Charreria in the United States: US Teams at Mexico's Nacional Charro

Charreria in the United States: what happened Saturday at the Arena Potosí

Charreria in the United States is part of the official structure of Mexico's national sport, not a nostalgia hobby: US associations belong to the Federación Mexicana de Charrería (FMCH) and their teams compete at the Nacional. That was on full display Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, when escaramuzas from Virginia, California and Chicago, plus charro teams from Texas and California, rode into the Arena Potosí in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

It was one of the last elimination days of the LXXXII Congreso y Campeonato Nacional Charro, which runs Oct. 9 to Nov. 1. El Expres listed three charreadas:

The 15:30 charreada was unusual: all three of its escaramuzas came from the United States. Watch the names, though. Charra El Reencuentro from Chicago is not the same team as Reencuentro from Chihuahua, which led the women's standings in the FMCH's Oct. 19 update.

How many US charro teams are at the 2026 Nacional

Plano Informativo reported these entry numbers for the San Luis Potosí Nacional:

• 171 charro teams: 144 from Mexico and 27 from the US.
• 160 escaramuzas: 134 from Mexico and 26 from the US.
• 15 charros completos (individual all-around riders): 14 from Mexico and 1 from the US.
• The US contingent comes from 12 states.

The escaramuza jump is news in itself. According to a Milenio column, the FMCH confirmed at its July monthly meeting that the field would grow from 120 to 160, with three escaramuzas per charreada, because the women's side of the sport keeps growing.

In the overall standings, the FMCH reported on Oct. 19 that defending champion El Soyate of Zacatecas led the AAA category with 423 points after 29 elimination charreadas. Semifinal spots are settled when this phase closes, so check the FMCH's official results before assuming who's through.

What to watch

• The close of the elimination rounds and the official list of semifinalists.
• Whether any US team or escaramuza earns a ticket to the next round.
• The finals, which close the championship on Nov. 1.

For the full format, the suertes and what the horses do, read our Charreria National Championship 2026 guide.

How charrería grew in Texas, California, Illinois and beyond

Charrería grew out of Mexico's cattle haciendas and was organized as a sport in the 1920s, when charros set out to preserve ranch skills that were disappearing. North of the Rio Grande, it was carried by Mexican and Mexican-American families who were already working cattle and horses.

A few markers help explain how it spread:

• Texas. The San Antonio Charro Association was founded in 1947 and started as a parade group before staging charreadas. Its teams now compete across the Southwest and in Mexico, and it was the 2023 state champion.
• California. It has its own FMCH-affiliated state union, which took part in the Federation's first annual US assembly in 2023. This year it sent teams such as Guadalupana de Pegueros and escaramuzas such as El Lucero.
• Illinois. In Chicago's south suburbs, the sport grew with the children of immigrants. An ABC7 report in 2022 counted 16 charro teams and 9 escaramuza teams competing at the state level.
• More states. Union presidents from Arizona, Utah and Nevada joined Texas and California at that 2023 assembly, and this year Virginia sent an escaramuza to the Nacional.

One thing that surprises first-time visitors: many US charreadas play both national anthems, Mexican and American, alongside mariachi and folklórico dancers. It's a sport, but it's also a family fiesta and a point of pride for two countries.

How US teams are organized and qualify

This is the part that confuses most people. US charrería doesn't have a separate federation for the Nacional: its associations affiliate with the Federación Mexicana de Charrería, just like the ones in Jalisco or Zacatecas.

The structure

1. Asociación: the local club, with its lienzo charro (the keyhole-shaped arena) or home base, its charro teams and its escaramuzas.
2. State union of associations: groups the associations in one state. US union presidents meet with Federation leaders; the FMCH held its first annual US assembly in Las Vegas in January 2023.
3. FMCH: runs the Congreso y Campeonato Nacional and sets the rules.

Qualifying

In March 2026 the FMCH polled associations that were properly affiliated as of Feb. 28, with votes from 29 Mexican states and 11 US entities. The results:

• Spots pre-assigned by state were kept (322 votes) instead of one national points table (169).
• Regional championships stay part of the qualifying process (413 to 81).
• Both categories, AA and AAA, remain.

In short: Nacional spots are assigned by entidad, a system US associations also voted on, and teams work toward them through state and regional competition. How that applies to each US state and the fine print change with each year's convocatoria (official call), so ask your state union for the current route.

Escaramuza teams in the US: why they're growing

The escaramuza is the women's team event: eight charras riding sidesaddle at a gallop through crossings and patterns that demand perfect timing. If you've never seen one, start with our guide to what escaramuza charra is.

In the US, escaramuza is often how a family finds its way into the sport. Daughters of immigrants use it to keep the language, the music and the tradition alive, and parents become the support crew: hauling, dresses, horses and sponsors.

Three US escaramuzas sharing a single charreada at the Nacional says a lot. Not long ago, reaching San Luis Potosí from Virginia or Chicago was the exception.

How to find a charro association or escaramuza near you

Your family doesn't need a horse on day one. Here's a practical route in:

1. Go to a local charreada. Look for the nearest lienzo charro, or for events around Mexican Independence Day and association anniversaries. Watching a full competition helps you decide whether the charro events, the escaramuza or the coleadero appeals most.
2. Find your state union. Ask at the charreada or contact the FMCH (fmcharreria.org.mx) to learn which state union and associations cover your area.
3. Talk to the association. Ask whether it's current on its FMCH affiliation, which nights it practices and whether it has a kids' or youth program.
4. Ask about insurance. The FMCH publishes affiliation and insurance information each season; confirm what's covered before anyone rides.
5. Start with the basics. Before any suerte, a child or adult needs safe horse handling on the ground and in the saddle. See our safety and groundwork guides.

What it costs, in published numbers

Costs vary widely by association and state. As a published reference:

• Each association sets its own joining fee and monthly dues, which sometimes cover a horse's space; ask for the full list in writing.
• In Illinois, escaramuza riders told ABC7 in 2022 that dresses run $300 to $500, and custom saddles and sombreros about $800 each.
• Add horse upkeep on top: feed, farrier, vet and hauling to competitions.

Many families start by sharing or borrowing horses and tack within the association. Ask before you buy a saddle or a horse.

For younger riders

Kids' charrería has its own categories and competitions. We explain how children start, at what age and with what precautions in charrería for kids. Parents looking for more resources can visit parents and teachers.

What to do and watch this week

• Follow the official results on FMCH channels and the San Luis Potosí press; don't trust rumors about who qualified.
• Read the women's standings carefully: some escaramuzas from different states and countries have similar names.
• Look for the broadcast, which the FMCH sends to charro families in Mexico and the US.
• If you're in the US, use the fall season to catch a local charreada and talk with the teams.
• Share your experience in our community and explore more horse sports in disciplines.

US charrería isn't a guest at the Nacional anymore: it has spots, unions and a new generation of charros and charras. Whatever happens in San Luis Potosí through Nov. 1 is just the latest chapter.