By: Cuellar, Henry H.R. No. 674
73R10236 JLZ-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Five-time national champion charro Gerardo "Jerry"
1-2 Diaz has achieved international fame and admiration and has brought
1-3 legions of new fans to the time-honored traditions of the Mexican
1-4 charreria with his outstanding abilities as a superb horseman and
1-5 master showman; and
1-6 WHEREAS, The son of "Pepe" Diaz, a lifelong charro and master
1-7 horseman who in the 1940s founded the first charro organization in
1-8 the United States, Jerry Diaz was born and raised to be a charro,
1-9 absorbing the ideals and the code of honor that distinguish the
1-10 Mexican caballero as well as perfecting the arts of horsemanship
1-11 and showmanship that are his trademark; and
1-12 WHEREAS, So complete and flawless is his command of the
1-13 highly trained horses he rides that, to the awed spectator, horse
1-14 and rider appear as one during their spectacular performances; his
1-15 immaculately groomed mounts respond instantly to the slightest
1-16 touch to perform the incredible feats that have earned Mr. Diaz
1-17 worldwide acclaim; and
1-18 WHEREAS, Mr. Diaz also has taken the charro's legendary skill
1-19 with a lariat to new levels of artistry, developing and executing
1-20 precision spinning rope tricks that invariably draw enthusiastic
1-21 applause from admiring spectators; incorporating that skill into
1-22 many of his routines on horseback, he has developed some of the
1-23 biggest crowdpleasers in the sport today, including some tricks he
1-24 performs while standing atop a horse as it gallops around the
2-1 arena; and
2-2 WHEREAS, In addition to competing at the annual National
2-3 Charro Championship in California, where he and his team have won
2-4 numerous individual and team trophies, Mr. Diaz also produces
2-5 colorful exhibitions that show off the superior horsemanship of men
2-6 and women equestrians against an extravagant backdrop of
2-7 traditional mariachi music and the swirling dances of folkloric
2-8 dance troupes; and
2-9 WHEREAS, A member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy
2-10 Association, he has brought his act to wider audiences, finding
2-11 greater exposure for the traditional charro exhibitions and earning
2-12 well-deserved recognition from the association's membership, which
2-13 voted his routine Best Specialty Act in Texas; and
2-14 WHEREAS, Mr. Diaz has garnered even greater exposure outside
2-15 these traditional venues, performing before heads of state at the
2-16 international economic summit in Houston in 1990 and before 1,500
2-17 members of the press in front of the Alamo during President Bush's
2-18 drug summit in 1991; and
2-19 WHEREAS, Featured in a documentary film produced by the San
2-20 Antonio Witte Museum entitled "Thundering Hooves: Five Centuries
2-21 of Horse Power in the American West," Mr. Diaz also has achieved
2-22 recognition by presenting his exhibitions at the Belmont Stakes
2-23 International Horse Show and touring the country with the renowned
2-24 Longhorn World Championship Rodeo and other prominent rodeos; and
2-25 WHEREAS, Because his act is as much a partnership between
2-26 horse and rider as it is a display of mastery, he shows the utmost
2-27 respect for the animals he rides, and whenever he is not
3-1 performing, Mr. Diaz spends most of his time with his father at the
3-2 family ranch, Charro del Bajio, near San Antonio, where the two
3-3 train and work horses; and
3-4 WHEREAS, He also has shown considerable dedication in
3-5 preserving and passing the time-honored customs and traditions to a
3-6 new generation and to this end gives generously of his time and
3-7 energy conducting clinics for others wishing to follow in his and
3-8 his father's footsteps; and
3-9 WHEREAS, One of the best-known charros in the world today,
3-10 honored by the Federation of Charros with its prestigious Gold Spur
3-11 for his lifetime achievements and his lifelong dedication to
3-12 preserving and continuing an important part of our nation's
3-13 cultural legacy, Mr. Diaz is indeed deserving of special praise and
3-14 recognition; now, therefore, be it
3-15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
3-16 Legislature hereby commend Gerardo "Jerry" Diaz on his outstanding
3-17 achievements as a national champion charro and recognize his
3-18 significant contributions in preserving and perfecting an important
3-19 cultural institution and a part of our colorful multicultural
3-20 heritage; and, be it further
3-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-22 prepared for Mr. Diaz as an expression of high esteem by the Texas
3-23 House of Representatives.