the Argentinian government banned it several times, especially in the 19th century. The Catholic church even got involved by decreeing that gauchos who died in a knife fight during a Pato game could not receive ceremonial burial.

The modern game owes a debt of gratitude to Alberto del Castillo Posse, who was a ranch owner during the 1930s. Before his involvement, the game would have better-resembled rugby as gauchos would use any means necessary to get the duck back to their “casco,” or ranch house, to win the game. To curb the violence and bring legitimacy to the sport, Alberto drafted a set of rules resembling modern polo played on horses where the objective was to score points to win. These new rules curbed most of the game's violent aspects, which helped President Juan Perón declare

Pato the national game of Argentina in 1953. Other measures were implemented, like specific training requirements for the horse to be suitable for the game and traditions such as shaving off the mane before the game to prevent the gaucho from using it as an additional rein. The gauchos themselves must wear white breeches, helmets, and riding crops.

The current version of the game is a fast-paced polo-style game that some have compared to Quidditch from Harry Potter. Instead of riding brooms and hitting with mallets, players ride horses and throw a ball wrapped in rope to provide six handles through a vertically positioned net. The goals are about three feet in diameter and held up about eight feet high on a pole with a net to provide evidence that the ball was successfully scored. A team comprises four pairs of gauchos (horse and rider), and the team with the most goals at the end of six 8-minute periods is the winner.

The handles on the ball make it easier to hold, throw, and retrieve off the ground. This is a challenging feat for the rider, however, as they must lean heavily on the horse's right side and hold on, grab the ball, and pull themselves back onto their mount. The ball can only be controlled with the right arm to pass or shoot the ball. If an opposing player gets close enough, the player controlling the ball must keep the controlling arm outstretched to allow the opponent to grab the ball and try to wrestle it away. Whoever can wrestle the ball away or force the other rider to lose balance off their mount gets control of the ball. This wrestle for the ball is called a “cinchada,” and the riders must stand on the stirrups (no sitting) and have one hand on the ball and the other on the stirrups. If the wrestling results in a stalemate after five seconds, the player who initiated the steal gets the ball. If the rider does not present the ball for an opponent to attempt to steal, this is called a “negada," and they lose possession of the ball automatically.

To play this game in our PE class, we obviously do not use horses but scooters. The students love the scooters so much that any excuse I have to break them out will make them happy. They will enjoy the handball style, especially if you use the dog-toy ball that allows them to grasp it, similar to the real Pato game. This game is perfect for integration if your class studies Argentina, Latin America, or South America. While researching, I came across a saying, "Nada es mas Argentino que el Pato," which translates into "There is nothing more Argentinian than Pato."

Materials:

• A large gym area

• Scooters (ideal is 1:2 scooter to student ratio)

• Portable soccer goals

• Hallow ball dog toy

  o If that is not available, a soft dodgeball will suffice.

  Minimum Number of Students: This game could be played with as few as four students on scooters. However, the ideal is ten or more because we want four versus four gameplay with at least one substitute per team. For large classes of 20+, having at least six scooters per team is ideal, and the rest of the students are substitutes.

Age: All ages