Arriba, arriba, this is my first TexMex rodeo, but how did I miss it around all the sombreros and mariachi bands in San Antonio?
Like all visitors to San Antonio I donned the cowboy hat up by the Alamo and rode a mechanical bull.
Which is the closest, of course, you can get to the Wild West adrenaline rush of actually clinging on to a bucking bully.
Only there is another rodeo introduced by the Texans’ Mexican neighbours.
The sport of Charreada, Mexico’s national sport.
And not lucha libre, the masked wrestling spectacle Jack Black and Nacho Libre popularised..
Horses for courses
Charreada dates back to the 16th century, and shows can be booked at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
The sport is a mesmerising blend of dressage-style horsemanship and livestock herding skills.
Noche de Vaquero, or Cowboy Night, (Vaquero are Mexican stockmen) is held every year at San Antonio Rodeo.
Which is the only national rodeo in the US to include a Mexican ranching skills event.
All I wanna do
The show offers exquisite costumes and a vibrant celebration of tradition and culture.
The next rodeo runs from February 12-March 1.
And of course it’s not a rodeo without a cast of Country greats including Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crowe and Ludacris.
Make a deal
Now over to our friends from Visit San Antonio for an update on where we are in getting a direct flight.
From these islands to the fifth biggest city in the Oo Es of Eh.
With President and Chief Executive Marc Anderson revealing that their timeline of the next year has been extended because of the introduction of a Frankfurt service with Condor.
‘We’ll revisit the UK [flights] in 2026,” Anderson said.
My kinda stop-off
Telling us that we still have a “very convenient” journey to San Antonio via Houston or Dallas.
While our adventure took us through the hub that is Chicago which is our kinda town, people who.
But that’s another story and one we’re happy to share.
