The demonstration last Saturday attracted teams of young girls (and a few boys) from around the country to show off their skills on the stick horses. Plus a surprise marriage proposal
Erika Navarro and the Ajijic Potranquita team ready to perform. Photo: Patrick O’Heffernan
Patrick O’Heffernan and Sophia Medeles (Ajijic).- The Encuentro Nacional Caballito de Palo was held successfully in the Lienzo (bullring) in Ajijic last Saturday to a cheering crowd from around the country. The Encuentro is a demonstration of the skills of girls 4-11 riding stick horses in precision drills as part of training for the Escaramuza women’s event in the Charreadas, the Mexican rodeos.
No prizes were given out to the teams from different states but the head of the Ajijic team received a proposal for marriage in the Lienzo field, which she accepted, along with an engagement ring.
Teams rode their “palos” – stick ponies – in “skirmishes” consisting of circling, riding to rapid stops, and executing drill team movements. Saturday’s event was a demonstration, not a competition. The teams pay a registration fee, present their routines in the skirmishes and receive a certificate of recognition and a dinner.
Erika Navarro, as a guest, with Mrs. Amparo Robledo, coaches the Ajijic team, told Laguna that this is the 7th year that the Escaramuza Caballito de Palo national circuit has been held, and Saturday’s event was the opening event of the circuit’s 2022 season.
The Caballito de Palo girls are in training to ride the Escaramuza which consists of 8 women riding sidesaddle in full costume executing complex, military-style drills, or “skirmishes”. The sport is fast-paced and often dangerous.
Teams from 6 states attended, most bringing large, noisy cheering sections with them. Each team was dressed in their state’s traditional Caballito de Palo costume and brought their stick horses with them. The Ajijic team was dressed in turquoise and included a young boy who accompanied the girls on some of the drills and the hat dance.
Toward the end of the event, Ms. Navarro walked out to the field to meet one of the staff, her long-time boyfriend Beto Pérez , and was surprised when he dropped to his knees and proposed marriage. After accepting, Navarro gave her now-fiancé a big hug and turned to the cheering crowd to show off the engagement ring he had just slipped on her finger.
The Circuito Nacional De Escaramuzas Caballito de Palo »is a national organization directed by Pamela Ángeles Sáenz. Itzel González was in charge of the Ajijic event, together with the municipal government of Chapala, and the Asociación de Charros de Ajijic, which provided them with the facilities. The next event in the circuit will be in Acambay, State of Mexico, on June 16 and the Potranquitas – the Ajijic team plan to be there but needs to raise the funds for transportation. To donate contact Erika Navarro through the Potranquitos FB page at https://www.facebook.com/escaramuzacaballosdepalolaspotranquitas.ajijic
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