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Forgotten from westerns

The trail ride: Louisiana's Creole cowboy culture

In the sweltering humidity of the bayous and plantations, Trail Ride culture is a feverish mix of horseback riding and wild country parties, perpetuating a tradition often ignored by centuries of revisionist history.

Far from the Hollywood cliché of the Caucasian cowboy, Louisiana's Afro-Americans have a long equestrian history.

As early as 1760, it was cowboys of African descent who herded cattle on the first French ranches established in southwest Louisiana. In fact, unlike their French masters, the Africans had long been experienced in raising cattle in the Sahelian zone of West Africa. In 1875, one in 4 cowboys was African-American.

Until the abolition of segregation laws in 1965, participation in rodeos was largely reserved for whites, forcing freed slaves and Creole landowners to create their own competitions and cowboy culture. Thus, the Trail Ride became a culture in its own right. At the same time, as oilfields sprang up in Texas, the Creoles of Louisiana moved west and south, exporting their culture with them.

 

 

When hip-hop merges with country culture

Trail Ride is inextricably linked with zydeco, a Louisiana Creole folk music that emerged in the early 20th century. This music is the result of a fusion of rhythm and blues and Cajun folklore of French origin.

Over the last ten years, this precious heritage has been gaining in popularity, particularly among the younger generation, and sometimes even among city dwellers far removed from their Creole roots and the equestrian world. These new adepts don't hesitate to evolve their culture, on the edge between new influences and traditions, by integrating hip-hop rhythms into traditional zydeco, for example. It's this perpetual mixing that gives Trail Ride culture its strength and makes it more vibrant than ever.

 

I am Chloé Kerleroux, a freelance photographer based in Paris. I am interested in underrepresented cultures and their ethnic, religious, linguistic, territorial, and tribal specificities. Through my images, I work to reflect collective memories and strong cultures.

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