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Sports & Lifestyle

The First Mexican Equestrian Sports Festival

The horse is one of the most intelligent animals in the world and enjoying ten disciplines in one place is amazing.

The First Equestrian Sports Festival brought together more than 1,500 riders thanks to the support by the presidents of the four federations: Miguel Calzada “Mexican Polo Federation”, Juan Manuel Cossio “Mexican Equestrian Federation”, José Antonio Salcedo “Mexican Charrería Federation”, and Guillermo Herrera “Mexican Rodeo Federation”. Together with CONADE, they created one of the most important events in the equestrian world.


From May 19th to 29th, visitors to this event were appreciate the horse in their maximum splendor. In different areas of the state of Querétaro there were exhibitions, competitions, and some workshops to spend 8 days in a family atmosphere, around the sport.

Equestrian disciplines at the festival

Show Jumping is an Olympic discipline within riding sports. It’s currently one of the most popular equestrian sports events, it combines elegance and emotion in the same circuit. The power, speed and skill of the horse must be joined with the quality and authority of the rider to jump over a series of obstacles to achieve a clean competition without any mistake.

At London 1948 Olympic Games, Mexican athletes highlighted in the individual jumping, team jumping and the three-day event.

That is why show jumping inaugurated the first Equestrian Festival on Thursday May 19th, from 8 am to 5 pm. Its 300 participants were present every day between Club Hípico Montecarlo and Viñedos del Polo El Marqués, except Friday May 27th and Saturday May 28th.


Reining or Doma Vaquera consists of training and controlling the horse to perform all the movements that the rider indicates, mixing strength, agility, and speed, with this should get the horse to perform lunges, abrupt changes of direction and sudden stops. This activity has its origins in Spain and was performed by cowboys in the countryside to control the wild cattle.

This sport has been officially recognized by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) since 2009 and is currently practiced in more than 40 countries. On this occasion more than 180 riders participated from Friday May 20th to Sunday May 22nd at Rancho San José QH.

Endurance is a test where riders and horses must travel long distances in varied terrain. Here, the speed, skill, physical and psychological endurance of both will be tested. The competition lasts all day and is divided into several stages with only a few minutes of rest, then the veterinarians check the horse to see if it can continue, if the horse’s heart rate is above the allowed, then the rider is eliminated. This activity took place in El Terregal with two categories 25 & 40 km, on Saturday May 21st and 180 teams participated.


A very important activity for equine lovers is horseback riding, so on Sunday May 21st from 10 am to 5 pm, the Tequisquiapan´s Town received about 500 people to be part of the Mega Cavalcade and create an even closer bond between them. Great personalities from sports’ world, including Ana Gabriela Guevara, head of CONADE, enjoyed a pleasant 8km ride, starting in Tequisquiapan´s town to Rancho el Salistrillo.



Polo is a team sport with four players each. Mounted on horseback, they carry a small wooden ball towards the opponent’s goal and the team that has scored the most goals wins. Its Western origin was at the end of 9th century, when British soldiers in India witnessed a polo match and their report appeared in the English press in 1871. Two years later, the first polo club was created in England and the sport began to boom among the European elite.

Mexico won its first Olympic medal in Paris 1900; the Mexican Polo Team had an extraordinary debut and since then it has had great importance in the country. Visitors could enjoy exciting matches from Thursday May 26th to Sunday May 29th at Viñedos del Polo El Marqués.


Charrería is considered the National Sport par excellence, it emerged from the equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the Haciendas of old Mexico in colonial times. Both the Charro and Escaramuza costumes are recognized worldwide as a fundamental part of Mexican dress.

In the 1930s, the “Federación Mexicana de Charrería” established the statutes and rules for its practice and marked it as a National Sport.  On December 1st, 2016, UNESCO recognized it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, so this discipline will be a fundamental part of this festival.

There were 290 participants at Lienzo Charro El Pitayo on Thursday May 26th and Friday May 27th, from 4 to 11 pm.


Polocrosse is a funny game where the height of the horse isn’t so important. As its name indicates is a combination of Polo and Lacrosse. It originated in Australia in 1938 and expanded to North America, some European cities, South Africa, Uruguay, Argentina and recently to northern Mexico.

The teams are made up of six players who carry rackets with nets to take possession of the ball and score goals in the opponent’s goal. This festival was attended by 6 mixed teams that competed from Friday May 27th to Sunday May 29th at Viñedos del Polo El Marqués.


Dressage is a word of French origin. In this Olympic discipline there must be harmony and coordination between rider and horse. Magic and elegance stand out, the horse must be calm, confident, and attentive to dance at the rhythm of music.

At the festival we will be able to enjoy 50 pairs practicing this equestrian competition that can be considered one of the most distinguished, methodical, and balanced. Viñedos del Polo El Marqués hosted this sport on Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. 

 Horseball is a mix of basketball, rugby, and polo. This sport was born in France in the 1930s and it was not until the 1970s that the French Riding Federation promoted a set of rules for the game.

Two teams of four players face each other, and the objective is to score the most goals in the opposing team’s vertical baskets. On the floor is a ball wrapped in a frame with six leather handles that they must pick up, the players must make a few passes and baskets. This game was present on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th May at 1 pm. In the Viñedos del Polo El Marqués.



Mounted Games is a competition that inspired Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1957 the first tournament was held in England, giving as a prize the Prince Philip Cup. One of the rules of the game is that ponies of 1.52 m maximum height must compete, and riders must not be older than 14 years old.

Teams are made up of 4 or 5 participants and perform a series of races involving turns, transfers, agility, jumping and galloping against the other teams. The activity could be enjoyed at Rancho San José QH on Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th at 3 pm.


Vaulting was present as artistic equitation at the 1920 Amberes Olympics.

It’s an acrobatic activity where the animal gallops and is guided in the circuit with a rope by the “driver” while the rider performs various pirouettes on the horse. This discipline is recognized by FEI since 1983, and was held at Rancho San José QH, on Saturday 28th and Sunday May 29th at 3 pm.

Equine therapy is one of the most important activities in the equine environment, so it couldn’t be missing in the First Equestrian Sports Festival.

This technique uses the horse as a therapeutic and adjuvant tool. It helps the rehabilitation of children, teenagers, and adults at a neuromuscular, psychological, cognitive, and social level, increases self-esteem and security, promotes autonomy and self-control, improves communication, enhances concentration, and develops respect for animals.

On Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th, at 4:30 pm at Lienzo Charro el Pitayo there were talks and equine therapy or equestrian assisted therapy.

The Rodeo began as a livestock activity. To “make the rodeo” was previously to surround the cattle in the pastures to gather them in order to carry out the necessary activities in their zootechnical exploitation: shoeing, bathing, unhairing, counting, selecting, castration, selling, changing pastures, etc.

It’s currently considered an extreme sport and is practiced mainly in USA, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. It consists of riding wild colts or wild cattle bareback and performing various exercises, such as throwing the rope, taming, rejonear, among others.

The festival was attended by 250 riders, from 8 years old to adult women and men, who participated on Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th, from 5 to 10 pm in Lienzo Charro el Pitayo.



There was also possible to enjoy the Flamenco Show, accompanied by bailaoras who got along the binomials and music to give a show at the height of First Equestrian Sports Festival.

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