Miss Yolanda Reinoso, a skirmish rider from the Margaritas ranch, dedicates this humble retablo to the Virgin of Guadalupe for the received favor of being able to do what she loves the most and what fills her with pride—the art of charro riding.

Queretaro, Mexico

Roberto Hernandez was watching stars at night, when a dead appeared riding horse and screaming for vengeance. He thanks the Merciful Lord with this retablo for he didn’t die out of fear and was able to escape.

A young man Florentino Mendoza thanks the Lord of Chalma for helping him to successfully perform the Pass of Death at the cowboy championship and get the first prize for his team “The Golden Cowboys”, for which he dedicates this humble retablo.

Tetepango, Hidalgo

One night I went to the mountains, when suddenly a rider came near. In the light of the fire, I saw that it was the Black Cowboy himself. He offered me some gold coins. I remembered the legend that my wet nurse told me when I was a baby. She warned me that you should never take these coins from him, or he would take you right to hell. So I closed my eyes, prayed to Saint Benedict, and little by little the ghost disappeared.

Maclovio Lopez ~ Pachuca, Hidalgo

When we were coming back home from the town fair, we met a headless horseman on our way. The sight of the ghost made our hair stand on end and our blood freeze in the veins. But the Virgin of Zapopan protected us, and the horseman passed by without seeing us and didn’t do anything to us. But the next day we saw that our hair turned gray from fright.

Florentino Mendez thanks Saint James the Apostle for helping him to successfully perform the Pass of Death at the cowboy championship. He won the first prize with his team “The Golden Cowboys”, and he dedicates this humble retablo for that.

Coahuila, 1969

The Pass of Death (El paso de la muerte) is a challenge when a cowboy riding bareback attempts to leap from his horse to the bare back of an unbridled wild horse. 

A cowboy Pantaleon Godines got a sore in his crotch from scratching the saddle. Since no remedy would help him he entrusted himself to Saint Pancras. The next morning the sore was gone, and he thanks for that.

Zacatlan, 1914

Rosario and Lurdes decided to go out of the town and sell tamale and atole to all coming guests during the town fair. The sales were going well. At night they bagged to pack when they saw a rider approaching them. When he came closer they saw that he had no head. In fear they prayed the Virgin of Zapopan, and thanks to her the ghost didn’t notice them and passed by without causing any harm to them.

I was going to Monterrey with the money I got for selling my last piece of land when I was attacked by a bandit. In that dangerous moment I prayed the Holy Child of Atocha, and suddenly appeared the Agapito Treviño’s ghost, or the White Horse as they call it. The attacker ran away, and I thank for that.

The cowboy Pantaleion Pantoja brings this retablo to Saint Nicholas for curing a sore in his groin which he’d got from rubbing the saddle.

Virgin of Guadalupe, I thank you, because the Black Cowboy saved me from the Death.

Juan Manuel Perez was playing hide-and-seek with other kids and saw a black cowboy in the granary. He appeared out of blue and said to the boy that he would tell him about treasures hidden in this very place. Juan got very scared and prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe. After that, the rider disappeared. Juan has grown up and now offers the Virgin this retablo.

Monterrey
November 18, 1958

The group “Las Coronelas” gives thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe with this humble retablo for having the first place in the skirmisher national championship. They represented their state and proudly rose high the Mexican tradition.

San Juan del Rio, Queretaro