Don Garron : a charro of many trades

Don Garron wears many hats. First, he´s 100% charro. He is also a vet. He´s a chef of traditional Mexican food. He´s also a photographer.

The Art of the Escaramuza discovered Don Garron dishing out tacos at rodeo events around the capital city, dressed in his signature charro suit and being his warm, hearty self with his patrons.

Meet Don Garron in this short audiovisual made during an escaramuza fair in Mexico City where the escaramuza was born : El Rancho Charro, or the National Association of Charros.

For English subtitles, after clicking ¨play,¨then click the CC at the bottom right of the youtube window.

Girlfriends of charreria

Fierce competition among the athletes is natural, but they all share a love for the same sport, in this case: the escaramuza.

María José Peña, a Mexican female horse rider who is part of the escaramuza team Rancho La Joya, explains the atmosphere that pervades the competitions and the role of women in charreria, Mexico´s national sport.

The below audiovisual was made at the rodeo club La Tapatia in Mexico City where team competed to qualify for the national charreria competition, charreria´s highest event of the year.

For English subtitles, after clicking ¨play,¨then click the CC at the bottom right of the youtube window.

The Queens of Charreria

Samantha Mayorga Castillo, center right, wears the queen´s sombrero during

the gala ceremony and dinner where she was named Queen of La Villa

charreria rodeo club.

Charreria clubs across Mexico select a new ¨queen¨ every year.

Instead of a crown she wears an elegant sombrero, and becomes the club´s social and cultural representative. It´s work and an honor.

This year Samantha Mayorga Castillo is one of the hundreds of horsewomen to take on the job at her local rodeo club, in her case at La Villa in Mexico City.

Like many of Mexico´s women of charreria, she was born into a charro family and has been riding on escaramuza teams since she was 15.

A charra and charro dance in their wheelchairs at the gala where Mayorga

was named queen of La Villa.

Mayorga, a 26-year-old chemical engineer who works in Mexico´s oil industry, says she most wants to promote and support paracharreria : rodeo performed by horsemen and women who are incapacitated in some way.

Below is a short audiovisual from the ceremony where she became queen, in which Mayorga tells us what it means for her.

For English subtitles, after clicking ¨play,¨then click the CC at the bottom right of the youtube window.

Escaramuza: Soul, Life & Heart

One of Mexico City´s first escaramuza fairs of 2014 showcased young riders and teams that had just recently formed. This audiovisual brings you some of the sites and sounds from the event, hosted by the escaramuza team Santa Rosa de Lima at their lienzo Charro del Peñon. A rider explains why she loves her sport so much, and the announcer talks about the women´s soul, life and heart over the speaker system.

The courage and enthusiasm of these young horsewomen was palpable. To close the event, they gathered inside the arena for the awards ceremony, but it was clear to all that the most important thing to them was their love for their charreria sport : Escaramuza.

For English subtitles, after clicking ¨play,¨then click the CC at the bottom right of the youtube window.