A Local History of Physical Culture in Uruguay: Horseracing and Football Outside Montevideo

Abstract

The first decades of the twentieth century were part of Uruguay’s modernization period. During this time, the government started to promote physical culture and the installation of public spaces for sporting practices. However, this dissemination process and subsequent control of sporting practices did not happen at the same pace nationwide. This paper analyses the relations between the development of physical culture and the modernization in a specific context in the countryside, Paysandú. It focuses on horseracing and football, demonstrating how these practices constituted vital elements in the city’s social life. It also demonstrates how their bureaucratization processes exemplify the local impact of nationwide events.