Horseracing on the golden sands of Sanlúcar.
Every year the beaches of Sanlucar de Barameda in the province of Cádiz come alive with the pounding of hooves as the famous horse races take over the coast.
The 2008 edition of the Sanlucar de Barrameda horse races will take place in two parts. The first round of races will take place on August 12, 13 and 14 with the second round taking place on the 27th, 28th and 29th of August. (Traditionally, the races take place the second and fourth weeks of August from Thursday to Sunday.)
This is a splendid event that attracts people from all over the country and, of course, from beyond Spanish borders as well. It officially dates back to the year 1845 when the the Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos de Sanlucar de Barrameda was formed. However, everyone knows that even before this organisation held its first official races, the event had been staged informally for years by locals who raced the horses used for transporting fish from local ports.
Some time after its beginnings, the Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos de Sanlucar de Barrameda handed this ever more prestigious event over to the town hall for management and it was then included in the town’s summer programme of municipally sponsored events. It became known as one of the most important “fiestas” in the region.
Then, in 1981, the Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos de Sanlucar reformed and took back the reigns of the annual races. According to reports, the event is now better organised than ever. What’s more, the Sanlucar Horse Races are now part of a national series of equine events that include Madrid, San Sebastian and Seville.
Jockey and his thoroughbred, Sanlúcar.
Now the Sanlucar de Barrameda races attract horses and riders from all over Europe. This is not surprising as the stakes are high with total prize monies running between 2 and 3 million euros. Per race winnings run from a few hundred to up to 10,000 euros as of 2008.
Should you with to experience the Sanlucar races live, be sure to book your hotel well in advance and get to the beach as early as possible to stake out a good place for an exciting event held at a unique venue that begins at 6:00 in the evening.
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