Horseracing as gendered leisure events: doing and redoing masculinities in Mexico

Abstract

Most research on equestrian sports, including horseracing, has been developed in contexts in the Global North. This has led to a narrow perspective of what horseracing is and means in different historical and sociocultural contexts. This paper extends this reach through considering informal horseracing events in Mexico. Based on understanding gender as a 'doing' rather than a 'being', and as an integral part of all social practices and identities, the races are examined as leisure events that function as sites through which masculinities are performed and (re)produced. Drawing on an ethnographic study, the horseracing events are identified as spaces in which male-male interactions provide opportunity for men to perform culturally hegemonic norms of masculinity, against a backdrop of shifting economic and social practices that are affecting wider gender relations in Mexico. Although women also have a presence in horseracing, they play a marginal role within the events which celebrate and foreground male homosociality. Masculinities are performed and validated predominantly through male-male interactions and expressions of male dominance over the horses. This paper thus illustrates the importance of gender to understanding different leisure practices and the significance of social and cultural context to examining leisure generally and equestrian sports specifically.

Sex integration in equestrian sport: Challenging male dominance of horseracing in Mexico

“…The homosocial environment of racing in its many forms, both as a competitive sport and a community tradition, creates a masculine space in which women are outsiders. As we have argued elsewhere (Monterrubio et al, 2022), homosociality contributes to ongoing male hegemony in racing. Homosocial sports and leisure environments promote gender segregation and reinforce distinctions between men and women (Arxer, 2011).…”

“…As we have argued previously (Monterrubio et al, 2022), parejeras races are masculinised sports and leisure spaces. They are not exclusively male spaces, but they are highly male dominated (see Figure 1).…”

“…This paper focuses on horseracing in rural Mexico. We have illustrated previously that this is a strongly masculine sporting world, characterised by male homosociality, wherein men perform masculine identities predominantly for and in relation to other men, and women play only marginal roles (see Monterrubio et al, 2022). However, despite this, there is no formal segregation between males and females as jockeys and no restrictions on the participation of males or females as riders.…”

“…This type of race also tends to be part of the programme of traditional cultural and leisure festivities in different rural towns of the country. One of the most conspicuous characteristics of these local and regional sporting events is, as described below, male domination, which is largely accompanied by drinking, gambling and homosociality (see Monterrubio et al, 2022).…”

“…We also observed instances of more sympathetic horse handling, and indeed the symbolic (and economic) value of horses as means through which men display their honour and masculinity may, in fact, drive efforts for higher welfare standards that may, in turn, improve racing performance. However, whether through drinking, gambling, fighting, dominating horses or just socialising with other men, the races are largely homosocial spaces in which men perform masculinities with and for other men (see also Monterrubio et al, 2022).…”