Meet The Escaramuza

I shared an outfit over on Instagram and one commentor said it reminded her of the female Mexican horse riders. I immediately researched what this was and found out she was referring to the Escaramuza.

Photo by Adrian Dovali

An Escaramuza is a group of eight women who ride together and perform a carefully crafted choreography on horseback. This is the female equivalent of Charrería, which is the official national sport of Mexico, according to the Mexican Federation of Charrería. Traditional charreadas are all men and the sport consists of men showing off their horse-riding and galloping skills during rodeos or bull-riding events. But over time the escaramuzas also became part of the practice. These women wear beautiful traditional dress inspired by the Adelitas — the female soldiers who fought in the Mexican Revolution — while they ride sidesaddle and demonstrate their graceful equestrian skills.

This looks as if it’d be a completely breathtaking event to see in person.