Vaqueros: the Cowboys of Jalisco, Mexico
Mexico is a modern country that works hard to maintain its roots & traditions. The cowboy charrería lifestyle, still a part of everyday life for some, is strongest in Jalisco.
In the countryside of Jalisco, the way of the cowboy remains a lifestyle for a distinct few still practicing the 16th-century art of charrería. Apart from the daily clippety-clop of horse hooves on the cobblestone streets, the cowboys are a fixture of the many holiday parades around the small towns on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico. Usually led (and perhaps also followed) by a 12-plus member band, the local association of charros adds a boisterous element to the fiestas.
September 14 is the Day of the Cowboy and two days later the country celebrates Independence Day, so September is a great time of the year to get a double-dose of the cowboys on their horses, dressed in their finest.
![geometrical icon](https://res.cloudinary.com/danestrom/image/upload/v1499977310/geo-four_ciidei.png)
![A young man during the Independence Day parade in Ajijic.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/mexican-cowboys-4930_bin4su-600x900.jpg)
![Escaramuza Charra during the September 11 Day of the Cowboy in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4237_gkhxr2-300x400.jpg)
![Cowboys on their horses drink and talk before the day's events at the bullring start.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4348_zkrl6m.jpg)
![Kids watch the games and events going on during the Day of the Cowboy in Ajijic, Mexico.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4464_dumb81-1000x667.jpg)
![A vaquero rides his horse during the 2016 parade for the Día de la Independencia in Ajijic.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4802_jbjnfx-600x900.jpg)
![A little girl looks up as butterfly passes overhead during the Independence Day parade on September 16, 2016, in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/mexican-cowboys-4752_xk1hom-600x900.jpg)
![A little girl is cradled tightly in her fathers arms as they ride on a horse during the Independence Day parade in Ajijic.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/mexican-cowboys-4848_lqhscx-600x900.jpg)
![A young escaramuza charra rides on a horse with her mom during the 2016 parade for the Día de la Independencia in the town of Ajijic, Jalisco.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4856_mnitka-600x900.jpg)
![A cowgirl during the 2016 Independence Day parade in Ajijic, Mexico.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-4868_xmktij-626x900.jpg)
![A little cowboy watches the events unfold in the town bullring.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-2923_cu6seg-1000x708.jpg)
![Then they charge ahead at full speed. Whoever ends up hanging on to the "pollo" wins the round.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vaqueros-mexico-2937_lpxulw-1000x667.jpg)
![Events at the bullring during the Día del Charro include the game of "chicken." Two cowboys on horses start off standing still, both clutching a baton dressed up as a chicken.](http://res.cloudinary.com/danestrom/image/upload/h_667,w_1000/v1499984220/vaqueros-mexico-2948_xzoebg.jpg)
![A cowboy practices his roping skills in the bullring.](http://res.cloudinary.com/danestrom/image/upload/h_900,w_620/v1499984219/vaqueros-mexico-2984_o80gld.jpg)
![A cowboy plays a game of darts on horseback during the Day of the Cowboy.](http://res.cloudinary.com/danestrom/image/upload/h_900,w_614/v1499984218/vaqueros-mexico-2901_tw4rf0.jpg)
![Queen of the Association of Charros Ajijic 2016](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/mexican-cowboys-4627_xakwzj-300x400.jpg)
![The queen of the 2016 Association of Charros Ajijic, Gaby Gucho, during the Día de la Independencia parade in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.](https://danestrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/mexican-cowboys-4792_axd3uo-600x900.jpg)