By JAMES HINDLEY

• A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in

North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs
a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic
American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the
vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of
special significance and legend. A subtype, called a wrangler,
specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. In addition
to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos.
Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a
less-well documented historical role, but in the modern world
have established the ability to work at virtually identical tasks
and obtained considerable respect for their achievements.
There are also cattle handlers in many other parts of the
world, particularly South America and Australia, who perform
work similar to the cowboy in their respective nations.