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Martínez goes equestrian

By OLIVIA RUIZ / Vida En El Valle

Rogelio Martínez is going through a new stage in his musical career.

The 31-year-old Martínez has traded the stage for horses in an equestrian show.

"I have been riding horses all of my life due to the fact that my uncles in Sinaloa owned livestock. The truth is, I never imagined I was going to have a horse show of my own," said the Mexican singer before his presentation in Woodlake last Sunday.

Martínez performed at the Lienzo Charro Los Potrillos, before an estimated 2,000 fans, along with his band and his eight horses imported from Spain.

The singer said he has been preparing this new project for three years and he hopes that the people continue to support him.

"I am very excited because in this new stage of my career I've had a great acceptance by the audience and I want to take my horses everywhere and represent México at a very high level."

Martínez started his musical career 19 years ago in southern Los Ángeles where he was raised. It was in the late '90s when he achieved international fame with his banda music and ballads.

Today, the singer who is a native of Sinaloa, México, wants to become the new jaripeo (Mexican rodeo) idol, but admits he really admires Joan Sebastian and Ezequiel Peña; they have both been doing their equestrian shows for years.

Martínez said Peña is the one who has given him some advice.

"He knows that this is a very difficult career, but Cheque has been a great friend and a great supporter of my career; he wished me all the luck in the world," he said. "He gave me a couple of tips as to how to get off the saddle and told me 'you just have to have all the confidence and trust in your horses and sing to the people with your heart in your hand and you'll see how the audience will respond.' "

And it seems that this piece of advice really helped Martínez. He made his debut with his equestrian show on June 8 in southern California breaking admission records. More than 8,000 were present to show their support.

But what the singer likes the most about this new phase is that everyone can go and enjoy themselves.

"This is an event worth taking the entire family to. They can go have fun with the kids, grandma, cousins, and buddies. I perform all my hits, from my corridos, my rancheras, and my romantic songs that have made me popular."

Since the Sinaloa native has been practicing riding on horses for only three years, one had to ask if he has ever fallen off the animal.

"Obviously many things happen, but thank God my horses have responded very well," he says. "Up until now, I have not fallen, but a great friend of mine told me, 'Rogelio, only the one who doesn't ride doesn't fall off a horse.'"

Send e-mail to: oruiz@vidaenelvalle.com