i have visions of the invading hordes of napoleon plundering the countryside, and the local cowboy stalwarts beating their plowshares into lance heads and poking them back across the border into spain.
more seriously, didn't gauchos used to use a crude lance to control cattle in their drives. there are vague memories of reading somewhere the gauchos on their horses were the last to mount a proper lance (tacuara?) charge against modern armed troops down in so. america.
