Photo: Gabriela Valdez. // Issue 92.
There are some events where the room seems to have a rhythm of its own. Dancing Backwards in High Heels, presented by the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, brought together women from across the Borderland for an evening centered on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the many ways women are shaping business and community life.
This yearโs gathering carried added significance as the Chamber celebrated its 35th anniversary, marking three and a half decades of supporting businesses, creating opportunities, and advocating for the regionโs Hispanic business community.
At the helm of the Chamber is Gladys Gonzalez, its executive director, who is skillfully guiding the organization into a new chapter while expanding opportunities and resources for women entrepreneurs and small businesses..
The event offered an engaging mix of inspiration and celebration, with women leaders sharing experiences, perspectives, and lessons from their own professional journeys. It was also an opportunity for attendees to meet fellow entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, and celebrate the accomplishments of women working across a wide range of industries.
The 35th anniversary celebration also highlighted the evolution of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and its continued role in supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening the local business community.
And perhaps that is what makes the title Dancing Backwards in High Heels so fitting. It carries a playful sense of humor while acknowledging something many women know well โ moving forward while balancing careers, businesses, families, expectations, and ambitions.
For this time, the women of the Borderland gathered to celebrate how far they have come, share a few stories, and, quite literally, keep dancing.
Botas, sombreros y el inconfundible ambiente del viejo oeste se apoderaron del El Paso County Coliseum durante la mรกs reciente ediciรณn de Starr Western Wear’s Rodeo El Paso, un evento que reuniรณ a familias, aficionados y competidores profesionales para celebrar una de las tradiciones mรกs arraigadas del suroeste estadounidense.
La ediciรณn de este aรฑo contรณ con la participaciรณn de mรกs de 250 atletas profesionales pertenecientes a la Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) y a la Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), consolidando al rodeo como uno de los encuentros ecuestres y deportivos mรกs importantes de la regiรณn.
El programa incluyรณ algunas de las disciplinas mรกs emblemรกticas del rodeo profesional, entre ellas monta de toros, monta de caballo sin silla, monta de caballo con montura, lazo por equipos, lazo de becerros, derribo de novillos, carreras de barriles y breakaway roping, ofreciendo al pรบblico jornadas llenas de adrenalina, habilidad y destreza.
Mรกs allรก de la competencia, el evento se convirtiรณ en un espacio de convivencia que reuniรณ a familias paseรฑas en torno a las tradiciones del rodeo y la cultura del vaquero, elementos profundamente arraigados en la identidad del suroeste de Estados Unidos y la regiรณn fronteriza.
Organizado con el respaldo de Starr Western Wear y presentado por Ztex Construction, el rodeo reafirmรณ su lugar como una de las celebraciones mรกs esperadas del calendario regional, manteniendo viva una tradiciรณn que continรบa formando parte de la historia y la identidad del Paso del Norte.
“En Starr Western Wear siempre hemos creรญdo que el rodeo es mรกs que un deporte: es parte de la cultura y la tradiciรณn de nuestra comunidad”, seรฑalรณ Enoch Kimmelman, representante de Starr Western Wear. “Nos enorgullece seguir apoyando el Rodeo El Paso y formar parte de una tradiciรณn duradera que reรบne a las familias mientras celebra el autรฉntico espรญritu del rodeo y la herencia vaquera”.
