LAKE VIEW TERRACE : Activists to Protest Mexican Rodeo Event

In Mexico, the charreada , or rodeo, is the national sport, an honored tradition. The colorful outfits worn by the charros , or cowboys, are the national costume, and the national dance, the Mexican Hat Dance, is associated with the events.

In California, however, the popular Mexican-style rodeos have angered animal-rights groups, who are opposed to a central part of the entertainment--one of the nine traditional charreada events, the mangana , in which charros fell broncos by roping their two front legs.

Animal-rights activists have planned a demonstration on Saturday at the Hansen Dam Sports Center on Foothill Boulevard in Lake View Terrace, much to the dismay of the nearby Equestrian Center, whose owner, Eddie J. Milligan, said no charreada has ever been scheduled in the area.

“We do not, and have not, hosted any event which contains inhumane treatment,” he said. “We’ve never hosted a charro rodeo.” Milligan also said charreadas are being unfairly singled out because of the ethnicity of the participants. Many charros do not perform the mangana anymore, he said.

Charreadas are popular in Los Angeles, and there are about 35 charro associations in the area.

The activists say that they chose the location simply because it is large enough to hold a large group of people to protest manganas, not because charreadas were held nearby.

“I see no point in the tripping of horses,” said Dianne Welshann of Actors and Others for Animals, a North Hollywood-based animal-rights organization. “They end up with broken legs, broken necks. It’s a very cruel thing. It may be a part of Mexican culture, but it’s not part of ours, and we want it stopped.”

The movement in favor of banning horse tripping appears to be gaining momentum. Last year, a state Assembly bill (AB1809) introduced by Assemblyman Joe Baca (D-San Bernardino) to ban the tripping of horses for sport died in committee, but a similar bill was recently introduced by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco). The bill passed out of the Public Safety Committee with an 8-0 vote last week, according to a Burton aide.

“We feel like we’re under pressure from people who don’t understand us,” said Pedro Vaca, the president of the Federacion de Charros, USA, an umbrella group representing charreada organizations.

“We are not cruel, and we do not enjoy hurting animals.”

“The Americans are trying to take away one of the greatest Mexican traditions,” said Manuel Escobedo, a charreada organizer for the Pico Rivera Sports Arena. “Sure, animals are hurt in charreadas, and sometimes they die, but those are accidents.”