From the city of Camargo my father and I rode to Jimenez where we were welcomed with open arms. We met many locals around town while the horses were treated like kings at the Lienzo Charro. The Lienzo is where Mexico’s traditional horsemen and women practice and perform their craft. It’s like the Cowboy’s rodeo arena. This particular one is a very special one as it is home to the 2012 National Ecaramuza champions!
Called Soles del Desierto, the team is comprised of 8 women from the region. Throughout the year they travel to different areas of the country competing against other teams. Sitting in a side saddle the women present choreographed patterns to traditional Mexican music.
“I have been competing for as long as I can remember,” Mariana Saenz, the owner of the Lienzo and a captain of the Soles del Desierto told me as she taught a class of young girls.
I have to thank Mariana, her family, Adriana Lozoya Carrasco and her family and everyone who helped us in Jimenez! It was an honor meeting and riding with these talented ladies. They are spectacular horsewomen! While I was at the Lienzo Mariana asked if I wanted to see her horse. After I said yes, she wiped her belt off, slipped it around her ponies neck and jumped on bareback. Using only the belt she had full control as the two danced around the Lienzo.
Leaving Jimenez was hard after all of the friendships we made, luckily they came a long with us! With more than 10 riders we made our way down the main street in town with a police escort. People stopped on the streets to take pictures and wish us a safe journey south. It was an amazing moment. Drinking beers and eating gorditas we made our way to a ranch outside of town. All day we laughed, talked and shared stories about our horse experiences.
Some of the riders also joined us for a second day as we made our way to Luis Montoya’s ranch. I can’t thank Luis and his wife enough for all of their support!
The ride from Jimenez to Torreon was very hard on both ourselves and the horses. Just like the route from Ojinaga to Camargo we found ourselves in the middle of the desert with very little water and ranches. Thankfully we managed to find good people who helped us with water, feed and a safe place to sleep most nights. One day we were forced to camp out in the middle of nowhere with no water. It was a very hard night. Luckily the horses had drank an hour prior to our stop. We lit a fire to keep the coyotes away and hoped no one would see our tent where we were.
Just before we went into our tent for the night my father and I saw a very weird light in the sky that moved from side to side before finally disappearing… UFO? I’m not sure but it definitely wasn’t an airplane! The next morning we rode into Ceballos, a small village that is right next to the Zone of silence – An area in the desert known for strange sightings and a magnetic energy that keeps radios and compasses from working properly. Many people in that area have seen unidentified lights like the one we saw the night prior! Kind of scary.
After 10 days on the road my father and I were exhausted. We hadn’t showered in days and had been sleeping on the horse blankets. We were ready for a much needed break. Thanks to the Montoya family, we were connected to Guillermo Campuzano from Torreon who is hosting our ponies at the Mundo Equestro! Along side Fernando Silva and Sergio Trujillo, his partners, the three run a beautiful horse stable outside of town which promotes the art of horsemanship in many areas. They work with the Charros, Vaqueroz and Cowboys. These three gentleman have taken my father and I under their wings and treated us like family. Over the weekend we were invited to participate in a Cabalgata for a friends birthday which ended with much meat and beers.
It was a very special day amongst friends. We also had the tremendous opportunity of going to the Lienzo Charro in near by Gomez Palacio to watch a competition on Sunday. It was by far the coolest experience I have had here in Mexico thus far. The Charros are some of the best horsemen in the world and being able to watch them live was breathtaking. The control they have of their ropes and horses is insane. Some of the things I saw are indescribable. You have to see it with your own eyes to believe it!
They jump from one horse to another bareback in full gallop (Paso de la Muerte). Rope cattle and horses while twirling their ropes. And the escaramuzas… wow, the local team put on a beautiful show! It is like watching ballet on horseback. I was extremely impressed by these tremendous horsewomen!
From Torreon we will ride south towards Zacatecas! We have now travelled through 3 Mexican states – Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila. Seven months on the road and we are going strong 🙂
Thank you for coming along for the ride!
