A Mexican charro event in which a mounted rider ropes the forelegs of a loose mare as she runs the ring, judged on the ride, the throw and the control of the catch.
Manganas a caballo is the mounted roping event of Mexican charreria, the horseback counterpart of manganas a pie. A mare is released into the lienzo, the charro ring, and the competitor, riding his own horse, has to chase her down, bring his horse alongside and throw a loop that takes her forelegs. Because the rider is working two animals at once, his own horse and the loose mare, the event rewards horsemanship as much as roping.
On eTalenter the item is individual and male, run in Spanish. A competitor enters alone and is placed in one of six age-based groups: Dientes de Leche up to 10, Infantil A up to 12, Infantil B up to 15, Juvenil for riders who do not turn 18 in the competition year, Libre for the general adult field and Mayores for riders aged 50 and over. The template assigns the same item to every group, so one set-up covers the full range.
A round is one attempt at one mare. The panel watches how the rider reads the animal's line, how he holds his horse beside her, whether the loop is thrown from the saddle at the right moment and whether it closes on the forelegs, and how the catch is handled afterwards. Points are earned for the suerte, extras can be added and deductions taken for faults, so the total is open-ended. The template carries a working maximum of 20 per group, but the source rules were not verified to fix a flat cap for this event, so that number is a scoresheet default and not a rules-defined limit.
Organisers include it because it is one of the nine traditional events of a charro championship and the one that tests rope work from horseback against a moving target. Arrangements for younger groups, including which animals and how much supervision, are the organiser's decision and should be checked against the event's own rules.
Where Manganas a Caballo comes from
Roping stock from horseback was everyday work on the Mexican hacienda. Charreria later turned it into a formal sporting event with its own rules.
Where Manganas a Caballo is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, built from the official rules of the national charro championship of Mexico. Charreria is practised in Mexico and in Mexican communities in the United States, but each association publishes its own rule book, categories and scoring tables, so coordinators should follow the rules of the event they are running.
- Mexico
Key facts
- Individual item: one mounted competitor per entry
- Template assigns it to six age groups, from Dientes de Leche (up to 10) to Mayores (50 and over)
- The rider stays on horseback and ropes the forelegs of a loose mare
- Totals are open-ended: points plus extras minus deductions; the 20-point maximum in the template is a working default, not a rules-defined cap
- Run in Spanish; no time limit is set in the template
- Eighth of the nine traditional charro events (suertes) listed on the template
On eTalenter, Manganas a Caballo is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Manganas a Caballo is most often entered as an Individual competition, commonly run for Male, typically scored out of 20.
How it is scored
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means.
- Best score is
- the highest
- Decimal places
- 2
- Used for
- Arts
Where it sits
The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed.
Others in this category: Dance, Music, Drama, Mimicry, Debate, Elocution, Story Telling, Group Song, Action Song
Judging criteria installed for it
eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed.
No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.
What judges look at in Manganas a Caballo
What a Manganas a Caballo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Horsemanship: keeping the horse level with the mare and under control while the rope is prepared
- Approach and position: choosing the line that brings the rider alongside at the right distance
- Throw from the saddle: a loop released at the right moment, from a balanced seat, lands on the forelegs
- Loop quality: an open, well-formed loop that closes cleanly scores better than a flat or fouled one
- Handling the catch: bringing the horse and rope under control once the mare is taken
- Faults and deductions: breaches of the event rules are deducted, so a clean catch is worth more than a risky one
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Manganas a Caballo under Scoring Setup, or start from judge scoring and tabulation software.
How to prepare for Manganas a Caballo
How entrants and their teachers usually get Manganas a Caballo right on the day:
- Read the event rules first for the points table, extras and list of faults, and learn them before training the throw
- Train the horse separately: steady pace, responding to light rein and staying calm beside a running animal
- Practise the loop from a stationary horse on a fixed target, then at walk, then at speed, before using a live mare
- Keep the rope coiled and held the same way every time so the loop opens as expected under pressure
- Check tack, saddle fit, protective clothing and footwear well before the event, and make sure safety staff and a first-aid plan are at the ring
- Have an experienced charro watch a recording and name the faults you cannot feel from the saddle
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Manganas a Caballo judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, commonly for Male, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What does manganas a caballo mean?
Mangana is the throw of the rope at the forelegs of an animal, and a caballo means on horseback. The event is roping a loose mare's forelegs from the saddle in the lienzo, the charro ring.
How is it different from manganas a pie?
Both are forelegs-roping events, but in manganas a pie the competitor is on foot and in manganas a caballo he rides. They are separate suertes and separate items on the template.
Is it a team or an individual event?
It is individual. Each entry is one competitor, and the template assigns it to every age group so each is scored on his own attempt.
Is there a maximum score?
The template uses 20 per group as a working default, but the source rules were not verified to fix a flat cap: points, extras and deductions add up to an open-ended total.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read judge scoring and tabulation software, or browse every on stage competition item.
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