A total of 141 teams will bring to life the seventy-sixth version of the National Rodeo Championship, which begins this Wednesday, April 9, and will run until Sunday, April 13, at the “Gonzalo Vial Vial” Monumental Medialuna in Rancagua.
There will be five days of competition, where current champions Felipe Undurraga and Luis Huenchul, riding Favela and Huasteca, will attempt to retain last year’s title against 140 other teams (135 from the three qualifiers and two playoffs; see details at https://n9.cl/1xuq1), plus the 2024 runners-up and the winners of the Breeders’ Rodeo Final. Also to be added are guests from the country’s extreme regions (Arica and Tarapacá, Norte Grande, and Magallanes).
“It’s been a dream year. It’s incredible for someone who thrives on this, who loves horses and rodeo. The mares are doing well, and we’re relaxed. A super-tough championship is coming up; we saw it in the Qualifiers, with high competition, with a lot of newcomers racing and very good riders, like every year. I think Rancagua has a very tight competition every year, and this year will be no exception,” commented Felipe Undurraga.
His teammate Luis Huenchul, with whom he will also ride the Colts Farsante and Faldeo, maintains that “it will be a complicated defense of the title, especially because of the competition, but we hope to put in a good performance. The Colts? Like every year, everything starts from scratch. The horses are quite good, healthy. They are preparing like every year, gently, to try to arrive with them in optimal condition.”
The riders from Criadero Doña Dominga, along with Favela and Huasteca, are already in Sunday’s final, as are the five winners of the qualifiers held in Los Ángeles, San Clemente, Melipilla, San Carlos, and Colina. They will be joined by another 33 teams that qualify during the heats for Sunday’s grand final.
Another day of competition at the 76th National Rodeo Championship
The big news of the 76th Chilean National Championship will be this Wednesday with the Chilean Champions Series, which will bring together the winners of past editions of the National Championship, who will have a moment of reunion and also of tributes. The first day’s action begins at 8:00 a.m. with the Menores promotional series, followed by the Menores Women’s and Men’s Reining Movement. The Women’s Promotional Series will then conclude the national rodeo’s glories.
On Thursday, at 8 a.m., the Criaderos Series, the Caballito de Palo Promotional Series, and the Mixed Series will be held. The Third Cueca Huasa Championship also kicks off.
On Friday, starting at 8:00 a.m., the Horse Series begins, followed by the Mare Series. The Opening Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m., and the Colt Series will conclude the day. Saturday is the day for the First Free A and B Series, plus the Second Free A Series.
Sunday kicks off with the Second Free B, starting at 7:30 a.m., leading into the finals of the Women’s and Men’s Reining Championships. The main event, the Champions Series, will be held just after 4:00 p.m. Before that, the so-called “Remolinazo” (Moving Race) will take place, a symbolic initiative in support of the “Let’s Take Care of Children” campaign, led and promoted by the Viento Sur Foundation and joined by the Chilean Rodeo Federation in 2025.
More than a rodeo at the Chilean Champion
As part of the Chilean Championship, a total of 150 couples will participate in the aforementioned Cueca Huasa Championship. Additionally, the Heritage Trades Expo, the Rancagua Grill Festival, and the Agro Champion Expo, a showcase of technology and machinery for the agricultural sector, will take place.
When and where to watch the 76th National Championship Rodeo?
The 76th National Rodeo Championship will take place from Wednesday, April 9th to Sunday, April 13th at the Monumental Gonzalo Vial Vial bullring in Rancagua.
It will be broadcast on the Campo Abierto channel on GTD (channel 105), Telefónica del Sur (105), and Mundo (745), and by streaming through Rodeo en Vivo on Rodeoenvivo.cl, Campoabierto.cl, and on the YouTube platform of Rodeo en Vivo and Champion de Chile.