The escaramuza charra, or woman horse rider, originated in the Mexican countryside during the Mexican Revolution. Teams consist of women horse riders who perform choreographed routines in traditional clothing.
Paola Pimienta, the queen of the Union of Charro Association, rides into the Will Rogers Coliseum at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Two horse riders present the United States and Mexican flags at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A horse rider presents the Mexican flag during the performance of the Mexican national anthem at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Midlothian-based escaramuza team Tierra Azteca opened the competition with the punta competition at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A punta competition is judged by sliding distance and track marks. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
An Agua Santa escaramuza team rider controls her horse during the punta, or sliding, competition at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A horse rider from the Lirios del Real “B” team slides with her horse at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A Santa Clara Juvenil escaramuza team member guides her horse during the punta, or sliding, competition. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Queen of the Union of Charro Association in Washington, Paola Pimienta, makes an appearance at the first escaramuza competition in the United States at the Will Rogers Colisuem on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Escaramuza team Tierra Azteca performs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Tierra Azteca escaramuza team, founded in 2017, executes an 8-minute routine at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Tierra Azteca, an escaramuza team from Midlothian, performs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Amazonas escaramuza team prepares to perform at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition hosted seven escaramuza teams on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Amazonas escaramuza team performs for eight minutes during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Agua Santa escaramuza team executes the ‘abanico,’ or fan, routine at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
The Agua Santa escaramuza team performs a routine at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza Competition on Jan. 30. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A rider from escaramuza team Guadalupana halts her horse during the puntas competition. The puntas competition is a sliding competition judged by sliding distance and tracks. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
Seven teams competed at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza and Charro Cala Competition on Jan. 30.
Two teams traveled from Austin, one from Midlothian, one from Joshua, another from Alvarado and two at-home Fort Worth teams.
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Escaramuza and Charro Cala Competition was the second official competition in the United States — the first was Jan. 29 at the Will Rogers Coliseum.
The event opened with the punta competition, a sliding competition judged on sliding distance and track marks. Each of the seven teams nominated two riders to compete in the punta competition.
Competing Teams:
Tierra Azteca – Midlothian, TX
Amazonas – Austin, TX
Agua Santa – Austin, TX
Lirios del Real “B” – Alvarado, TX
Santa Clara Juvenil – Joshua, TX
Lirios del Real “A” – Fort Worth, TX
Guadalupana – Fort Worth, TX
Following the punta, the escaramuza teams each performed an eight-minute performance where they executed choreographed maneuvers weaving in and out between each other rider.
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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