Horses, Haciendas and a Nation's Sport
As Mexico's national sport, Charrería is a powerful expression of identity, embodying the skill and pride of its participants. It is a spectacle where centuries-old traditions come to life, honoring a legacy forged in the country's rural heartland.
From the practical demands of the ranch to the thrilling roar of the arena, charrería tells a unique Mexican story. What started as an essential skill in the country's agricultural industry evolved into a beloved form of entertainment for millions. More than just a sport, charrería stands as one of Mexico’s most iconic cultural expressions, deeply rooted in rural traditions like tequila production, farming, cattle raising, and the soulful sounds of Mexican regional music.
Unlike other Mexican traditions like Day of the Dead, charrería is not rooted in pre-Hispanic culture. Instead, it was born following the Spanish colonization with the introduction of horses and cattle in the Americas. Yet, its distinctive features, forged in a colonial setting, make it different to any other equestrian practice in the world.
Every year between August and September, the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco – charrería's heartland and the birthplace of mariachi – hosts the International Festival of Mariachi and Charrería. This year, the city is gearing up to host the festival’s 32nd edition.
From ranch to arena
“It's true that the first natives to ride a horse lived in the state of Hidalgo. But contrary to popular belief, that's not where charrería originated,” explained Chuy Mora, a third-generation charro from Guadalajara and a cultural promoter. “It was born in the west, in the areas encompassing Jalisco and parts of the Bajío region in central Mexico.”
Its roots lie in the cowboy skills developed by Mexican countrymen in western and central Mexico. These activities included raising and herding cattle on horseback across vast estates, navigating challenging terrain, and fostering strong bonds within rural communities.
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“Being a charro was the life's purpose for many peasants before the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s,” Mora noted. “A charro was an educated and respected man, often among the closest individuals to the hacendado, or estate owner. He was responsible for overseeing the hacienda’s rural activities and life in the surrounding villages.”
However, dynamics shifted after the Revolution. The government redistributed land, and many former laborers became landowners themselves. “Now it was the peasant's turn to be his own boss and manage his own land,” Mora clarified. “They carried these charro practices with them, eventually transforming them into a sport.”
More than a sport, a lifestyle
“For me, being a charro is a lifestyle,” Alejandro Sánchez, a fourth-generation charro in Guadalajara, told me. “It gives me great pride to be one. Whenever I get dressed as a charro, I feel like I’m wearing Mexico,” he said.
Ranching life might no longer be as central in Mexico as it once was. Yet, charrería’s traditions have endured thanks largely to its reinvention as a sport and the willingness of the charros to preserve these traditions.
“Nowadays, charrería is about preserving customs and traditions, education, and deep-rooted values,” Mora added. “Being a charro is about identity and culture.”
While some charros still work in activities related to field work, others earn a living from activities unrelated to agriculture or cattle. Sánchez, for instance, works in the corporate world in the city, while Mora owns Entre Charros, a company that organizes cultural experiences in Jalisco.
Still, despite their urban lifestyle, they devote most of their free time to the sport and to the care of their horses. And because charrería is such a central part of a charro’s identity, it often extends into their personal lives. When a charro gets married, for instance, they do so in their gala attire and follow specific traditions passed down by generations. Or when a charro dies, his fellow charros attend the ceremony dressed in their gala suit.
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“When you’re a charro, everything revolves around charrería,” Sánchez said. “Even when you don’t make a living from charrería, it touches every other aspect of your life.” Alejandro, who recently got married in Guadalajara, incorporated charro traditions into his wedding. For instance, even though the wedding took place in a residential area, he arrived at the church esplanade on horseback alongside his fellow charros – close male friends and family members – all dressed in full charro gala attire.
Charros have three different types of suits, each tailored for different occasions: the work suit, the half-gala suit, and the gala suit. Charros practice the sport in either the work suit or the half-gala suit. The gala version, meanwhile, is typically reserved for weddings, funerals, and other formal events. The gala suit is also the same style adopted by mariachis.
Distinguished by its silver buttons and elegant embroidery accented with gold or silver thread, the gala suit features tailored trousers, a short jacket, and a silk bow tie. The suit’s color can be black, Oxford gray, or navy blue. As you'd expect, the work suit and half-gala suit call for fewer embellishments and details than a gala suit. Still, they retain the same signature silhouette: fitted trousers, a jacket, and a bow tie.
Formal occasions also require a sombrero de gala, crafted from rabbit, nutria, or chinchilla fur. Unlike the simpler hats worn with work or half-gala suits, the gala hat is embellished with the same gold or silver beads as the gala suit.
Riding towards modernity
Today, a charrería competition is called a charreada. It consists of 10 different disciplines known as suertes charras. “Each suerte adds points, and at the end of the competition, the person – or the team – with the most points wins,” Sánchez explained.
The suertes showcase a range of skills, from mastery of the horse to roping, balance riding, and control of cattle within a lienzo charro, a circular arena similar to a bullring. However, some suertes have disappeared while new ones have been added.
“Charrería has evolved a lot,” Sánchez told me. “Starting with the type of horses we now have. In the past, people practiced with creole horses. Now, we have horses that have been bred and selected specifically for the sport.”
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Using specialized horses has also allowed the sport to develop in a more specialized way. “In the floreo de soga (tug-of-war), there were once only a few moves that charros could perform,” he said. “Today, however, we’ve created various difficult moves that past generations could never have imagined, and you see older generations often struggling to perform modern techniques.”
Sánchez added that rules have also evolved significantly over time. “For instance, the intervals between suertes used to be long. But now, the game is much more dynamic.” Championships include tournaments for children, youth, and adults. While most charros today were born into a charro family, boys or even adults with no prior connection to charrería may become charros.
“Anyone can be a charro if they’re interested in the sport,” Mora said. While charrería has been traditionally associated with men, women also play a vital role in the sport. Women’s routines on horseback, known as escaramuzas, originated in the 1950s and feature precise and synchronized movements in sync with music, such as spins, fans, ladders, and crosses. They are an essential spectacle in the charreadas, complementing the suertes performed by the charros.
The charro and his horses
As part of the sport’s evolution, charrería has taken steps to protect animals’ rights. “Charrería is not intended to hurt animals,” Mora said. “The techniques used in competitions are the same techniques used in field work because that is the best way to manage livestock.”
For instance, the suerte in which a charro must subdue a bull, either by using a lazo or by pulling it by the tail, is based on the skills that ranchers use to capture a bull. “But the soil where this suerte is performed is softer, and that cushions the bull’s blow,” Sánchez further explained. “This is not dangerous for animals. It is as risky for them as it is for us,” he stated.
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To make sure charreadas respect animals’ rights, the Mexican Federation of Charrería (FMC) regulates aspects such as the weight and condition of animals, prohibits practices that may cause harm, requires adequate facilities, and promotes dignified treatment for sick or injured animals.
In tune with this, some traditional suertes have been abandoned “because they were too cruel,” Mora added. Such is the case of the suerte dubbed “The Buried Rooster,” which consisted of burying a rooster in the ground, leaving its head visible, and then attempting to decapitate it while riding a horse.
But what’s more, a charro will first and foremost take supreme care for his horse. “It is basically a charro’s best friend,” Sánchez told me. “Both horse and charro demand the best from each other,” Mora said. “Caring for the horse is a reflection of a charro’s true self.”
