Escaramuza, the Poetics of Home by Constance Jaeggi O’Connor

Escaramuza is the sport of all-female precision horse riding, where teams execute meticulous manoeuvres while riding side-saddle at high speed, wearing traditional Mexican attire. Through photographic portraiture, poetry and in-depth interviews, Escaramuza, the Poetics of Home considers how the escaramuza tradition persists in the present-day United States, what it means for the identity of its Mexican and Mexican-American female practitioners, and how it fosters a profound sense of belonging. This work explores the roles of family, immigration and gender dynamics within escaramuza and Charrería culture in the USA, drawing historical parallels to the ‘soldaderas’ who fought in the Mexican Revolution and inspired the escaramuza tradition. The work combines photographic portraits by the artist, and poetry by the 2023 Texas State Poet Laureate, ire’ne lara silva, and Angelina Sáenz, an award-winning educator, poet and writing project fellow at UCLA.