The Queens of Charreria

Samantha Mayorga Castillo, center right, wears the queen´s sombrero during

the gala ceremony and dinner where she was named Queen of La Villa

charreria rodeo club.

Charreria clubs across Mexico select a new ¨queen¨ every year.

Instead of a crown she wears an elegant sombrero, and becomes the club´s social and cultural representative. It´s work and an honor.

This year Samantha Mayorga Castillo is one of the hundreds of horsewomen to take on the job at her local rodeo club, in her case at La Villa in Mexico City.

Like many of Mexico´s women of charreria, she was born into a charro family and has been riding on escaramuza teams since she was 15.

A charra and charro dance in their wheelchairs at the gala where Mayorga

was named queen of La Villa.

Mayorga, a 26-year-old chemical engineer who works in Mexico´s oil industry, says she most wants to promote and support paracharreria : rodeo performed by horsemen and women who are incapacitated in some way.

Below is a short audiovisual from the ceremony where she became queen, in which Mayorga tells us what it means for her.

For English subtitles, after clicking ¨play,¨then click the CC at the bottom right of the youtube window.