Colorado family shares love of "charreria," the official sport of Mexico

A Colorado family is passionate about promoting the official national sport of Mexico.

Similar to the rodeo, "charreria" is a competition between stylized equestrian teams made up of men and women.

CBS News Colorado visited "Rancho las Delicias" in Lakewood - where generations of the Torres family shared their love for the sport.

Roberto Torres started "Charros Las Delicias" 33 years ago. It's very much a family affair.

"I love it. You know we don't make money, but we enjoy it," Torres said. "Besides riding the horses and working with the teams and all that, you make a lot of friends, a lot, it's incredible how many people you can meet." 

There are up to 10 events in a typical "charreada" and one of the best known is the "cala de caballo" where the charro rides his horse at full speed then slides to a stop.

Roberto Torres Junior has embraced his father's love for the equestrian sport. "I started riding charreria probably when I was 14," Torres Junior said. "You have to make a connection with the horse. It takes a lot of time, a lot of patience, the animals they have a mind of their own."

The family business – Las Delicias restaurants -  with locations across the metro area – helped fuel the rise of the Torres's passion.

Daughter and sister Naiomy Torres leads the women's precision event known as the escaramuza – or skirmish.

She said, "we all ride side saddle and we do a drill, It's pretty much dancing on horses, it's synchronized so we're judged on the synchronized part like how precise every exercise is."

Naiomy says the sport drives adrenaline and also a sense of peace, "I feel like it's an escape from anything you have going on in your world. If you're stressed or whatever you come to practice or you have a presentation, kind of just goes away for that mean time."

There are a dozen charros teams in Colorado. And participants in 15 U.S. states.

Torres Junior added, "wherever you go you have friends. It's a small community and everybody opens their house to you."

The ultimate goal is to compete in the Mexican nationals. Charros Las Delicias has had that opportunity four times.

Naiomy said, "it's an honor to do this work. I wouldn't picture my lifestyle any different."

Her father added, "I just turned 75 years old and I enjoy it."