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GUADALAJARA CHARREADAS "Ride the wild horse"

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 Our Trip to Guadalajara in February 2008, included an invitation to a Charreada near the center of Guadalajara. In my younger days, I belonged to the Bakersfield Charros Association and attended a bunch of Charreadas in Bakersfield but never one in Guadalajara. My extent of being a Charro was dressing up in my Charro outfit and big sombrero and carrying the American Flag in parades. I never performed in the Charreadas but they were a lot of fun. There is even a Charro Day on September 14 where the whole country celebrate the Charros and what they stand for. They hold a place of honor in the country's Independence Day parades on September 16.

 For those that don’t know, A Charreada is a popular Mexican rodeo. It is competitive and a proving ground for the Charros which some of you might know as the Mexican cowboy or vaquero. Charreadas provide high quality entertainment to the rodeo aficionados. It is a recognized sport with strict rules that need to be followed during competitions, in which both men and women participate. How do you prove yourself as a Charro? Being a master horseman and bronco rider is one way, displaying your roping skills is another. How do you find the guts to get on a raging bull? Well, a few shots of tequila before the ride, prepares the charro to face the risks involved and the broken bones that follow.

 As Alma, her sister, Gloria and her children and I arrived at the Charro Lienzo, we could smell the Carne Asada being prepared near the food booths. The Tequila shots and Corona cervezas were very inviting and we could hear Banda music coming from within the arena. What was the first thing we did? Well, we all ordered some Carne Asada tacos and a few drinks. We than joined the crowd in the stands and enjoyed the environment which included the smell of freshly watered dirt. The Banda, on top of the stands, played loudly between events but when the Charro charged out of the gate on top of a bull, the music would stop and the people would sit up and watch the Charro’s skills. In this event, the bull rider has to stay on top of the bull for 10 full seconds. The Charro has to hold unto the rope halter with only one hand to qualify. This is similar to the bull riders in U.S. rodeos.

 Bronco riding and Bull riding can be very dangerous, and sometimes, even the best efforts of the charros isn’t enough because the bulls are bigger and stronger, the stead is faster and kicks higher than the big macho Charros. When the rider is thrown off, he is protected from the raging bull by other Charros riding in the area on their steeds swinging their lassos and sending the bull back into the holding corral.

 On this day, I witnessed many events I recognized from my Charro days: El Paso de la muerte, “The pass of death”. In this event a Charro rides on his horse right next to another steed at a very fast gallop and jumps from his horse to the other one. He has to complete the jump and hold on to qualify. The competing Charros were doing great except for one that was not able to hold on and fell under the hoofs of other horses. After a scare of a few minutes, he was able to get up and limp off the rodeo. He would live to take the pass of death another day.

 I was impressed by the skills displayed by the Charros. During the coleaderos, the Charros ride next to the bull as it is released from the gate. The Charro must grab the bull’s tail, pull on it and with his leg, and force the bull to fall on the ground. The Charro with the quickest time is declared the winner. Steer wrestling is similar to the American cowboy event.

 Roping the legs of a fast running steed from the top of his stationary horse while spinning his rope over his head is a skill with a lot of practice and the majority of the Charros managed to lasso the horses and send them to the ground. It is a cruel sport if you’re a horse but it is allowed in Mexico. We all had a great time, the Coronas felt good and the Carne Asada was delicious. Please enjoy the pictures and don't forget to attend the next Charreada at a Lienzo near you.