Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - From January 30 to February 3, 2019, eighteen of the best Charro teams in Mexico and twelve teams from the United States will gather at Arena Vallarta to compete in the Octavo Campeonato Internacional Charro Puerto Vallarta (Eighth Puerto Vallarta International Charro Championship).

Inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016, the Charrería, or Charro Championship is an authentic celebration of the traditional Mexican Charro lifestyle, and very much a part of Jalisco's living heritage.

A type of highly festive and colorful rodeo featuring Charros, or traditional Mexican horsemen, exhibiting their skills at horse reining, bull riding, livestock roping and other equestrian talents, the Charrería is considered Mexico's national sport and is not only an art form, but a sport with strict rules and substantial prizes.

The festivities kick off at 8:30 pm on January 30 with the traditional Verbena de Tradiciones Mexicanas at Los Arcos del Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta, where you'll enjoy free live music and dance performances, lasso demonstrations, and other family-friendly - and free! - activities. The Charro competitions will be held from January 31st through February 3rd at Arena Vallarta, located approximately 40 minutes from Puerto Vallarta's hotel zone.

This year's Championship will feature top local Charros, including 2018's Séptimo Campeonato Internacional Charro Centenario Puerto Vallarta Champions, 3 Potrillos de Don "Chente" Fernández from Jalisco, and teams from all over Mexico. Also competing will be 12 teams from the United States, including:

• Orgullo Zacatecano, California
• Regionales, Arizona, USA
• Rancho La Laguna, California
• Descendencia Charra, Denver
• Hacienda La Villa, California
• Hacienda Chávez, California
• Real del Valle Plata, California
• Dorados, California
• Los 3 Ríos, Texas
• Charras Unidas, California
• Hacienda 56, California
• Monarca, California

Each Charro team, made up of all men dressed in traditional clothing, compete in 9 different challenges to demonstrate their skills at horse training and commands, roping of horses and livestock, bulldogging, bull riding, forefooting, speed challenges and bareback bronc riding.

This year's Championship tournament will once again feature teams made up of 8 to 12 women dressed in ornate Adelita or Ranchera dresses, who will compete in the Escaramuza, which entails performing a variety of precision horseback riding techniques while riding sidesaddle, as well as children's (Infantil) Charro team exhibitions.

Throughout the Championships, attendees will also enjoy live music, Folkloric ballet and Mariachi performances, Charro parades, traditional food, dance and more. For the full schedule of events, visit arenavallarta.com.

Make plans now to attend the 8th Puerto Vallarta International Charro Championship. With daily competitions and traditional events, this is the perfect way to enjoy the "real" Mexico and its traditions.

Entrance fees are just $100 pesos a day on Thursday & Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the $200 ticket price includes musical performances. Children under the age of 12 accompanied by paying adults get in free. As a thank you to attendees, your ticket to Saturday and Sunday's competitions automatically enter you into a raffle for a late model car to be given away at 8:30 pm on Sunday (You must be present with ticket in hand to win.) Tickets will be available for purchase at the Arena Vallarta box office on the day(s) of the event(s).

If you can't make it out to Arena Vallarta to see the competitions, you can see the Charros and their horses in all of their glory on Friday, February 1st during the Tradicional Maleconeada (Traditional Charro Parade down the Malecón) which starts in front of Hotel Rosita at 11:00 pm and ends at the Zoo Bar in downtown Puerto Vallarta after midnight.