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¡Viva el Charro! Mexican Cowboys and the Mexican Rodeo

I watched the horse, as if possessed by the devil, run at full speed, urged on by a charro (Mexico’s answer to the cowboy). It was useless though; there was no possible way out. The circular arena, called a lienzo, only allows for running in circles. Meanwhile, in the middle of the ring, another impeccably spiffy charro, with coffee-colored hues on his boots, pants, jacket and shirt, whips his lasso, twirling it in the air, waiting for the charger (called a corcel) to get close.

One turn left, another turn right, a leap within the lasso, a leap out, and having calculated the speed of the horse, the charro finishes the precise set of movements at the exact moment when the team passes close enough for him to hurl the lasso and trap the animal’s forequarters. Then he grasps the line strongly and holds on with every last ounce of strength while the animal pulls, which leads to the last step in the process: taking down the horse.

This is known as the standing lasso, and is just one of the many varieties of the sport of charrería in Mexico, each type of which is called a suerte (trick). Their purpose is to showcase the skills of the riders and there’s something for everyone, from being able to ride at full speed and come to a halting stop, to trying to stay on a bull or a mare, rodeo style, for as long as possible, to even jumping from one moving horse to another in the flashiest of death marches.

It’s definitely quite a show, with mariachi music blaring from all over, countless food stands and a stellar atmosphere. More commonly held during festivals, it’s sure not your everyday experience – well, except at the place I saw it: Xcaret park on the Yucatan's Riviera Maya, which among other things is a very well done showcase for the country's cultural traditions - and as much for the benefit of Mexicans themselves as for visitors from abroad (after all, charros are as far removed from, say, the chilangos of Mexico City as the cowpokes of western North America are from the city slickers back east).

Highly recommended.