Jul

9

Is this the ultimate contest of strength? The incredible wrestling matches …

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By
Paul Milligan


PUBLISHED:

20:50 GMT, 9 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

10:39 GMT, 10 July 2012

The annual Rapa das Bestas festival in Spain is not for the faint-hearted, as it pits man against horse in an incredible wrestling match.

The 400-year old tradition of Rapa das Bestas, which translates as ‘cropping the beasts’, sees locals attempt to wrestle wild horses to the ground, before cropping their manes.  

The horses come from the mountains of Galicia, in the northwestern region of Spain, and are rounded up so that the locals can clip their manes and tails and brand the foals.

Aloitadores struggle with a wild horse during the 400-year-old horse festival in Spain called 'Rapa das bestas'

Aloitadores struggle with a wild horse during the 400-year-old horse festival in Spain called ‘Rapa das bestas’

The festival sees locals from northern Spain wrestle wild horses to the ground in order to cut their manes

The festival sees locals from northern Spain wrestle wild horses to the ground in order to cut their manes

The aloitadores go in packs of three - one who gets on the horse's back, another who takes hold of the neck, and a third to take the tail

The aloitadores go in packs of three – one who gets on the horse’s back, another who takes hold of the neck, and a third to take the tail

The most famous event is the three-day festival held in the village of San Lorenzo de Sabucedo, where the use of nothing but hands, no tools or ropes, is permitted.

The festival has been condemned by animal rights groups, but locals have defended the festival saying it provides an opportunity to see to the needs of animals that are ill or infected by parasites.

It takes three men (known as ‘aloitadores’) to manage each horse: One who gets on the horse’s back; another who takes hold of the neck; and a third to take the tail.

As if the process wasn't a difficult enough test of human strength, the horses in 'Rapa das bestas' are wild and untamed

As if the process wasn’t a difficult enough test of human strength, the horses in ‘Rapa das bestas’ are wild and untamed

The three-day festival takes places every July, and dates back more than 400 years

The three-day festival takes places every July, and dates back more than 400 years

Hundreds of wild horses are rounded up from the mountains to be trimmed and marked. Some more successfully than others.

Hundreds of wild horses are rounded up from the mountains to be trimmed and marked. Some more successfully than others.

They then wrestle the horse to the floor in order to shear its hair to stop it from overheating during the hotter months or brand it if it is a younger horse that has not previously been tagged.

The festival begins on the first Saturday in July, and starts with an early morning mass, prior to the herders heading off at 7am, and goes on into the Monday.

Both locals and tourists are permitted to go in search of the horses and bring them down to the village, although only locals are allowed to be aloitadores.

On the final day the horses are herded back into the mountains, where they are allowed to roam freely for the rest of the year.

The dangerous nature of the event is added to as wild horses often turn on each other and attack, with no regard for who is nearby

The dangerous nature of the event is added to as wild horses often turn on each other and attack, with no regard for who is nearby

After the festival is over the wild horses are returned, trimmed and marked, to the mountains to roam free

After the festival is over the wild horses are returned, trimmed and marked, to the mountains to roam free

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The Spanish are vile, horrible people, those poor horses look terrified!

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That is repulsive the looks on their faces, absolute agony. Give me the chance to wrestle these clowns these irresponsible brutes, and ill make em pay see how they like a taste of there own medicine……I doubt there would be a shortage of people volunteering to along side me.

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The Spanish are as cruel as the Chinese it seems. I’m totally disgusted with these vile people and have no more sympathy for their present financial plight. I hope they all starve!

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“Where is Peta or the ASCPA? – Kat, Seattle, 10/7/2012 17:01 ASPCA? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? Kat my dear, contrary to what you are told over there in your country, the yanks have no jurisdiction in the rest of the world.” – Fenwoman, Wisbech, England, 10/7/2012 17:50 Way to miss the point. What a condescending snot.

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Bull fighting.
Throwing donkeys off church towers.
The King shoots elephants.
Horses being wrestled to the ground.
What a delightful race of people!

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Seriously, what the hell is wrong with Spain? They treat their animals appallingly!! I will definitely not be visiting this country again. Sick.

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What is wrong with Spaniards. Barbaric people.

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Where is Peta or the ASCPA?
– Kat, Seattle, 10/7/2012 17:01
ASPCA? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? Kat my dear, contrary to what you are told over there in your country, the yanks have no jurisdiction in the rest of the world.

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Things like this happen all over the world…Texas for instance.
Spain has bad animal cruelty but so does every other country, the difference is Spain does not hide it.
It is on full public display daily.
None of it is right but instead of just making jibes at Spain do something to end cruelty everywhere.

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A strange breed and I don’t mean the horses

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