Mexican Rodeo

Silver spurs for sale.

 

Sign advertising the
National Championship Rodeo

 



While visiting my three Mexican friends in Puerto Vallarta, I was informed that we would be going to a Charreada and I would see Charros, escaramuza, paso de la muerte, and jineteo.  It sounded like a rodeo to me. The day was hot and I was surprised to see the handsome Mexican men in tight charro pants, fancy shirts, short jacket, scarf, boots and a large sombrero. We arrived at the Lienzo Charro which is a white brick wall sporting advertisements. We purchased tickets and entered what looked to me like a Mercado with saddles, spurs, hats, and food for sale. People were already filling up the cement seats with children dressed like cowboys, men in boots, jeans, cowboy hats,  tooled leather belts with their name carved in the back and the women in pants or dresses. Loud static, scratchy, and peppy Mariachi music blared from the speakers making me want to dance!

I watch the charros!

There is a certain order on how the competitions proceed.  Usually money is not won by the charros but they may win a trophy.  I noticed that many of the charros were dressed alike which I found out comprised a team.  Each team comes from a ranch and they compete against other ranches. Charros are judged by finesse and grace, speed and how well the horse is trained.

Wikipedia's information is that the Charreada is a tradition from 16th century Spain where there would be competition between haciendas. When tradition began to fade, the Federacion Mexicana de Charreria was formed to keep the tradition alive.  Usually, the competitors are upper middle class because their hats can cost between $200 to $2,500.

A fancy sombrero.

The first event is the Cola de Caballo (Reining) where a horse is taken through cantering, galloping, slide stop, backing up, and spinning on a back leg.  A few of the horses seemed to have a screw for a leg and they bore it into the ground!  Second event was the Piales en el Lienzo (heeling). Charro throws a lariat and as horse runs through the loop its hind legs are caught.

I did not like the third event called Colas en el Lienzo (steer tailing) where the charro grabs the bulls tail, wraps it around his leg and rides past the bull to knock it down. Fourth was the Jineteo de Toro (bull riding) and I noticed the bull was smaller than the ones we use in the United States. The charro must not fall off and when he dismounts he needs to land standing up. Fifth was Terna en el Ruedo (team roping) where three charros try to rope a bull by the neck and hind legs while the third charro ties the bull's feet together. Three against one did not seem fair to me!

Sixth event is called Jineteo de Yegua (bareback on wild mare) and this resembles our bareback riding of a bucking horse. Seventh was the Manganas a Pie (forefooting) where the charro is on foot, ropes horse's front legs as the mare is chased by three mounted charros.  Eighth was the Manganas a Caballo (forefooting on horseback) as a charro tries roping horse's front legs and causes it to fall.  I felt sorry for the poor horse that actually got roped.  Many did not and I sighed with relief to see the horse run off!



Manganas a Caballo

Ninth is the El Paso de la Muerte that takes four charros and five horses.  The charro rides bareback on his own horse, three other charros are chasing or bunched up near the bareback rider, the charro jumps from his running horse and somehow manages to get on the wild horse.  The wild horse begins bucking and the charro has to ride the horse until it stops bucking.

I thought the rodeo was over until my friends said, "Now comes the Escaramuza (skirmish)!" I waited and saw many young, beautiful girls come into the arena.  They were dressed in colorful crinolines as they rode side saddle.  I was told they are sometimes called Adelitas (woman of the revolution). The women maneuver their horses in many formations which reminded me of our Westernairs.

  

Escaramuza



A young rider



Even though watching the Charreada was interesting, some parts of it, I would place in the same location I keep bull fighting, circuses and rodeos.  I feel sad for the animals because I know they have got to feel pain!

 

 

With hind legs tied, this horse will fall
and I hope it does not get hurt!

 

"If a man aspires toward a righteous life,

his first act of abstinence is from injury

to animals."  Leo Tolstoy