Bullfighting and cowboy culture in the Camargue
My husband is a faithful rodeo attendant and never misses a single wagon race. He loves the Calgary Stampede. Every year in July, he dons his cowboy gear for the official 10 days of Stampede and any outlying events. This year he will really miss his favorite event of the year since we won’t be in Calgary. The excellent news, there is no shortage of cowboy culture, horses and bulls in Provence.
The Camargue is located west of Marseille, south of Arles, divided by the Rhône River and bordered by the Mediterranean. This unique landscape is the swampy wetland of the Rhône river delta. The Camargue is big, with 930 square kilometres, of which at least a third is water in the form of lakes or canals. This wild and beautiful landscape has been protected in some way since 1927. In 2008, it was incorporated into the Carmague Regional Nature Park and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is certainly a place worth protecting.
Apart from the water, the Camargue is full of fauna. There are black bulls bred for two purposes; fight and his meat. The landscape is home to a distinctive and powerful white horse. These steeds are a peculiar little breed that have adapted to harsh local conditions for thousands of years. Both the bulls and the horses roam semi-wild through the ranches or herds. There are also many birds, thousands of them, including flocks of pink flamingos.
Like all areas of France, the Camargue can boast a strong local industry built around farming and food production. There are paddy fields that stretch for miles, though production is now a third of what it was in the 1970s. Other grains planted included corn, wheat and canola. On the mainland, there are vineyards and fruit trees. Local fishing and the production of Fleur de Sel (special salt) are also important sources of employment in the region.
What does that have to do with bulls?
Bulls have existed in this swampy area since Roman times. Organized Spanish bullfights (la corrida) were first held in the Arles arena in 1853, although by then the events had been held for over 150 years. The Fairs or fairs are huge attractions in the region, the season runs from mid-March to mid-November, it is known as the bullfighting season. The largest events can attract more than 500,000 spectators. Apart from the bullfight, there are a number of other popular events, which vary in levels of madness.
The course camarguaizes a sport of humble origins as a form of daring game in the yard. It achieved official status in 1975. The goal, of course, at the cocorade is to cut or remove ribbons from a bull’s horns for prize money. The participants are called raseteurs. They need to remove three attributes from the bull to win a prize money. The three elements are, the roundel (a red ribbon attached in the center of the bull’s head), the acorn (two white tufts attached to the horns), and the rope (this is wrapped around a horn and must be removed at the end). . The crowd usually cheers for the bull. Herd owners are extremely proud that their bulls appear at events, and even happier if the animal wins the heat and wins some prize money. This event offers exciting entertainment, with agile cowboys and fast bulls.
Encierros, which is the same Spanish name for the bulls in the streets. This event does not need much explanation. The bulls are released in the narrow streets of the town, with brave or crazy participants running ahead of them. Events in Provence may not be as famous as those in Pampalona in Spain, a seven-day festival held annually from July 6-14. However, the idea of the lockdown is the same with large and powerful mammals running through the streets.
He abrivado an event that was originally related to the herding of bulls from their pastures to the arena. This event has evolved and now the shepherds on horseback deliver the bulls in the populated centers. This ancient practice has continued to gain crowd appeal. Spectators make noises and gestures in an attempt to intimidate the horses, hoping the bullfighter will escape.
Surrounding all this madness are parties, traditional costumes, prizes and lots of cowboy fun.