Dressed in a top hat, silver button-down shirt and embroidered tie, teenager Victor Teran works masterfully in a Mexican school training the younger generations in traditional cowboy skills.
With the help of teachers at the school in Tlajomulco de Zuniga in the western state of Jalisco, Teran learned to ride a horse and “roll around his legs”.
The school, which opened in 2016, the same year the tradition was registered by UNESCO, offers free lessons to young “charros”.
“Charreria has grown a lot nationally,” said school founder Victor Hugo de la Torre, who has been an instructor for 24 years.
Today there are 100 regular students, of both sexes.
Beginner, intermediate and advanced groups of up to 15 students attend three hours of training twice a week to improve their skills.
The first challenge is to learn how to spin a noose and throw it around the neck of a “docile” bull.
Becoming a charro requires “a lot of dedication,” but the financial rewards can be worth it, said the De la Torre school’s founder.
Average salaries range from $1,500 to $4,000 a month, while those at the top can earn around $7,500, he said — a salary beyond the dreams of most Mexicans.
