With Sombreros And Sidesaddles, Virginian Women Renew A Mexican Tradition

*It’s not that escaramuzas are out of the ordinary, there are many in cities across the Southwest. But when one pop’s up in Virginia, we have to take notice. VL

By Vanessa Rancaño, Code Switch

The six horsewomen of the Castro clan are gathered in the center of the rodeo ring. They sit high on their imported sidesaddles, their ruffled skirts tucked neatly beneath them. These women are bound by blood or marriage. During the week, one works as a hairdresser, another is a nanny, two are students, and the others clean houses. But when the northern Virginia weather allows, they spend their Saturday afternoons on horseback.

They call themselves Las Amazonas del Dorado, after the family’s El Dorado Ranch, and for the past six years they’ve dedicated themselves to the sport of escaramuza —a group riding event performed only by women at Mexican rodeos.

Escaramuza doesn’t get the attention the men’s roping and riding events get. The star of the Mexican rodeo has always been the cowboy, in his sombrero and embroidered suit. But it’s the cowgirls who provide some of the sport’s most dazzling entertainment—riding in teams and wearing colorful costumes, they perform a high-speed horse ballet. The Castro family is rediscovering that tradition in rural Virginia.

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Vanessa Rancaño is a freelance reporter and radio producer based on Oakland, California.