Carolina "Pampita" Ardohain

Modeling and motherhood go together nicely for Carolina Ardohain, nicknamed Pampita. This photo was taken after her first child was born in May 2007!



Carolina gave birth to another child, a son named Bautista, on Feb 29 2008 with her live-in boyfriend Benjamín Vicuña. The family stays in Benjamin's house in Santiago Chile, although Ardohain is originally from neighboring Argentina, the country of rolling grasslands, cattle ranches, horseback riding and gauchos (cowboys).


Argentina is also the country of rugged machismo and strong Catholicism....and in both respects Carolina has broken with tradition. Apart from not being married and having children, the gorgeous Pampita actually separated from her first husband, and became pregnant with Benjamin's child before getting a divorce! Certainly struck a blow against machismo and for female independence.


Carolina Ardohain was married in 2002 to Argentinian polo star Martin Barrantes, who is also a photographer and a model. Martin is related to Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, because her mother married his uncle and settled down in Argentina. Martin manages the polo ranch which Sarah Ferguson received as inheritance after her mother's death in 1998.


The reason for posting all these details is that the marriage between the two Argentines soured very quickly. Carolina began living with Benjamin in 2005 and gave birth to his daughter in May that year....but the separation with Martin brought out worse scandals in their rocky marriage. Carolina went on television to claim that Martin was asking for a huge financial settlement to give her his divorce while according to her, "everything was on my shoulders: having to work to keep our house, pay the salary of the maid, rent, meals, outings, everything."; Barrantes countered by accusing his ex-wife of adultery.

He claimed that Carolina would take trips with Benjamin, and would tell Martin to not worry since the Chilean actor was gay! This was way back in 2004 since Carolina had a daughter (named Blanca) with Benjamin in May 2005. Carolina Ardohain then accused Martin of being sexually inadequate, of not being able to satisfy her, and hinted that he was gay. She also claimed: "Whenever he was out with Sarah Ferguson she encouraged him to drink to excess."


Carolina said of their physical relations, "Martin made me feel that he did it as a formality, a marital obligation, mechanically, quickly and without satisfying me."





Carolina Ardohain has a height of 5'5" while her figure of 95-58-88 has actually improved because of her motherhood (see modeling after motherhood)!




Apart from being a model Carolina is also a TV star. She played the role of a dance teacher in the hit series Rebelde Way, which also stars Luisana Lopilato. Carolina has had nine years of training as a dancer, and even after becoming a mother for the second time, she is appearing on Chile's version of Dancing with the Stars. Take a look at her sensual dancing in Rebelde way:


When she first started modeling Carolina Ardohain stood out among the other Argentine models, most of whom were tall leggy blonds, while Carolina was a brunette (like Priscilla Crivocapich) short and tanned.


The other blond models, like Julieta Prandi and Nicole Neumann, nicknamed Carolina mucamita, which means servant girl. This was partly because of their rivalry, partly because Carolina married into a rich family, and partly because of her background.


Carolina Ardohain was born in the La Pampa province of Argentina (Jan 17 1978), hence her popular nickname of Pampita. Her family was poor (Carolina's father passed away in 2005) and Carolina's mother worked as a seamstress. Additionally Carolina's mother is Brazilian, which is looked down upon in Argentina, because the two countries have a different ethnic make-up. In Brazil the immigrant Europeans have mingled with the indigenous population while Argentina is 97% European (mostly Spanish, Italians, and some Germans)!


Carolina told Maxim Magazine, "Though I'm Argentinian, I'd say I get my shape - thin but with proper curves - from the Brazilian side of my family." Ardohain got herself a proper education, graduating from the Colegio Nacional Rafael Hernández. At a young age she moved to the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where she worked for some time as a sales assistant in a garments shop. While modeling for some clothes Carolina caught the eye of a casting agent, who signed her with Dotto Models.


In 2001, while working on a TV show, Carolina was in a car accident near the town of Saladillo but suffered only minor injuries. The next year Ardohain walked the ramp for the designer Roberto Giordano at Patagonia, in the southern tip of the country, with the huge glacier in the background.




Carolina Ardohain modeled for Victoria Secret`s, Honda, Vanity Fair, Getien UnderWear, Falabella, WonderBra, Kosiuko, Lady Stork, Stupenda, and Avon. She also appeared on several magazine covers as her popularity grew.


In 2002 Carolina Pampita Ardohain was chosen to be the representative of Argentina's national soccer team. Despite working in the internet age Carolina jokes, "I'm zero technology. Nothing Internet, no chat, no text messaging, or ringtones nothing unusual!"



Apart from genes, Carolina Ardohain attributes her gorgeous figure to regular exercise, and beauty treatments like detoxification and cryotherapy (ice baths) to keep her skin young. And while she likes eating meat and fish, Carolina drinks a lot of water, and has never done drugs or alcohol....not even had a glass of beer!



Now happy with her family in Chile, Pampita may be seen in movies soon, alongside Benjamin. She is also a partner in the Mi Lady Señorita saloon in Santiago. As for modeling, Carolina Ardohain says, "I will never retire. A model lasts for ever."