Lost Cowboys

Cowboys continue to appeal to people as archetypal heroes, even if many of the first were drunkards, rapists and murderers. This is an account of Hank Wangford's journey in search of the Lost Cowboys of the Americas, and of the rich vein of myth, folklore and unexpected truth which he discovered.

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Of all the colourful horsemen in history, perhaps cowboys exert the most enduring fascination. People seem to need these archetypal heroes, even if many of them were drunkards, rapists and murderers. The first cowboys arrived in the Americas with Columbus. They were wild cattle hunters and were truly the lone frontiersmen of myth. Over the centuries, though, their freedom to roam the range and live like Indians between earth and sky has gradually been eroded, so that the modern cowboy is simply a working horseman. Even so the legend endures. Seeking this legacy, Hank Wangford set off on a long journey across the Americas. From the Gauchos of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay to the Llaneros of Venezuela and the Vacqueros of Mexico, Wangford encountered them all and heard their stories, discovering in the process a rich vein of myth, folklore and unexpected truth.