For nearly thirty years, husband-and-wife duo Gerardo “Jerry” Diaz and Staci Diaz have traveled the country showcasing their skill on horseback. Through their touring performances and tightly-choreographed Mexican Rodeo Extravaganzas, they bring audiences a blend of the two different cultures of riding they were raised in.
A skilled trick rider, Staci grew up around her parents’ “Liberty horses,” which were trained to perform by voice and body language without the use of ropes or halters. Jerry, on the other hand, is a fourth-generation charro — a horseman trained in the national Mexican sport of charrería. Something akin to a rodeo, a charreada encompasses ten events — nine for men and one for women, all of whom compete in colorful, elaborately embroidered outfits often worn with a matching moño (bow tie) and a sombrero.
“We came from two different worlds,” says Staci. “But when you take those two things and combine them, it just made us stronger as a unit.”
Today, the couple lives in New Braunfels with their son, Nicolas, who also trains and performs alongside his parents. And when the family isn’t at their ranch, they’re out on the road, bringing their team of horses to another arena, another rodeo, another crowd.
“There has to be a passion for this, because it’s not an easy business,” Jerry says. “It has to come from somewhere inside of your soul. I got lucky, because it’s hard to find someone who will dedicate themselves to this the way we do. But everything we have, we’ve done together.”
How They Got Their Start
Staci: My grandparents were performers, and my mom was actually a Rockette. At some point, though, my grandfather told her they needed help with the horses, so she came back home and actually ended up meeting my dad at a show. They got married and continued doing shows with their horses, so my brother and I grew up entertaining just like my parents and grandparents. I started performing in my dad’s Wild West Show when I was three years old.
Jerry: My father came to the United States in the ‘40s. He was a pioneer who brought over the riding style and the discipline of the Mexican Charro. He helped start one of the first charro associations in the U.S., right here in San Antonio. He was a great horseman, and a great trainer, and those are the footsteps I’m following today.
How They Met
Staci: My dad needed trick ropers for his show, and somebody gave us Jerry’s number. My dad contacted him, but they couldn’t strike a deal, because he was too expensive [Laughs]. But he came out to the show, and saw what we were all about. For the next 10 years, I would see him at different shows and he would always make a point to come up and say hello, and flash his smile and his twinkly eyes to make sure I noticed him.
Jerry: Mr. Anderson called me looking for a roper, and while we were not able to make a deal, he said I was welcome to come to his show. Afterward, I invited him and his family to come onto the ranch, and that was our first official meeting. I saw her a few more times over the years, and eventually I spoke with my manager about the National Western Stock Show in Denver, and told him they had to hire her to perform. She was a great rider, but I also wanted them to hire her because I was going to be there, and I wanted to see her. [Laughs]. I had a bouquet of flowers sent to her hotel that said “Welcome to Denver.” Later, when she was performing, I was up in the President’s Box, and when she rode by with her horses, she blew me a kiss.
Their First Date
Staci: Ten years had gone by from the first time I met him to when we started dating. I was in Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo, and Jerry kept coming around to me at the convention. Finally, he asked me if I wanted to go to the rodeo with him. He was nervous, I was nervous. He had to come pick me up, and my dad asked him, “What time are you gonna bring my daughter home?” And he started stuttering, and it was just really funny. We ended up having a really good time.
Jerry: Once we went out in Vegas, I knew I was going to pursue her. I called her up when I was in Austin and told her, “I can go south, or I can go north. But if I go north, I’m coming to see you.” And she said, “Come north.” I drove to her ranch, and Mr. Anderson asked, “Did you come here to see the horses, the ranch, or my daughter?” And I said, “Well, honestly, Mr. Anderson, I came here to see your daughter, the ranch, and the horses.”
Falling in Love
Staci: I thought he was very handsome, and I thought his horseback riding was just exquisite. I loved watching him ride and perform. To this day, we’ve been married 25 years, and we’ve been together for 27, and every time he goes into the arena, I always watch him as if it was for the first time. We realized that we looked at horses the same way, and I always knew in my heart I wanted to marry somebody that had the same love of horses I did.
Jerry: After I went up to the ranch, that was it. We continued to see each other, and one day, after performing at a rodeo in Colorado Springs, we went back to the ranch, and I proposed to her at midnight under the full moon. She said yes. We had a full charro wedding with mariachis who played for hours.
Staci: We got married on horseback because my parents got married on horseback, and it was always a dream of mine that the whole wedding party would be on horses, too. His dad, my dad, everyone was very emotional.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
Staci: We love hearing from people who come to our shows and tell us that they had no idea the culture and the heritage behind charrería. Jerry always tries to explain some of what we’re doing and why during the show. To an audience who’s never seen anything like it, it really opens up their eyes to a beautiful thing. It’s an opportunity to learn and to experience something new.
Jerry: Nicolas is now a fifth-generation horseman and charro rider. He already has several national championships under his belt. Ever since he was little, I would take him with me to produce these Mexican rodeo extravaganzas, rodeos, and shows, so he knows the industry and he’s grown up in it. We do the whole show as a family. We produce it, we direct it, we perform in it, and I’m very proud of it. Today, the shows are broadcast by the cowboy channel worldwide, and I never thought that our show would get to that level.
A Family Business
Staci: My favorite thing is when we’re all in the arena together. Jerry’s doing his thing with the rope, and me and Nicolas are dancing our horses. But even then, we always have our eye on Jerry. There’s just no way to describe in words what he can do. There are trick ropers who can do fast, little tricks, but Jerry just makes it flow. It’s mesmerizing.
Jerry: In any marriage, there are challenges, but the beauty of this is that we both love to perform, and we both know what it takes to get there. It can take four, five, even six years to get a horse out there ready for a show. We have the love and appreciation to stick with it, and not just Staci, but our son, Nicolas. I think we all get a lot of satisfaction out of having prepared these horses from scratch before they’re out in front of thousands of people. It takes a special couple to do what we do. You need a lot of patience, and a lot of heart.
