'Los 3 Potrillos', estate where Vicente Fernández now rests in peace
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco — After the Monday memorial and mass service that celebrated the life of the "King of Rancheras" ended, the "Gran Charro de Huentitán" was laid to rest in the rancho in Jalisco, México, that he built for his family many years ago.
At the conclusion of the mass, held at the VFG arena in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, a town just outside Guadalajara, his coffin was taken to his private home, within "Los 3 Potrillos" estate — his children and grandchildren carried his casket through the entrance of the ranch, followed by the rest of the family, close friends and at least 200 charros that traveled on horseback.
That was all that was visible from outside the estate since his burial was held in private. It was his final wish, after all, to be buried in the same grounds that he fought tirelessly to own, build and grow into one of the most visited celebrity homes in México.
Fernández died on Sunday, at the age of 81, four months after being hospitalized and diagnosed with Guillen-Barré syndrome, his family announced in a statement.
The great Mexican charro became the embodiment of the charrería lifestyle and gifted the world ranchera ballads that spoke of love, sorrow and hope.
“As long as you don't stop clapping, your Chente doesn't stop singing," he would tell his fans while he belted out his songs on stage. True to his word, he was known for having concerts that lasted up to 4 hours.
He did just that in 2016 when he said his goodbye to the stage during a free farewell concert in México City at Azteca Stadium. After that, he retired to his Los 3 Potrillos home, where he never stopped producing music.
An estate fit for a king
Los 3 Potrillos, named after his three sons, is not only the house where he raised his family and watched his career grow, it is the place where he continued to personally receive the affection of his fans, saying he did so because he felt he owed them everything he achieved as an artist.
Located at Km. 20 of the Guadalajara-Chapala highway, Los 3 Potrillos is an estate of almost 1,000 acres and has been the Fernández Abarca family home since 1980. Because of Chente's musical talent, his home has become a reference for tourists when traveling to Guadalajara.
Within the estate is his home, a restaurant of the same name, a clothing and souvenir store and a museum. The entire property, save for the private home, is open to the public and free of charge.
Years prior, when Fernández was home, people would line up for hours at the doors of the ranch so they could personally meet and take photos with him, and if they were lucky, they would get a private performance from the charro.
These meet and greets ended, however, due to security issues. Crowd control had become a problem and, because visiting his estate is always free of charge, many fans had dealt with scams from people at the gate charging an entrance fee.
When Fernández became ill, the number of fans who visited the ranch increased significantly. It was their way of expressing their support for the Fernández Abarca family — increase in sales at the store and the restaurant, and prolonged walks in the garden and patio where he would greet and sing to visitors.
On Monday, an hour after the mass had ended and the Fernández Abarca family held the private burial for "El Rey," Alejandro Fernández, Chente's most musical of sons, left the estate in his truck. As he drove away, he waved, blew kisses and made hugging gestures to the hundreds of fans that stood at the gates of the estate.
There, in the central garden of the ranch where state authorities gave the necessary permits to bury Fernández, a mausoleum will be erected for all to pay their respects, the family said.
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