Every year in May Jerez holds its annual horse fair. I and some of my friends went on an excursion by coach, with some Spanish friends.
(Jerez is a city east of Cádiz and is pronounced Hereth. Apart from the horse fair, it is famous for making Sherry.)
The fair is held in a big plaza laid out as a double cross of roads. There are two lanes going up each leg of the crosses and a turning circle at the end to allow the horses and carriages to come back to the center of the cross down the other lane. Along both sides of the lanes are casetas, which are large temporary tents with bars in them. Some have flamenco dancing, some are for eating, some are just places to meet friends and have a drink.
The carriages, or enganchas, are a sight to see. They were the Rolls Royce’s or BMW´s of the 19th century, signifying money, power and style.. They are on show here and are judged for dress, control, authenticity and elegance. The carriages parade up and down the plaza with people walking in between the horses and carriages….. But if you touch one of the carriages with your hand one of the coachmen will jump out of the carriage and clean off your hand print with a duster. Believe me, you can shave looking into the reflection from the enamel on these carriages
In the years that I have been here I have seen the Jerez horse fair maybe four times. There is some serious money here. Maintaining an engancha, plus the annual upkeep of the two, three, four or five horses needed to pull it, as well as the transport to get it all here for the feria. Adding in the cost of the costumes, the drinks, and food, the total must be tens of thousands of euros.
I watched one day as the enganchas had finished their parade and people were just milling around walking from one caseta to another. There was flamenco music playing everywhere.
A young man was exercising his horse along one of the carriageways. He was making it high step and sidestep in a typical show of Spanish horsemanship. He was dressed in a black traditional costume with the typical flat rimmed hat. He looked every inch the son of a nobleman.
Walking down the carriageway in the opposite direction were a group of young girls dressed in traditional Romaria dresses. (Trajes)
There were perhaps six of them, but one was a stunner. She was so beautiful that the boy on the horse was transfixed. He rode past them, prancing and high stepping his horse, whilst he had a good look at the girl he liked.
The girls walked by and the boy swung his horse around behind them. He galloped to overtake them and then turned to face them and reigned in his horse in front of the girls.
Whilst all this had been going on, all the casetas lining the plaza had gone silent. Maybe a hundred people were watching what was going on. They had noticed the young man and knew what was on his mind.
As he reigned his horse to a standstill he dismounted and in one flowing motion, removed his hat, went down on one knee, then gently took the girl’s hand and raised it to his lips.
The arena erupted in applause and cheering.
That was the best ever chat up line I have ever seen.
The Casetas sometimes are for private groups, Others are free to all comers. Music, dancing and drinking are the days events. My friends and I were drinking Manzanilla, one of Jerez´s finest sherries. When the horses are fed and resting, their owners come out to play. This is when the feria takes off. The lights over the avenues come on and it´s like a fairytale.
By now I was a little giddy with Manzanilla and was invited to dance with some of the Spanish friends we had travelled with. Later when I was watching the dancing I spotted some very attractive girls dancing together. Thinking that this would make a good painting. I moved to take my photo when a head moved in the way, I stepped around the head and tried again and the head moved back in the way. I lowered the camera and a young man was looking at me. I explained that I wanted to take a photo of the girl and he explained that this girl was his girlfriend and I should go take a photograph somewhere else. Ah, well.
On the bus ride back to Olvera I slept the whole way.
(Jerez is a city east of Cádiz and is pronounced Hereth. Apart from the horse fair, it is famous for making Sherry.)
The fair is held in a big plaza laid out as a double cross of roads. There are two lanes going up each leg of the crosses and a turning circle at the end to allow the horses and carriages to come back to the center of the cross down the other lane. Along both sides of the lanes are casetas, which are large temporary tents with bars in them. Some have flamenco dancing, some are for eating, some are just places to meet friends and have a drink.
The carriages, or enganchas, are a sight to see. They were the Rolls Royce’s or BMW´s of the 19th century, signifying money, power and style.. They are on show here and are judged for dress, control, authenticity and elegance. The carriages parade up and down the plaza with people walking in between the horses and carriages….. But if you touch one of the carriages with your hand one of the coachmen will jump out of the carriage and clean off your hand print with a duster. Believe me, you can shave looking into the reflection from the enamel on these carriages
In the years that I have been here I have seen the Jerez horse fair maybe four times. There is some serious money here. Maintaining an engancha, plus the annual upkeep of the two, three, four or five horses needed to pull it, as well as the transport to get it all here for the feria. Adding in the cost of the costumes, the drinks, and food, the total must be tens of thousands of euros.
I watched one day as the enganchas had finished their parade and people were just milling around walking from one caseta to another. There was flamenco music playing everywhere.
A young man was exercising his horse along one of the carriageways. He was making it high step and sidestep in a typical show of Spanish horsemanship. He was dressed in a black traditional costume with the typical flat rimmed hat. He looked every inch the son of a nobleman.
Walking down the carriageway in the opposite direction were a group of young girls dressed in traditional Romaria dresses. (Trajes)
There were perhaps six of them, but one was a stunner. She was so beautiful that the boy on the horse was transfixed. He rode past them, prancing and high stepping his horse, whilst he had a good look at the girl he liked.
The girls walked by and the boy swung his horse around behind them. He galloped to overtake them and then turned to face them and reigned in his horse in front of the girls.
Whilst all this had been going on, all the casetas lining the plaza had gone silent. Maybe a hundred people were watching what was going on. They had noticed the young man and knew what was on his mind.
As he reigned his horse to a standstill he dismounted and in one flowing motion, removed his hat, went down on one knee, then gently took the girl’s hand and raised it to his lips.
The arena erupted in applause and cheering.
That was the best ever chat up line I have ever seen.
The Casetas sometimes are for private groups, Others are free to all comers. Music, dancing and drinking are the days events. My friends and I were drinking Manzanilla, one of Jerez´s finest sherries. When the horses are fed and resting, their owners come out to play. This is when the feria takes off. The lights over the avenues come on and it´s like a fairytale.
By now I was a little giddy with Manzanilla and was invited to dance with some of the Spanish friends we had travelled with. Later when I was watching the dancing I spotted some very attractive girls dancing together. Thinking that this would make a good painting. I moved to take my photo when a head moved in the way, I stepped around the head and tried again and the head moved back in the way. I lowered the camera and a young man was looking at me. I explained that I wanted to take a photo of the girl and he explained that this girl was his girlfriend and I should go take a photograph somewhere else. Ah, well.
On the bus ride back to Olvera I slept the whole way.
