Charros Mexican Horsemen

Charros – Mexican Horsemen – century old equestrian tradition. The sport is a living history, an art form drawn from the demands of working ranch-life. During the Charreada - contemporary Mexican rodeo – contending teams show off ranching skills. Horses are agile, well-tempered and execute the commands of their charros, who wear traditional riding suite and wide brimmed sombreros as part of the cultural iconography like bronco riding and roping. Everyone is passionate about their vocation and it is often handed down as a family tradition from generation to generation.

The charreada itself consists of a number of scoring events staged in a particular order—nine for the men. Two or more teams, called asociaciones, compete against each other. Teams can compete to become state, regional, and national champions. The competitors are judged by both style and execution. Unlike rodeos, most charreadas do not award money to the winners. This is due to the fact that charreadas are considered an amateur sport, not professional. Under Mexican laws it would be illegal to receive a monetary reward for participating in a charreada. At times, there are such prizes as saddles or horse trailers

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