Cuban rodeo tradition a century old

Israel Guerrero nailed his ride, but the dismount undid him. With an angry bull under him still bucking up a frenzy, Guerrero tried to shimmy off too early and had his right leg gored.

“Ayyyyyyyyyyeeeee!” he screamed, collapsing in a heap before limping to safety while a trio of rodeo clowns distracted the bull.

Sitting on a railing so close that the dust kicked up by the bull collected on the edges of his black-felt cowboy hat, injured rodeo hand Alexander Paralela frowned.

“If you’re scared, the bull can smell it,” he said. “It will dominate you.”

Cuba is known for its beaches, cigars and sweet rum. Few visitors get a glimpse of Cuban rodeo, where cowgirls rope calves and gallop horses past obstacles, and cowboys don converted motorcycle or football helmets to ride bulls and wrestle steers to the ground.

The 12th annual Boyeros Cattleman’s Fair, a weeklong festival near Havana’s airport that runs through Sunday evening, is a celebration of more than a century of Cuban rodeo tradition, bringing together top riders from all over the island who compete on East and West all-star squads.

“Cuba is a rodeo nation,” said 60-year-old Abel Gomez, one of the fair directors. “It’s a massive sport. It’s important for the cowboys and for the people watching.”

The opening rodeo last Saturday was delayed 90 minutes by a problem with lighting. “Electrician on duty, please report urgently to the rodeo ring,” the public address announcer pleaded over and over, but the problem never was fixed.

Undaunted by darkness, riders carrying the flags of the United States and six other countries participating in the fair galloped around the ring. The crowd offered warm but short applause for America, while Venezuela, the island’s leading source of oil, got the loudest cheers.

The U.S. and other countries were represented by imported cows and other animals on display in rusty pens outside the rodeo ring. All riders and animals featured on the first weekend of the rodeo were Cuban. Sitting in the audience was Florida cattleman John Parke Wright IV, who has been involved in the sale of cows from several states to Cuba in recent years.

“Cuba, Florida and Texas have a strong cowboy culture. Cuba was one of the richest producers of beef in the western hemisphere 80 years ago,” Wright said. “I’m very optimistic that cowboy friendship can be rekindled again.”

Gomez said that “those Americans who are allowed to come -- and there are few -- are welcome.”

“We respect and like the people of the United States,” he said. “Politics aside.”

But in a speech moments later, Joaquin Lezcano, a deputy minister of agriculture, couldn’t resist getting political, calling the rodeo a celebration of the communal spirit of Cuba’s countryside.

“The selfless and anonymous work of farmers and agricultural peasants has a prestigious platform that has been protected by the efforts and political will of officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the (Communist) party and the government,” he crowed.

The opening night of the rodeo was cut short because it was too dark for most events. A rodeo the following afternoon was devoid of pomp and circumstance, but featured the full slate of competitions and a scorching overhead sun.