Tepetongo

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="250" style="margin-left:3px" align="right" !align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff"|Municipio de Tepetongo |- !align="center"| |- !align="center" bgcolor="#ccccff"|Location |- !align="center"|240px |} The municipality of Tepetongo is located in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Zacatecas. It is a town on the border between Zacatecas and Jalisco. It is next to Huejucar and Jerez de García Salinas

==Population== The population varies from year to year increasing or decreasing but always hovering around 20,000 including those of surrounding villages and ranches. While the area itself once had a large native American population it is now mostly composed of mixed Spanish and native stock. The Spanish, in particular, had a large imprint as late as the 19th century, and many local families can still trace their ancestral lines back several centuries and many to Spain and even some to specific Spanish towns, much like nearby cities such as Jerez de Garcia Salinas. Much of this is apparent in its religious as well as everyday practices such as ranching, cattle raising, and animal husbandry in general (pigs, beef, chickens) as well as the agricultural practices and many of its traditions like the jaripeo (what is commonly known as the rodeo in the U.S. where a participant will try to stay atop a bucking bull), and what is a formal rodeo, an event of larger importance but also exclusivity as many of these events are sometimes invitation only, they often need their own horses, or borrow one, and one needs to pay fees per head of cattle (the event consists of a rider atop a horse chase a young bull or cow, and in the more difficult events, larger bulls, and try to topple it by its tail as the rider comes up on the side). These types of events are usually hosted by an individual who has enough cattle at the time to use, or by a group of people who pool their resources to bring the event about. The winners who topple the buck atop their steed are rewarded with either money and a ribbon by the events honorary queens, a cash prize, or both. The rodeos are hosted quite frequently year-round in various villages nearby or near the town itself, but especially during the town festivities in June. As mentioned earlier, religion is a very important part of customs and many holidays and customs are closely followed. As are ordinances coming down from the Vatican and the Catholic dioceses. Solís is the diocesan priest currently.