Las Varas Celebrating Father’s Day with Mounted Parade
Tara A. Spears
One of Mexico’s most picturesque customs is a gathering of mounted horse riders called cabalgata. This Sunday, June 21, head to the village of Las Varas to watch the Father’s Day parade in town, beginning at noon at the Lienzo Charro “La Costeña,” before they head out for a trail ride. These get-togethers of horse riders are carried out very frequently in honor of a special occasion or to remember saints. It is also typical to invite neighboring pueblos to join in. Cabalgatas have gone from being simple local events to becoming a cultural phenomenon with international recognition. The participants, with their horses, gather at a particular time and place before starting the parade. Not only is a cabalgata fun for the rider but it’s a beautiful spectacle to watch and photograph. The riders wear traditional clothes and the animals vary from study mules to high stepping, dancing Azteca and Andalusian horses and every type of horse in between.
One reason for the continued popularity of riding in this country is that the horse was most important in historical events because the horse was indispensable as a means of work and transportation to contribute to the civilization of Mexico. One cannot talk about the history of Mexico or the North American continent without including the horse.
While the United States reveres its cowboy history, it was Mexico that invented many aspects of this ranching phenomenon. When the indigenous Mexican people (Tlaxcala) began to be allowed to ride horse in the 1500s, explained Jorge Cobos, president of the Veracruz Riders Club, they quickly developed riding ability. These workers stood out for being extraordinary riders which led to the term charro.
In addition, the Charrería/Mexican rodeo, has its origins in colonial time when they were allowed to ride horses. on the condition that they did not use any European mount. Therefore, the ever industrious and creative indigenous people created their own horse breeds, as well as a unique style to tame and use the horses.
By December 1, 2016, charrería was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in addition to being selected as the Mexican national sport.
Jorge Cobos pointed out that the earliest vaqueros (cowboys) took the design of the Spaniards’ saddle and modified it to give it greater functionality for actual ranch work and to control cattle. One notable feature of the Mexican horse saddle is its high and prominent ‘horn’. Locally, a few years back one rancher had his saddle horn plated with silver; the next year at the cabagatas there were four riders with these elegant saddles!
Another cowboy tool that the talented vaqueros created is called lariat in English or la reata in Spanish. This fiber rope was used for roping cattle. Basically, it is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. Many of the cabalgata riders will have la reata on their saddles. <often the soft jangle of the riders’ spurs blends with the clop clop of the horses walking on the streets.
“We owe so much to the ingenuity, talent and creativity of the Mexican vaqueros. The neighboring country to the north copies or tries to claim these designs that were created by us,” said Sr. Cobos.
The Las Varas Cavalcade 2026 is not just an equestrian outing; it’s an event that honors fathers, rancheros and celebrates Mexican history. Each rider who participates carries with him the heritage of a people that does not forget its heroes and traditions. Happy Father’s Day to all!