WHO WE ARE
Reynas del Valle is a partnership of Coachella Valley equestrian families, founded to formalize the growing revival of Mexican culture with emphasis on women's power. We accomplish this goal mainly through the reconnection with charrería and escaramuza -- Mexican equestrian practices which date to the 16th Century and are rooted in the blend of indigenous and Spanish cultures. Our work encompasses diverse cultural sports and activities, mentorship, education, and celebration of community.
Our participants include youth, adults, and families from all around the Coachella Valley, and our supporters come from even further to engage and enjoy the sharing of traditions. The Reynas del Valle network has formed slowly and organically as these families came together with shared interests and goals, and has grown through the volunteer contributions of its participants, donations of supportive individuals and businesses, and revenue generated through events.
A quick history of charrería
Charreria is an equestrian sport, a tradition, a culture, and an art of Mexico, which evolved from the combining of Spanish and indigenous culture through horses. In the 16th century, Spanish colonizers introduced and began raising horses as part of its colonization in Mexico. However, the Spanish would not to allow indigenous peoples to ride or utilize horses, probably in fear of the power it would give to oppressed indigenous communities. As Spanish haciendas grew into very large estates in the mid-1800s, the colonizers began to employ indigenous people as herdsman, and by necessity trained them in horse handling. Soon, indigenous hacienda employees developed outstanding equestrian skills.
Competitions involving horse skills developed, as hacienda employees and smaller landowners practiced and trained newer vaqueros (cowboys) in the trade. However, when the Mexican Revolution broke up the haciendas, charros saw their traditions fading. Charros formed alliances and held meetings to address this decline, and in 1921 and formed the Asociación Nacional de Charros to keep the charrería tradition alive. Mexican Americans what is now in the United States also held various charreadas during the same period. Later, in the 1970s, the Federacion Mexicana de Charreria began assisting Mexican Americans in establishing official charreadas north of the border. Today, US champion teams sometimes compete in the national competitions of Mexico.
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The traditions of Mexican charreria even provided roots for American rodeo, which originated with Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) in what is now the American Southwest rounding up cattle on their horses. Charro showmanship influenced many American cowboys to adapt Mexican riding styles and organize rodeo events and competitions. American rodeos and cowboys today often forget this link, romanticizing the American West, but in other places, the line between Mexican-American charrerería and American rodeo is fluid, adding to the mix of American culture and heritage.
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A quick history of escarmuza
The origins of escaramuza performance and competition are traced to the Mexican Revolution, when women began riding horses as a means of defending their communities. Over time, these riding skills evolved into a performance art, which is now known as escaramuza. In English, the term translates to "skirmish."
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The escaramuza performance is comprised of highly trained women or girl side-saddle riders, dressed in traditional Mexican attire. The riders gallop in tight and sometimes dangerous formation and perform a series of synchronized moves, such as turning and crossing. Some of the impressive stunts of the escaramuza performances include high-speed crosses of horses and riders, tight circular formations, and a grand abanico (fan) formation spanning the radius of the arena. Team performances are often followed by individual and difficult competitions called giros (turns)- a speed contest requiring turning tight circles all around the arena, and punta (point), a competition of stopping the horses after high speed gallop. The escaramuza sport require a great deal of skill and coordination both from riders and horses.