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Mexico's oldest sport is charrería.

"It's considered the national sport - everyone thinks it's soccer but it's charrería," said Vereniz Llamas.

The men who practice the equestrian sport are known as charros but perhaps more impressive are the women, who are called escaramuzas. It literally translates to skirmish in English.

Llamas, 32, lives in Beecher, Illinois and has been riding for 16 years.

"An escaramuza is a Mexican cowgirl that works in a synchronized team with eight other girls on side saddle doing dangerous crosses, fast turns and it's almost a dance on horses," said Llamas.

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Originally posted by Nina:
As an aside, I always found it odd that women were expected to ride sidesaddle as a member of the "weaker sex," when it's freaking HARD, and much more dangerous than riding astride.

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Originally posted by RealPlayer:

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Originally posted by Nina:
As an aside, I always found it odd that women were expected to ride sidesaddle as a member of the "weaker sex," when it's freaking HARD, and much more dangerous than riding astride.

I wonder if the association of sidesaddle with women is akin to the old prohibition of women in trousers and riding bicycles.