The Boone County Board will consider banning a rodeo event called steer-tailing even as the Illinois Attorney General warns the board against discriminating against the Hispanic community.
Charreria is a multisport event that began in Mexico in the 16th century. It’s similar to the American-style rodeo but with varying competitions. They're hosted throughout Mexico and the U.S.
For Boone County resident Cristobal Pacheco, charreria runs in his blood.
“It’s been my sport since I was born,” Pacheco said. “My father was a charro and my mother was an escaramuza. And I had the opportunity to own a little ranch and my children practice charreria as well.”
He was among the fans and sportsmen who attended a Boone County Board meeting earlier this month as it held a contentious discussion on whether to ban steer tailing.
A majority of the board made apparent their intent to support a ban.
In an unofficial count, eight out of the 11 board members raised their hands in favor of a ban on steer-tailing.
Steer-tailing is the sole event held at coleaderos, the Mexican-style rodeos hosted in the county. It entails a horse rider attempting to knock down a steer by catching its tail.
The ban on steer-tailing is one of the recommendations made by an ad hoc committee that for 14 meetings over a six-month period focused exclusively on finding ways to regulate and restrict coleaderos held in the county.
Animal right advocates say animal abuse is rampant at rodeos held on Hispanic-owned properties, but in a report obtained by WNIJ, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office received only one call for service related to an allegation of an injured steer in 2023.
The discussion was heated and held in light of a letter the Illinois Attorney General’s Office sent in November to Boone County Board Chairman Rodney Riley that policies targeting Mexican-style rodeos that don’t apply equally to American-style rodeos may violate federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
During public comments, attorney Aaron Zito, who represents several Mexican property owners, referred to the letter.
“They caution,” Zito said, “that the use of criteria -- methods -- that are facially neutral but have the disproportionate adverse effect on members of a protected class such as race is prohibited.”
County Board member Alicia Patterson said she’s concerned about the implication of banning only steer-tailing.
“Now, we're going to take steer-tailing out and keep all other rodeo events in,” Patterson said, “and if that does not open things up for the Attorney General to slam our faces to the ground, then I don't know what does.”
County board member Ryan Curry said he found some of the board members’ concern for animal safety at the coleaderos, i.e. Mexican-style rodeos, but not at American-style rodeos hypocritical.
“Now you sat here and listened and paraded this protection of animals because of your kind hearts and love for animals,” Curry said, “but had no problem with roping a calf by the two hind legs and body slamming it and then tying it up.”
But Chairman Riley, who’s been a main driver in the ban on steer-tailing, defended the ad hoc committee’s work and said he has no concerns about the Attorney General’s letter.
“If there was an issue that we needed to be worried about,” Riley said, “they would have reached out, they would have conducted investigation, they would have required a response from us. And that's not what they did.”
The Boone County Board will likely consider adopting one of three measures: leave the county’s policy as it is, ban steer-tailing, or ban all rodeo events, including those held at the Boone County Fairgrounds. Those include bull riding, steer wrestling, roping events and barrel racing.
One of the meeting attendees, Miguel Angel Lavariega, said he was hoping there would be a resolution and clarity from the board as the rodeo season begins shortly, but he didn’t find it.
“They're putting a lot of different wording into their ordinances that kind of doesn't really make sense,” he said, “because they're trying to put in ordinances to have a vet on site but then they're also putting in words to cancel the event.”
And he’s wary of the board’s decision.
“I don't support them banning all rodeos, but if it's going to be just us, it has to be everybody,” Lavariega said. “It has to be an equal playing field for everybody, not just the Hispanic culture, the Mexican culture.”
He said if there’s no coleaderos allowed in Boone County, he’ll have to travel to other counties to practice.
“Then that's just an added cost and an added stress on us,” Lavariega said, “because we have to go find somewhere for us to go to do the events.”
For Pacheco, the board’s decision on steer-tailing will also force him to consider his options. He’s held rodeos on his property for six years.
“We’re thinking very seriously of selling,” Pacheco said, “because if they don’t allow us to practice our traditions, then we’ll move to another county where we can practice them.”
Boone County board member Brian Schneider was among those who raised his hand in support of a ban.
Regarding how he’ll vote in consideration of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office letter, he’ll seek the opinion of the Boone County State’s Attorney.
“So, we'll just have to wait and see what they tell us, what they recommend we do,” Schneider said. “And we’ll follow their lead then.”
WNIJ requested an interview with the Boone County State’s Attorney Tricia Smith for comment on the letter. In an email response, Smith stated, “My office advises the County Board to comply with all federal and Illinois laws in carrying out all their official duties.”
The board is scheduled to make a decision at its March 21 meeting.
