Cat's gone riding: Camagri

Back amongst the mossies…For those who have been following this journal, they know where i am on the map.

Camagri is the yearly reunion of the bull and horse breeders of the Rhone delta. It is a free entry event for all but strangely enough everybody there seems to know each other. This makes this reunion either very intimate or very clicky, depending where about the circle you are standing.

Presentation of the manades participating to the ferrades.
All horses are stallions at stud

This three day event celebrates the Camargue equine culture in its splendour. The manadiers bring their best studs, their best three years old for sale and their best riding ponies. Beware to talk about Camargue horses as opposed to ponies to a Camarguais or they may get offended!

Just imagine, three days of endless kissing, black bulls & grey horses everywhere, jumping, Camargue dressage, working equitation, ferrade, cow working and cutting, driving & charging around in the parcours de pays which is the equivalent of the obstacle circuit in Le Trec. All these disciplines except for the driving and the jumping are ridden the Camargue traditional way (one rein ridding) with the traditional gear which is the Camargue saddle & bridle & the seden (this is a get down rope made out of mare’s mane) for the horse. An equally traditional costume is adorned by the guardian consisting of the felt hat or the French beret, the velvet jacket, the tight pant or the skirt as an alternative for the ladies. Flu-like cold is rife in France also which spread is encouraged by all this kissing! How many people were off sick on Monday is anyone’s guess!

Cow working - Guardians waiting their turn to cut the cow out of the herd.
The stallion on the foreground is wearing the seden around the jugular.

Cow working - waiting patiently...

Driving- Bernard Colombet...

...and his three entire 2.5 years old.

Dressage - Marion Fortunet with her stallion Patchak Des Prevots.

Needless to spend too much time saying that everyone there are very proud of their horses and their tradition. During these three days, the horses were ridden and paraded a lot in and out of the arenas. The great majority of them are fit entire horses which are also working horses. They are use to being with other horses and not one fight happened despite close proximity between them. It was a fabulous testimony of traditional horsemanship and savoir-faire.