
Escaramuza charra is the only female equestrian event in the Mexican
charrería
Charrería () is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of New Spain, old Mexico.
Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca i ...
. The escaramuza means "skirmish" and consists of a team riding horses in choreographed synchronized maneuvers to music.
The women ride
side-saddle and wear traditional Mexican outfit that include
sombrero
A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the w ...
s, dresses, and matching accessories. A team consists of 16 women, but only 8 ride at a time.
The routine is practiced in a lienzo, or a circular arena.
The escaramuza season runs from February to November. The U.S. nationals are held on Labor Day weekend, while the grand finales are held in Mexico that brings together over 80 teams from both sides of the border.
History
The sport was inspired "by the Mexican ''
adelitas'', who fought in the
Mexican Revolution."
Although charrería is
Mexico's national sport, there are
charro
Charro has several meanings, but it generally refers to Mexican horse riders, who maintain traditional dress, such as some form of sombrero, which in Mexican Spanish are called ''sombrero de charro'' (a charro's hat). The charros could also ...
and escaramuza teams in the United States and Canada.
Typically, rodeo families pass the charro tradition on from father to son, but also have started getting women involved.
See also
* ''Escaramuza: Riding from the Heart'' film (2012) http://www.ponyhighway.com/emz.html
*
References
{{Equestrian Sports
Equestrian sports
Mexican culture
Rodeo in Mexico
Women in sports
Women's sport in Mexico
Women's sports
Mexican-American culture