North Country Rider Photo Galleries

Band leads caballeros

Mariachi is music to a horse's ears. This band leads a group of Mexican dancing horses down Quincy's main street during in the grand parade of the town's annual Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day.

Caballo takes a bow

Luis Anaya of Chelan seats his light-footed dancer, Moro, prior to a demonstration of Mexican dancing horses at Quincy's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day on Sept. 13.

Crowd pleasers

Riders, horses and musicians combined to draw oohs and ahhs from the crowd during a Mexican dancing horse demonstration at the annual Quincy Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day.

Dancing horses serious work

Training and guiding a Mexican dancing horse takes discipline and skill. Riders often seem intensely focused on moving their horses in step to the music.

Dancing in the streets

Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day in Quincy kicks off each year with a colorful downtown parade that features local bands, farm machinery, mariachi music and Mexican dancing horses. Martin Escalera of Rock Island, guiding his Arabian-Andalusian Cheke, joined 10 other caballeros on the street and, later, at the high school for an hourlong demonstration.

Phoning home

Mexican horse dancing may be traditional, but modern-day technology still intrudes. This rider takes a break to make a cell phone call.

Prancing on the playing field

A caballero on his Mexican dancing horse circles a mariachi band during an hourlong demonstration of the equine tradition at Quincy's Farmer-Consumer Awarness Day on Sept. 13.

Taking the lead

A rider guides his mount into a circle of Mexcan dancing horses during a demonstration at Quincy's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day.