Well with horses and stuff anyway.
So we had a chance to attend a Mexican rodeo. They are A LOT different than what we know as rodeo. First you may have to understand that Mexicans don’t personify animals, an animal is just that - an animal, not human reincarnated. They are animals. But they do find them very tasty and use them on tacos all the time. Now that we have the stage set, it is up to you if you read further.
The rodeo starts with girls in HUGE flowing dresses riding side saddle in a breath taking dance on horseback. They are all riding side saddle and charging the mounts around and crossing between each other. An amazing feat of Horseman ship set to music much like square dances we did in our youth.
Then we get into the Competition activities.
Calf Roping but Mexican style, TOTALLY different. A steer is turned loose and one of the Vaqueros on horseback charges up behind the ANIMAL (that word again) grabs it by the tail, turns the tail once around his leg then charges straight past the steer. Pulling it around at a dead run and dumping it—Rolling to a stop in the dirt. Some of the steers are not quite the same after this.
Bull riding and roping----a huge brahma is leathered up in the shoot. The rider is loaded. The gate opens and Owcheewawa!
All blazes cuts loose. The rider is thrown while other mounted riders swing their lariats and one will rope the front legs—loosely—while another captures the rear legs and DOWN we go then they---STRETCH—the bull out until it falls over and the Caballero’s can brand or work on the bull.
Horse Roping - This is just wild to watch but not for the weak of heart. With three mounted riders and one standing roper in the ring, a Mustang is turned into the arena. The mounted riders get the mustang running at top speed at the outside of the ring. While the Roper is doing tricks with his lariat. Quite entertaining. Then as the mustang running at FULL SPEED passes him he must lassos both front legs of the speeding horse. The end of the 150 foot coil of rope is looped around the Ropers neck. He falls to the ground on his back and when the mustang hits the end of the rope it pulls the roper across the dirt 30 or 40 feet while the Mustang is sent spinning though the air.
The rodeo was an all-day event. We spent six hours watching and being entertained with a variety of Rider/Horsemanship competitions and general cattleman working traditions. Quite entertaining though I will mention we almost left when some of the animals went down so hard they didn’t look like they would ever get up, and I have a fairly strong stomach.
Mexican people are much different then we Canadians. The Mexican Government has BANNED the use of Circus animals completely but Rodeo and Bullfighting is still a very active sport. Go figure.
Glad we had the opportunity to see this but truth be told, I prefer Western rodeo and Princess may have been to two rodeos---HER FIRST AND LAST.
A note from the Princess – So obviously the Cowboy’s words about what he observed and what I chose to photograph don’t match up . . . and that’s okay.
We ended our day with yet another new (to us) open-air dining establishment Mariscos.
It was a great day and another wonderful Mexican experience shared with our good friends Cliff & Helen.
We are so blessed!
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