Crossword Genius

Hacienda manager trotted around with lion (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ranchero

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'hacienda manager' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'trotted around with lion' is the wordplay.
'trotted' becomes 'ran' (I've seen this in another clue).
'around' becomes 'c' (abbreviation for 'circa').
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'lion' becomes 'hero' (I've seen this before).
'ran'+'c'+'hero'='RANCHERO'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for ranchero that I've seen before include "Mexican cowhand" , "Mexican farmer" , "See stock farmer" , "Farmworker" , "Stock farm worker in SW US or Mexico" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.