San Judas Tadeo Cabalgata: Why Mexico Rides for St. Jude on Oct. 28

San Judas Tadeo cabalgata: why riders saddle up for October 28

A San Judas Tadeo cabalgata is a group horseback ride, usually a pilgrimage, that devotees make to a church of St. Jude Thaddeus around his feast day, October 28. Riders go to give thanks, ask for help or fulfill a manda, a promise made to the saint, and the ride usually ends in a fiesta.

This year the rides started early:

• Hermosillo, Sonora (Oct. 11). Uniradio Informa reported on the 19th Cabalgata de San Judas Tadeo: a 7 a.m. mass at El Ranchito Arcoíris de Guadalupe on Highway 26, near Quiroga Boulevard, breakfast at 8, and then a ride through several parts of the city to the San Judas sanctuary in the Las Amapolas neighborhood. Some riders came to fulfill a manda.
• Hermosillo, Sonora (Oct. 25). In a separate ride, El Imparcial reported that riders and devotees went from San Pedro El Saucito to the same church, three days before the feast, with candles and thanks.
• Esperanza to Ciudad Obregón, Sonora (Oct. 27). Meganoticias reported on a family tradition: a ride from the Esperanza town plaza to the San Judas Tadeo church in Ciudad Obregón, called for October 27 and open to any rider who wanted to join. Caballos bailadores, or dancing horses, were set to perform at the finish.
• José María Morelos, Quintana Roo (Oct. 27–28). K50 Noticias listed a program put on by a local family: a kids' lasso tournament with sheep and a musical alborada on Oct. 27, then on Oct. 28 a cabalgata from the Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo to the ruedo (the local arena), a novena to the saint, jaripeo and a free dance.

The Quintana Roo ride is set for today, so check local outlets to see how it went. For how group rides work in general, see our cabalgata explainer.

Who is San Judas Tadeo?

St. Jude Thaddeus, San Judas Tadeo in Spanish, was one of the twelve apostles. Tradition separates him from Judas Iscariot, and the short Letter of Jude in the New Testament is credited to him.

U.S. Catholic lists him as the patron of hopeless causes and desperate situations, as well as hospitals. His feast falls on October 28, the same day as St. Simon, and tradition says the two may have been martyred together.

Why desperate causes? Explanations vary, but U.S. Catholic notes that his short letter urges believers to keep the faith and trust God through hard times. In Mexico he's the saint people turn to when a job, a debt or a sick relative feels impossible. El Imparcial calls him one of the most beloved saints in the region.

What is a manda, and why make it on horseback?

A manda is a promise to a saint. It can work like a deal ("help me with this and I'll come to you") or like a thank-you once the favor arrives. People pay mandas by walking to a church, finishing the last stretch on their knees, bringing candles or riding there.

Not every pilgrim calls it a manda. A man who walked about two hours to the Hermosillo church with his family told El Imparcial that his walk was just gratitude, not a vow. Some are keeping a promise; others are simply saying thanks.

Why a horse? In ranch country the horse is part of the family's work and identity, so riding to the saint brings the whole household, horse included. A cabalgata also turns a private promise into a community event.

Dancing horses, jaripeo and the patron-saint fiesta

In much of Mexico, a fiesta for a patron saint brings religious and ranch traditions together. Here's what you'll see:

• The cabalgata: the procession itself, often with the saint's image or banner up front. Many riders wear white shirts printed with St. Jude's image, as El Imparcial saw on Hermosillo's 2025 route.
• Caballos bailadores: horses trained to move their feet in rhythm to live banda music, a fiesta showpiece in many Mexican towns. At the Esperanza–Obregón ride, they're part of the tradition at the finish.
• Jaripeo: ranch-style rodeo, the main event at many fiestas. Our jaripeo guide explains how it works.
• Kids' events: José María Morelos opened its fiesta with a children's lasso tournament.
• Music and a dance: charanga and jarana musicians in Quintana Roo, banda in Sonora, and a free public dance to close.

How to tell if a dancing horse is OK

A well-schooled dancing horse looks relaxed and answers light cues from the rider. Be wary of pinned ears, a mouth gaping against the bit, nonstop tail wringing or spur marks on the sides. Those mean the horse is being forced, not dancing.

Is the cabalgata always on October 28? Check local dates

No. October 28 is the feast, but many rides happen on the weekend before or on a day the organizers pick. Here's how 2026 has looked so far:

Hermosillo shows how much dates can move. In 2025, the big organized cabalgata was set for Sunday, October 12, and was officially called off because of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Raymond. A group of pilgrims rode anyway, on horseback, in cars and on foot, from the Ejido El Buey area on Highway 26 to the Las Amapolas sanctuary. In 2026 the organized ride went ahead on October 11, more than two weeks before the feast.

Permits matter too. In 2024, El Imparcial reported that the organizers didn't know how to request a permit under Sonora's new animal welfare law, and that about 900 people had taken part the previous year, many of them on horseback. Bottom line: watch for announcements from your parish, city hall and local traffic police before you plan a ride.

How to prepare your horse for a pilgrimage ride

This part doesn't change from year to year. A pilgrimage ride is usually hours at a walk on roads and pavement, often in heat, with music and crowds at the finish.

Two to four weeks before

• Fitness: a horse ridden once a week isn't ready for half a day on the road. Add distance gradually. New Mexico State University's extension guide stresses that a horse should be fit and used to the work before it's asked to do it in heat.
• Shoeing: don't ride a barefoot horse for miles on pavement unless its hooves are used to it or it wears hoof boots. A Western Kentucky University study reported by The Horse found boots slightly reduced pressure on the foot on asphalt. Steel shoes can slip: ask your farrier about traction and shoe a week ahead.
• Tack: check the cinch, the saddle fit and the bridle. A small rub at home becomes an open sore after five hours. See Tack & equipment.
• Noise and crowds: practice around music, flags and traffic with groundwork before the big day.

On ride day

1. Leave early. NMSU recommends doing hard work early in the morning or late in the day, when it's cooler.
2. Plan water and shade. Offer fresh water at every stop and keep salt available. If you use electrolytes, use them only if the horse already knows them from home, and always with plain water available.
3. Rest often. Stop long enough for breathing and heart rate to settle back down.
4. Walk on asphalt and cobblestones. Fast gaits on hard, slick ground are how horses fall.
5. No alcohol in the saddle. A horse in a crowd needs a clear-headed rider.
6. Have a backup. A support vehicle with water and a trailer for a horse that can't go on. For the trip home, see our guide to hauling a horse long distances.

Heat stress signs and when to call the vet

NMSU gives normal resting values of 99 to 100.5°F (37.2 to 38.1°C), 8 to 16 breaths and 36 to 44 heartbeats per minute. Warning signs include:

• Breathing at 40 to 50 breaths per minute that doesn't slow with rest
• A heart rate of 80 or more that stays high after a few minutes of rest
• A rectal temperature over 103°F (39.4°C)
• Dullness, or heavy sweating or no sweating at all

Get the horse into shade, cool it with water and call a veterinarian if its temperature is over 105°F (40.6°C) or doesn't start to fall within 30 minutes of rest, or if heart and breathing rates aren't close to normal after 30 minutes. More in Health basics.

Leave the horse home if

• It's lame, sore-footed, sick or recovering from an injury.
• It's unshod and unused to pavement, with no boots.
• It isn't fit for the distance, or it panics in traffic, around music or near fireworks.

A promise to the saint can be kept on foot. A horse that breaks down on the highway can't take that back.

If you're going to watch

• Stay on the sidewalk and never stand behind a horse.
• Ask before petting. Horses in a column are often tense.
• No fireworks, balloons or confetti near the horses.
• Hold little kids' hands, especially when the dancing horses and the band start. More tips in Parents & teachers and Safety.

What to watch next

• October 28: feast-day masses everywhere, and the José María Morelos cabalgata, novena and jaripeo.
• October 31: Tabasco's Day of the Dead night cabalgata in Villahermosa, a different fiesta with the same horse-care rules.
• Next year: Hermosillo's organized ride has no fixed date. Watch parish and city announcements from September on, and start conditioning your horse a month ahead.

Follow more horse fiestas in Trends.