The Charrería has its beginnings in the distant 16th century, the haciendas of the state of Hidalgo were the cradles of this discipline that in 1880 was officially recognized with the appearance of the famous “Charro Ponciano” who today is a symbol of identity for Mexicans.
Over the years the Charrería has spread throughout the national territory and has managed to cross borders, thanks to this in 2016 it was established as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Charrería is an art and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions. It is made up of nine lots that are divided into the following representations: the Draft of Horses, Piales en el Lienzo, Coleadero, Jineteo del Toro, the Faena de la Terna en el Ruedo, Jineteo de Yegua, Manganas on Foot, Manganas on Horseback, Paso de la muerte.
In Aguascalientes the charro tradition is also very strong, its vocation and commitment to this sport have allowed it to host four national championships in the past and stand out in competitions throughout history.
“The Sanmarqueña skirmish in Aguascalientes has been twice national champion, we have a first place in the luck of manganas on foot and a fifth national place by teams,” says Gustavo Alberto Jiménez Castillo, president of the Union and Associations of Charros of the state from Aguascalientes.
The charro tradition of Aguascalientes
• Host of national championships in 1954, 1980, 1983 and in 2004
• 34 associations
• 40 teams of charros
• 20 skirmish teams • About 1,000 charros and skirmishes
More than two decades after the last tournament, Aguascalientes is selected again to host the 2021 National Charro Congress, an event that will mark a watershed in the national charrería when it is held in the new Lienzo Charro on San Marcos Island.
Leonardo Dávila Salinas, president of the Mexican Federation of Charrería, explains that the project was born in 2017 as a result of a meeting between the association he represents and Governor Martín Orozco Sandoval, in which commitments were agreed to receive such an important event on land hydrocalides, once again.
“For the charro community it is a pride to host a national championship because you receive for twenty-two days more than two hundred teams that will show the cultural and sports contribution that this beautiful sport has,” adds Gustavo Jiménez.
The cathedral of the charrería
Thanks to the extensive tradition that prevails in the entity for the practice of this sport, Aguascalientes won the bid for the construction of the largest charro canvas in all of Mexico among several candidate states, which has already begun and is expected to be completed in time for the competition. These are the characteristics that make this venue the most modern in the country:
Leonardo Dávila mentions that the entity has been and is one of the most important states for the practice and promotion of this sport, as it has advantages that few places share, such as a privileged location with proximity to the largest metropolises in the country, facilities first class, ease of transportation, hotels with the capacity to receive a large number of tourists, among others.
“We definitely needed to have a stadium with these dimensions in such a central state, it is going to be a place that few will be able to compete with. With its more than 200 thousand visitors during the event and its more than 2 million spectators, the National Charro Congress will come to project the achievements of the government with this stage at the national and international level , ” says Leonardo Dávila .
Source: Innovación Económica
