Charrerias are a Mexican tradition in which men, and women to a smaller extent, compete in
equestrian events called charreadas. They are the equivalent of rodeos in the United States, but with several differences. First of all, they are amateur events where the participants do not get paid. There are several requirements in a charreada such as the space where it is held, the clothing the participants may wear, and specific scoring events staged in a particular order. But first of all, let us look at the history of charrerias.
Most sources claim that the term charro is of Basque origin, however others say that it may have come from the word "chauch" which in Andalusia, Spain meant "shepherd" or "rider", and may have influenced another word related to horseback riding and equestrian activities: "gaucho". In Mexico it became a term used for ranchers, and horsemen who worked on the haciendas, synonymous with horseman or cowboy. But let’s remember that riding horses only came after the arrival of the Spanish conquerors in 1521.
Riding a horse was one of their most important advantages for the Spanish conquerors. Watching a never before seen, large four-legged creature with a man mounted on top, was a terrifying sight for the indigenous people. To them it looked like one giant creature—man and beast. It is therefore, understandable why the Spanish did not want to allow the natives to ride horses. Acquiring that skill could give them a powerful tool if they decided to repel the conquerors. So for almost 100 years, natives were not allowed to handle or ride horses.
The first official authorization came on November 16, 1619 when the Viceroy granted permission for 22 Indians to ride horses. Although a few Spanish hacienda owners had permitted their Indian staff to handle horses previously, it was not until the official permission that the care and riding of horses by natives flourished.
Following this, landowners began to have cattle and horse shows in which they, and their servants showed off their skills in handling animals, performing maneuvers with courage, bravery and skill. These were competitions among hacienda owners, and were called charrerias, but it was not until the 19th century when they became national competing events, combining ranching with bullfighting.
Bullfighting was brought to the New World by the Spanish, following their ancient traditions, and the sport flourished in New Spain. One of the first riders to gain popularity was Ponciano Díaz, born in 1856, and raised on a cattle ranch in the state of Hidalgo.
He became extremely proficient, not only in bullfighting, but also skilled with the lasso. Eventually he combined these with bullfighting, and the use of banderillas and made these events highly popular in the late 1800s. In 1894 a group of 12 charros—men adept at the sport, went to New York, then toured several other places in the US with great success.
Manuel Ávila Camacho, president of Mexico in the 1940s declared charrerías a national sport, and created "Charro Day" to be celebrated on September 14. In 2016 UNESCO declared charrerias an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".
A charreada begins with a general parade of the men and women who participate. The men with wide-brimmed hats, suede or wool jackets, trousers with friezes and buttons, and a shirt with bow tie, ride their horses into the arena, doing pirouettes and tricks to the delight of spectators. The women ride sidesaddle, wearing a skirt or trousers, a similar attire on top, and a hat, also performing amazing tricks.
Everything is highly regulated, sticking to tradition, including dress. The men—charros—wear one of five specific outfits: Faenas, Media Gala, Gala, Gran Gala and Etiquette. The first is the riding costume, and consists of a sombrero, a shirt, the typical large bow tie, riding pants with leather chaps, and flat shoes. The other costumes are for show and are elaborately embroidered and decorated. The hats are wide brimmed and are also greatly decorated.
Two men in faenas, riding attire. A man dressed in a gala outfit, highly decorated.
The women—charras—wear typical dresses as they ride side saddle, but many wear pants as well. They only have one event: Escaramuza (skirmish), which shows off their riding skills.
A charreada is typically divided into 10 moves, called “suertes”—fortunes—because success will depend largely on the will of the animals. Several teams composed of eight charros each, compete to determine the best of the lot.
These are the events.
Cala de Caballo (testing the horse): The charro puts his horse through various commands to show the animal’s training.
Piales en lienzo (roping the feet): A horseman throws a lariat at a wild mare, and catches the hind legs brining down.
Calas en el lienzo or coleadero (bull tailing): The charro rides along the left side of the bull, and wraps its tail around his right leg, in an attempt to bring the bull down.
Jinete de toro (bull rider): Smaller bulls (between 990 and 1320 lbs) are ridden until they stop bucking. The charro cannot fall off, he must dismount and land upright.
Terna en el Ruedo (Team of three): Team, bull roping event, with a maximum of ten minutes.
Jineteo de Yegua (Bareback on a wild mare): As the title indicates; the rider can use two hands and holds his legs horizontal to the ground.
Manganas a Pie (Roping on foot): While a wild mare is chased in the ring by three riders, one on foot has three opportunities to rope the animal by its front legs, and cause it to fall and roll once. All in eight minutes.
El Paso de la Muerte (The pass of death): A charro rides bareback, with reins, attempts to leap from his own horse to the bare back of a wild horse without reins, and ride it until it stops bucking. The most dangerous part is that other mounted charros are chasing the wild mare around the arena ring, and the lone rider must avoid them.
The last part of the charreada is a women’s event, which is a combination of beauty, elegance and skill.
Escaramuza (Skirmish): Since the 1950's, this breath-taking has been added to the Charreada. A team of 8-12 women riding sidesaddle, perform a variety of precision riding techniques.
So this is an introduction to this very Mexican equestrian event, to give you some idea of how it began and what it is. If you feel now that you’d like to experience it, you will have the opportunity next Sunday. On September 1, 2024 there will be a Charreada in San Miguel de Allende. Best of all, you can sign up for a tour that will bring you there. I will give a short introductory talk before we leave.
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