Types of Cowboys, by Richard W. Slatta, proprietor of the Lazy S Ranch: Where cowboys roam the Old West

Cowboys of the Americas: Various Types

By Dr. Richard W. Slatta, the Cowboy Professor at North Carolina State University
Cowboys of North and South America
The table below lists the major types of cowboys in the Western Hemisphere, the countries in which they roam, and the term for the plains region where ranching takes place.

Group Name Location Region Name
Cowboy Western Canada Prairie
Cowboy Western United States Plains
Vaquero Mexico, Southwestern US, California
Charro Mexico
Paniolo Hawaii
Gaucho Argentina, Uruguay Pampas
Huaso (guaso) Chile
Llanero Venezuela, Colombia Llanos
Vaqueiro Northern Brazil Sertao
Gaúcho Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Pampas, campanha