Before their performance, three members of the Amazonas del Dorado watch the men’s roping and riding competitions. Vanessa Rancaño/NPR hide caption
itoggle caption Vanessa Rancaño/NPR
They sit high on their imported sidesaddles, their ruffled skirts tucked neatly beneath them at a ranch in northern Virginia. Las Amazonas del Dorado — this riding group slated to perform — are preparing for their next ride.
These six women are preforming the sport of escaramuza, a group riding event performed only by women at Mexican rodeos.
“When you’re on the horse and performing, it gives me chills every time,” said 17-year-old Adriana Jimenez. “Inside, you feel this great happiness, and it fills me up with pride inside to be from a place so full of culture and life and color.”
While the star of the show is the cowboy, these cowgirls provide some of the sport’s most dazzling entertainment.
To hear more about these women and the sport, listen to the audio link above.
The Amazonas perform in the rodeo ring their family built in Catlett, Va. Vanessa Rancaño/NPR hide caption
itoggle caption Vanessa Rancaño/NPR
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