Abrivado & Bandido

Back at the ranch, my training amongst the Gardians is in full swing. As well as more theory, there is not a day when i do not ride with the bulls. We displace them from one pasture to another, cut cows out of the herd, check for new born calves or load them into the tank.

They call a cattle truck, a tank. They are 19t trucks with no partitions and no roof as such. Instead of the roof there are transversal steel round poles and on top of the poles there are longitudinal wooden planks. Cattle are tied up by the horns to the round poles and the planks are used as walkways for the Gardians to manipulate the cattle. All manipulations are done from the outside. Horses are loaded and tied up the same way as cattle and depending on the individuals, they can travel together. It is the first time i see this system of transport. It is an efficient, simple and secured way to deal with cattle.

 

Picture taken from above the tank. Here we were in Nimes
for the Abrivado. We were 4 of us including those two
very experienced young men.

This is the inside of the tank. The bulls are tied up
before leathers are place on their horns before
they are let loose in the street. 

 

Back at the manade after the abrivado, the horses are downloaded first
then the bulls. Notice from where the gardians open and closed the doors when dealing with cattle.

This time the tank was used as a horse transporter and
the horses as saddle carriers. In Texas i saw also saddled horses being transported
in cattle truck. Cattle trucks being different than the tank above. 

Nowadays, bulls and horses are transported by truck from pastures to arenas for the course Camarguaise. Traditionally and before the health & safety nonsense, gardians would accompany the bulls by abrivade (Abrivado in Provencal dialect).  An abrivado is when bulls are surrounded by closely mounted gardians and as slowly as possible escort the bulls to the local arena. After the race the bulls would be brought back to their pasture in a bandide ( Bandido in Provencal). The bandido is a fast displacement, at the canter sometimes gallop, where each gardians will drive one bull from arena to pasture. During the abrivado and the bandido, young men would try to make the bull escape from the gardians. Some see that as a sport!

Here are a few pictures of three Abrivados.

This first one took place in the arena of Arles with heavy horses. It was a training exercise.

Simbao are released into the arena

Manadier Bernard Colombet guarding his Simbao
before introducing them to the heavy cavalery. 

The horses form a V shape figure.
There are 9 breeds of French heavies. Percheron and Comtois
are represented here.

Horses must be closely together or the bull will squeeze through.

Riders must lodged his inside leg in the flank of the horse placed on his inside
 

Thrilling!

The next abrivado took place in the streets of Nimes with Manadier Bernard Colombet and his Gardians. Nowadays, for health & safety, fences are erected on both sides of the road to avoid the bulls to escape in neighbouring streets and local bars. Fences also mean that bodies are easily crushed against them! Choice is yours.

Gardians Benoit Colombet & Florient gaining composure
 before the start. For all involved, Abrivados are dangerous.
It is fast, horses and bulls travel at full blast on tarmac.
i leave the rest to your imagination.

Para-medics are getting composed too!

Fences are getting erected on both side of Avenue Victor Hugo.

At the beginning the manade is paraded. 

Abrivado's horses are experienced. Horse's shoes are studded.

Arriving at full blast, the gardians are driving the bulls forward
whilst the men are trying to distract the bulls from their trajectory.

 

At each end of the abrivade there is a tank either to release or receive
the bulls. All the pictures are taken from above the tank i am on.
Here the bulls are about to climb back into the tank.

 

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