El Moro de Cumpas is one of the most famous songs of all time in the entire Mexican republic, and somehow I was so, so lucky to spend almost three years in Moctezuma in the same university office (Universidad de la Sierra, or, as everybody says, "la UNI") as the daughter of Pedro Frisby, the owner of the famous horse. I sure learned a lot from her. We taught English, and she still does.
Antonio Aguilar, who sings, is regarded here as the Roy Rogers of Mexico, and rightfully so. Give it a watch/listen.
El Moro was supposed to be destined for the Kentucky Derby. He was that good, but the straight all-out borderline race depicted in the video was actually begun a few feet south of the open border on March 17, 1957. Fences and walls were practically unheard of and no one cared who might slip up, down, or across the Arizona-Sonora border. Horses were much more important than drugs, (and really still are) and no one had very much money (as most don't still), so why should work and a wall be more important than a horse race?
If some of the the women were really dressed as depicted, in black, like Italians back then, well, indeed, time has changed some things. Yet little has changed much. Just the Muro - the border wall, and the ever present "migras" (Border Patrol) and federales (PRD).
Yes, El Moro de Cumpas used to race on the very same ground where we Americans built El Muro - the Wall. Funny how one letter can mean so much, and indicate such irony.
I live on the ejido, and there is a new horse track near my house. I do love it!
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