Horse races
By Jerry Davis

There was a horse racing meet out at Rancho El Pedregal on Sunday afternoon. After asking for directions from six different people, I finally found the rough dirt track that led to the racecourse. I had assumed that it was free, but a shy little girl at the gate sold me a ticket for 50 pesos and I drove in, but not far. Just inside a man asked me for “Revisión,” which means that he wanted to check the trunk—for firearms, knives and alcohol. I passed the test, drove in and parked, one of the few cars in a row of pickups.

These race meets, being a purely homegrown phenomenon, meant that there were no other gringos in sight. Hoping to gather information, my Spanish was not much help.

They speak “country” and I speak “Mexico City,” two very different dialects. First I tried to find out the length of the course, asking a flustered stranger who tried his best to answer me in English. “Four hundred yards,” he said, then changed it to acres. I tried to explain that an acre measured area and was roughly half a hectare. After digesting that information for a moment he announced that it was five acres long. My guess is that it is about a quarter of a mile.

Feeling out of place there, I was glad to see little Oscar and Maria José, our maid’s two children, very welcome familiar faces. Oscar is only seven but loves the races and sometimes places bets. Once he won 90 pesos, but another time lost—tearfully.

The tracks are straight, laid out parallel, separated by a railing. There are just two horses in each race; each takes one of the tracks. I had arrived just in time, which is to say an hour late, and the event was just getting ready to start. First the animals are warmed up by a mounted rider leading them up and down the track. When all was ready, I got out the camera and the two horses whizzed by before I could even turn it on.

During the lull between races, I chatted up the winning jockey who had ridden bareback with just the help of a strap to tuck his knees under. Without a helmet or boots, wearing an undershirt for his “colors,” he told me he had never fallen and wins most of his races. The owner soon approached and from him I learned that the horse, too, wins races, seven so far. Many of the animals are quarter horses, some imported from the US and costing as much as US$30,000. Also, some races attract heavy betting. Twenty or thirty thousand dollars, he claimed, but that might be an exaggeration.

He advised me to climb onto the bed of the judge’s pickup truck, parked by the side of the track, a better vantage point for photos.

The judge, Hugo and his friend Ismael say, “Yes, climb up, but don’t jiggle the camera tripod or get in the way.” Hugo is the owner of the track and I learn that the entrance fee is not used for prize money, but to pay for the federal racing license, which eats up most of his profits. Unlicensed races are liable for huge fines.

There is no purse, only winnings from bets by the owner. That is, if his horse wins. Winner takes all. It can be an expensive pastime, but some owners buy good horses, travel the racing circuit and manage to make a living.

My guess is that many bettors have wagered more than they should because after the race they gather around the pickup wearing worried looks. This explained the “revision” at the gate. I suppose disputes do arise and could become ugly, even uglier if guns and knives were handy. Impatient, the men climb into the truck, crowd me aside and peer over the judges’ shoulder to see for themselves if the video shows they won or lost. Unlike with little Oscar’s heartbreaking loss, there were no tears, just many downcast looks.

Jerry Davis has been visiting Mexico for almost 50 years and has lived in San Miguel for the last three. He enjoys experiencing the richness and diversity of Mexican culture.

LETTERS

Editor,

This is a positive response to the two letters in today’s (Oct. 26) edition, but perhaps in different ways:

There's no serious reason why the central, historical district shouldn’t be closed but to pedestrian and taxi/small-bus traffic to accommodate those who have difficulty walking.

Of course, we also have vans serving orphans, other disadvantaged folks, and school kids based there, plus delivery trucks that need access. For commercial service vehicles, take a lesson from Williamsburg, Virginia, where it has to be done at night. For school kids, there can be areas for drop-off and pick-up outside of the historical section. The truly handicapped always need direct access, point-to-point.

For tourists or out-of-towners, we have this HUGE but essentially unused mega parking lot off of Cardo. Why not promote the availability, plus maybe with an incentive with cut rate/free bus transportation into town to their hotel, with a transfer to a taxi if that’s what it takes to get to where they want to be? Just for starters.

Just something to think about.

Regarding the filthy streets in San Antonio, it seems to me it’s a sad fact that a great number of people here think it’s normal to throw their garbage in front of your house, as they have done to me in Colonia Guadalupe, with the expectation that it’s now my problem. Or to throw their garbage under my car parked on the street, or even to wedge their garbage behind my windows’ iron grills or even under the fake air-foil of my car. To take care of it, they’re satisfied that it’s now my problem. They couldn’t care less. It’s not a crime to litter here.

So, my solution has been to create a job in San Miguel and hire a very nice person to keep the front of my house clean. I absolutely believe she has had nothing to do with stimulating the need to create a job to deal with this mess, but she is responding positively and sincerely as a businesswoman who needs the money to take care of the mess created intentionally by her fellow residents, so she can take care of her family.

My suggestion is if it’s messy out front, deal with it directly. If you can’t/won’t, there are people willing to help, for a reasonable weekly fee.

George Sickler

Editor,

In spite of Mr. Dispenza’s prideful statements and anti-religious attitudes expressed in his article On My Mind i.e. “the dangerous illusion that we are ‘sinful’ and unworthy, that there is a ‘God’ somewhere,” there are billions of people around the world that acknowledge that God does indeed exist and is aware of our sins and their impact on ourselves and the world around us. Judean/Christian scriptures have proclaimed for thousands of years God’s existence and His Holiness. In fact, the Sacred Scriptures declare that we are born with a God given awareness of His Presence. What we do with that gift is up to each of us. It is apparent that Mr. Dispenza has chosen to reject the reality of a Supreme God. He, in fact, has made himself his own god. In doing so he has substituted a personal faith based on seemly mystical ideas and self serving platitudes in the hope of finding a peace abet it be false. Stimulating thought and intellectual phrases will serve no one in the end for. Like it or not, we will all face a 
Holy, Almighty God!

As our world disintegrates into anarchy, perhaps it is time to reconsider God in light of the fact that our hopes based on man’s wisdom have failed us all. Consider the fact that our countries are filled with corruption, drug addiction and suicides. Perhaps these are indications that our rejection of God and eliminating any evidence of Him in our temples of education have brought us to a place that not one of us could imagine fifty years ago.

President George Washington stated in his First Inaugural Address “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven (God) has ordained.”

That’s what is on my mind.

Chaplain Jack Driscoll

Editor,

Thank you for published my article, “You live in Mexico and your health insurance is…where?”

Several people have told me that they read it with interest, but didn’t realize there was any action to be taken. My purpose was to bring awareness to residents who are not covered by medical insurance in Mexico and think that they will have time to get to the US to get treatment. That would be nice, but it may not happen.

Sra. Carmen Rivera Rio Rocha wants to hear from everyone who would be interested in having a group medical policy here. The more people who show an interest, the lower the premium will be. Please, don’t delay in calling Sra. Rivera. She can be reached at 044 415 113 9774.

Miranda Nadel

Editor,

As President of the San Miguel Community Foundation, I must make a correction in the article by Jay Vlasak concerning Gloria Espino. While there is no doubt that hers is a worthy cause, the Foundation cannot legally give tax-exempt receipts for contributions made through it. I do encourage all who can, to assist in this endeavor through Monex as Mr. Vlasak described in his article.

Dennis M. Hart