The first horse racing network learned that on July 2, local time, the ancient city of Siena in north-central Italy held a traditional horse racing festival, and the dragon district won the competition. It was the first time the festival had returned two years after the COVID-19 pandemic had halted, attracting thousands of people.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020, the Organising Committee of the Siena Race Festival has cancelled the event for two consecutive years.
The Siena Horse Racing Festival is a world-famous traditional Italian folk event that dates back to the 17th century. The festival is also one of the most famous in the world, and every July and August, 10 horse racers with their horses gather in the town's field square to compete, and there is a gorgeous parade before the race.
The horses and knights in the race will wear different colors of clothing to represent the different neighborhoods of Siena, and then make their appearances around the square. If the rider is unlucky enough to fall off his horse, his race is over. The whole exciting horse race usually lasts just 90 seconds.
In addition to horse racing, there are also grand scenes such as costume parades, which attract many tourists every year. The last time the Siena Horse Racing Festival was cancelled was during World War II from 1939 to 1944.
The craziest horse racing festival
The origin of the Siena Horse Racing Festival is different. According to the earliest written records, it began in the 11th century AD, originally to commemorate the city's sacrifice to protect the Virgin Mary. But the most recognized of most sources begins in 1200 AD. The rules of horse racing evolved several times until 1729, when they were fixed and formed to their current size. The official Race Of Races is held twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August.
According to the rules of the Horse Racing Festival, only 10 of siena's 17 residential areas can participate in the competition at a time, of which the remaining 3 teams are temporarily determined by lottery except for the 7 teams that failed to participate in the rotation last year.
Jockeys are selected by various teams, most of whom are professional jockeys recruited from Sardinia at great expense. The horses are recommended by local horse breeders, then carefully inspected by a veterinarian appointed by the municipality, and then strictly selected by a special committee, and finally 10 horses are selected, and the teams are assigned by lottery 3 days before the race. In general, jockeys and horse racing, once determined, cannot be changed at will.
Italian Horse Racing Festival Performances: Tickets range from €170 to €400.
It is very exciting that all jockeys do not have saddles at the official race, which also increases the difficulty and complexity of the race to some extent.
Official competitions are usually held in the evening, but before that, costumed parades sent by various neighborhoods hold an hour-and-a-half theatrical performance. Beginning at 5 p.m., nearly 100 marchers, drummers, trumpeters and flag bearers dressed in various costumes of the 15th century from the various neighborhoods set off from the Cathedral Square in the downtown area and detoured to the Cambo Fan Square in the city center. At this time, the square, which usually only accommodates 70,000 spectators, has long been crowded with onlookers. People can admire the flag being blown by the wind, the image of the fierce and brave soldiers of ancient Rome, and the expression of ancient noble knights holding spears and short swords.
The official race is usually held at 7:30, and as the salute sounds, the horse races under the jockey's eating and drinking, like an arrow off the string, competing to break free of the starting line... The reporter found that each jockey participating in the competition held a whip of more than 1 meter long in his hand in an attempt to obstruct his opponent, which is rare in the general racecourse. It turns out that it is the rules of the game here that allow jockeys to use various means to defeat opponents.
As a result, the residential areas are free to form an "offensive and defensive alliance" before the game, and in order to defeat one or some opponents, they take collective action and attack in groups, making the game more exciting. They also follow the "Gentleman's Agreement" - this time you support me, next time I support you, no wonder people cooperate so tacitly! However, the rules of the race also stipulate that even if the jockey is thrown off the horse in the middle, the "headless" horse will win if he runs to the finish line first.
The winner of the contest will receive a pennant painted with an image of the Virgin Mary and the emblems of the various neighbourhoods. On the night of the race, the winning team held a grand celebration, the residents of the district had dinner together, and the jockeys and horses were praised as "guests".
Giovanni, head of the Siena Union Club, told reporters that the reason why the horse racing festival, which is only thousands of meters long and lasts only a few minutes, can maintain its long-term charm is first of all its "mass base".
Siena is the cradle of ancient Italian culture, and the Horse Racing Festival is the symbol of Siena, so watching a horse race is equivalent to knowing Siena. In addition to the municipal government to provide a certain amount of funds every year to support the holding of the horse racing festival, the organizers of the event also invited some national leaders or celebrities from all walks of life to come here to carry out "cultural diplomacy" and "tourism diplomacy", and promoted the implementation of foreign cultural exchange projects.