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A Show of Strength at the Spanish Horse Wrestling Festival - Rapa das Bestas
Published by Vanessa Boiser
Country: Spain 
The Experience
Spain is a country with long ties to high energy animal traditions such as bullfighting. But it is also home to another lesser known event: horse wrestling. Travel to Spain's small village of Pontevedra in Sabucedo, and join locals as they herd horses down a mountain to a semi-round corral in town to be sheared and branded. This practice is known as "A Rapa das Bestas" (Cropping the Beasts).
This Spanish festival is more than just a show of strength and courage. The Rapa das Bestas is done to pay homage to St. Laurence, whose intercession saved the town from a plague. According to the legend, two sisters fervently prayed to him to save the townspeople, and when he did, the sisters offered two fine mares to the saint in gratitude. Moreover, Rapa das Bestas is a chance to give medical attention to wild horses that might be ailing or suffering from parasites like fleas and ticks.
Rapa das Bestas gathers able-bodied men and women at the top of a hill to gather horses and herd them into a semicircle stone corral below. There, aloitadores (fighters) form a three-man group to pin down a horse. The practice of horse wrestling is highly physical and may not be pleasant for everybody to see. It involves one of the fighters jumping onto the back of a horse, making the animal unsteady, and two others coming up from their positions to pull the neck and the tail until the horse falls flat on the ground. Then, the horse’s mane and tail is sheared unceremoniously, done to prevent the horse from overheating and perishing during the summer. Some of the horses may even be branded if they have not been tagged from previous Horse Wrestling Festivals. The townspeople of Pontevedra are exceptionally proud to participate in Rapa das Bestas.
The practice of horse grooming takes place throughout the summer, but the most well-known event is the three-day Horse Wrestling Festival in Sabucedo, held at the beginning of July. Visitors are welcome to herd horses down the mountain during Rapa das Bestas, but only the noble locals can bring them down once corralled. Using nothing but their bare hands to bring them down, this is one extreme horse grooming festival.
This Spanish festival is more than just a show of strength and courage. The Rapa das Bestas is done to pay homage to St. Laurence, whose intercession saved the town from a plague. According to the legend, two sisters fervently prayed to him to save the townspeople, and when he did, the sisters offered two fine mares to the saint in gratitude. Moreover, Rapa das Bestas is a chance to give medical attention to wild horses that might be ailing or suffering from parasites like fleas and ticks.
Rapa das Bestas gathers able-bodied men and women at the top of a hill to gather horses and herd them into a semicircle stone corral below. There, aloitadores (fighters) form a three-man group to pin down a horse. The practice of horse wrestling is highly physical and may not be pleasant for everybody to see. It involves one of the fighters jumping onto the back of a horse, making the animal unsteady, and two others coming up from their positions to pull the neck and the tail until the horse falls flat on the ground. Then, the horse’s mane and tail is sheared unceremoniously, done to prevent the horse from overheating and perishing during the summer. Some of the horses may even be branded if they have not been tagged from previous Horse Wrestling Festivals. The townspeople of Pontevedra are exceptionally proud to participate in Rapa das Bestas.
The practice of horse grooming takes place throughout the summer, but the most well-known event is the three-day Horse Wrestling Festival in Sabucedo, held at the beginning of July. Visitors are welcome to herd horses down the mountain during Rapa das Bestas, but only the noble locals can bring them down once corralled. Using nothing but their bare hands to bring them down, this is one extreme horse grooming festival.
When to Go to Rapa Das Bestas
The best time to experience Rapa das Bestas is on the first Saturday of July for the peak of this Spanish festival in Sabucedo.
Odds n' Ends
Here are some helpful tips that you may wish to keep in mind should you decide to watch the Spanish Horse Wrestling Festival. It will surely be rowdy because horses won’t go down without a struggle. Some rival horses may also start biting each other, so it’s best to be prepared for these unusual sights and sounds.
The weather may be a tad more humid for some since it is the start of the summer, so it is suitable to wear lightweight clothing and comfortable sandals or walking shoes. Most men in the area wear comfortable but dark-coloured clothes, whereas women usually prefer dresses and skirts. Some travellers would advise you not to bring lots of shoes. Instead you may buy shoes in markets where they are cheap and of excellent quality.
Local cuisine is readily available in Sabucedo or you may also include a visit to Santiago de Compostela to sample restaurants that offer the famous Galician cuisine. There are a lot of tapas restaurants just 20 minutes away from the Rapa das Bestas, and more choices for accommodations too. If you are a large group travelling to the Spanish Horse Wrestling Festival, you may choose to stay in villas found in Santiago de Compostela and Estrada.
The weather may be a tad more humid for some since it is the start of the summer, so it is suitable to wear lightweight clothing and comfortable sandals or walking shoes. Most men in the area wear comfortable but dark-coloured clothes, whereas women usually prefer dresses and skirts. Some travellers would advise you not to bring lots of shoes. Instead you may buy shoes in markets where they are cheap and of excellent quality.
Local cuisine is readily available in Sabucedo or you may also include a visit to Santiago de Compostela to sample restaurants that offer the famous Galician cuisine. There are a lot of tapas restaurants just 20 minutes away from the Rapa das Bestas, and more choices for accommodations too. If you are a large group travelling to the Spanish Horse Wrestling Festival, you may choose to stay in villas found in Santiago de Compostela and Estrada.
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
The Monasterio Aciveiro Hotel is located in Pontevedra making it one of the best hotels to stay at while in town.All hotel's guestrooms have all ... 6 miles away
$65 EUR+
This hotel, three stars, is situated in the historic town of A Estrada, known within the county of ULLA, this river which, along with the ... 8 miles away
$65 EUR+
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Elsewhere on the Web
- A Rapa das Bestas - TypicallySpanish.com
- The strength of man against beast is the focus of a centuries-old tradition in Galicia where ‘A Rapa das Bestas’ – ‘Cropping the Beasts’ involves wrestling untamed horses to the ground, and clipping their manes and tails.
Media References
- Crazy House - TheFirstPost.co.uk (newspaper)
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