“It’s elegant and powerful—and also kind of dangerous,” says photographer Constance Jaeggi, describing escaramuza charra, an all-female Mexican rodeo event popular in communities across North America. Riders known as escaramuzas sit sidesaddle in colorful dresses inspired by fighters of the Mexican Revolution. In teams of eight, they perform veritable ballets on horseback—frequently at a gallop. Growing up in Switzerland, Jaeggi adored horses and learned to ride at age 14. Nearly two decades later while living on a Texas ranch, she competed in equestrian contests and became fascinated with escaramuzas, seeing them as kindred cowgirls. After traveling the United States to interview and photograph them, she began to see how the sport offers Mexican American women a sense of connection to their heritage.
(Mexican traditions live on in California through female rodeo performers.)
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