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Caballos Del Vino – the extraordinary Spanish horse festival of the 'wine horses'

Spring… One of the most beautiful seasons, don’t you think? The days start to get longer, the sun shines gracefully in the sky, flowers bloom, thousands of different smells are in the air and the birds chirp their song. At exactly this time, more precisely in the month of May, the Caballos Del Vino – so the 'wine horses'.

Dear readers, welcome back! In this post we will delve into a festival whose origins can be found in Spanish folk legends. It takes place in Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia) and revolves around a very special type of horse race.

 Read on to learn more:


The historical background of the 'wine horses'

There is no general consensus about the true origin of the festival. The truth is that depending on who you ask, you will hear different versions. What is certain, however, is that this tradition arose sometime in the 13th century, at a time when the area now known as Andalusia was under Muslim control while the rest of Spain was occupied by Christians. Caravaca de la Cruz was a particularly conflict-ridden area, as it was located on the border of El Reino Nazarí de Granada, the emirate under the rule of Mohammed I.

Legend has it that between 1244 and 1310, Caravaca was a fortified city under the control of 'Los Templarios', an order founded to defend and spread Christianity. The myth also says that the city was surrounded by Muslims and that water supplies were running low. A group of brave Templarios decided to embark on a dangerous expedition outside the walls of the fortress to search for more water supplies. Those brave men found no water, but instead plenty of wine. After loading their horses with the wine supplies, they engaged in a fearless race to return to the fortress as quickly as possible. From this legend arose the tradition of the 'wine horses'.

While this story is undoubtedly very intriguing, historians have their doubts about this version of the legend. They generally believe that the origin of the 'wine horses' is in fact related to wine itself. The nobles of the era believed that having their crops blessed by a priest would ensure success for future yields. Therefore, each year they would have their servants drive the horses and samples of that year's wine to nearby churches for the priest to bless. The servants would often engage in heated discussions about which noble house was the best and who owned the most powerful horse.

Both stories could well be the true origin of the 'wine horses', it is up to you to decide what you want to believe.


Decorated and disguised horse Caballos del Vino Blog at Picadera
Photo: Pedro Semitiel via Flickr

The development of the festival

The festival traditionally begins on May 1st. Early in the morning, the horses are paraded through the streets in their natural beauty, without saddles or bridles. The townspeople have the opportunity to admire the beautiful Spanish horses as they trot peacefully through the town. This day also marks the display of the costumes that the horses will wear on the day of the race. These are handmade silk coats embroidered with gold, which can take up to a year to make.

On May 2nd, the 'wine horses' are presented to the spectators again, but this time they are lavishly decorated with feathers and their cloaks. Before the big race, a priest performs a small ceremony in which he blesses the flowers and the wine (sound familiar?). After that, all the participants make their way to the hill of the castle of Caravaca. It is on this hill, also known as La Cuesta del Castillo, that the race takes place. It is a unique competition in which four men must run alongside their horse to the top of the castle. At all times, the participants must be attached to the horse's cloak. If one of the participants lets go of the cloak, the team is disqualified. This means 80 meters of emotion, because the horses run very close to the crowd and the four men running alongside them must control the animal's speed and make sure they are manageable at all times.


The Enjaezamiento Competition

The horse race is over. This means that the animals have calmed down and the four runners have had time to catch their breath. Now it's time to find out which team was the fastest.

Of the more than 20 teams that take part in the competition each year, 10 receive a prize. The selection is made by comparing the time it takes to cover the said 80 meters. Usually, the fastest teams already know their position in advance, as the times are announced after each race. However, when they are officially recognized as the fastest, they celebrate loudly and full of joy along with the crowd.

The most exciting moment of the festival comes with the Enjaezamiento-Contest. In this competition, each team has to vote for the team with the most beautiful and creative coat. This means that each team is part of the jury of the competition!


Decorated and disguised horse Caballos del Vino Blog at Picadera
Photo: Pedro Semitiel via Flickr

This part of the festival has its own history. According to the organizers, the capes looked more or less the same in the 18th century. All had a flag with the holly crucifix and the same color scheme. From the 19th century onwards, the festival changed from a religious ceremony to a popular event. Now anyone could take part in this ceremony and since the participants had different social backgrounds, the capes also became more diverse. People decorated their horses with whatever they had. It could be simple fabrics, leather or even wedding dresses! It was not until 1921 that the first prizes were awarded for the best Enjaezamientos forgive.

The festival of Caballos del Vino is a very unique and down-to-earth event that rewards hard work and perseverance. The festival's organizers have applied to be recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, so it could well be that in a few years this event will be popular all over the world!


All photos used in this article were taken by Pedro Semitiel recorded.


At Picadera there are no Enjaezamientos but a great selection of products to dress up horse and rider in the traditional Spanish style:

Andrea Matesanz
Andrea Matesanz

My name is Andrea Matesanz, I was born in 1999 and I come from Madrid, Spain. Although I grew up in Madrid, most of my family lives in Seville and has strong roots there.

I have been riding since I was 8 and have remained connected to the horse world ever since. I would like to share with you my culture and my love for my country and its traditions.

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