Part of the show of Luis Valença's Centro Equestre da Lezíria Grande, incorporating classical riding, traditional horse sports, folk dancing, music and light.
Mounted bullfighting demonstration, with traditional attire and the tourinha training device.
High school demonstration - the Levade.
Ares altos - the Capriolle. That's Luis Valença to the left.
Spanish walk on long reins.
The Centro Equestre da Lezíria Grande's Carrocel - including a very horny stallion that quite caught the crowd's attention :)!
The stallion in question is the first one to the right. A lot of laughing at his expenses :)!
The end of the show with Luis Valença's grandchildren, little more than toddlers, parading in full formal dress through a "honour guard" of students from the centre, promising to keep the tradition alive for generations to come!
Golegã's nights are kept alive with the sound of hoof falls on the village's cobblestone streets.
The village's picadeiro, recently recovered.
No comments :)!
At one point I visited a small house near the centre of the village where a dozen Lusitano stallions were kept for the duration of the fair. As you can see, the standing stalls had been improvised out of poles and rope, and the space was originally intended as a storage shed with a normal "human" width door and a couple of steps. This was one of two similarly adapted sheds around a small inside courtyard. We were so cold that while we talked each chose his own horse and snuggled up against him for warmth :)!
Father & son.
Picadores of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art walking around the fair on their traditional outfit.
I have a thing for Isabela coloured horses. Specially the expressive blue eyes!
