El Charro
Roberto Torres, Jr., is a born-and-raised Coloradan who followed his father, Roberto Torres, Sr., into the folds of team roping and charro competitions when he was a young teenager. Today, Torres, Jr., 35, is helping run his family’s business—four Mexican restaurants in the Denver metro area called Las Delicias—as well as competing in charreadas on an international level and pursuing his passion for team roping.
Rodeo and charro culture share some similar beginnings, though charro traditions date back to the 16th century, some 300 years before the first rodeo was held in Deer Trail, Colorado, in 1869. Still, each is rooted in the skills men and women were required to have when working with cattle and horses on large swaths of land. It is worth noting, though, that the original charros then played a significant role in the war for Mexican independence, a legacy which continues to inspire great pride from its members, even today.
For the Torres family, team roping and were a
