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Spain’s Rapa das Bestas, the Shearing of the Beasts Festival

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Every year thousands of tourists arrive to the Galician village of Sabucedo to participate in the 400-year-old festival 'Rapa das bestas', the Shearing of the Beasts. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
in Our World, on the 8th of July 2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382107
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Residents heading to the mountains above the village to search for herds of wild horses for Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Residents heading to the mountains above the village to search for herds of wild horses for Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382071
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Press accompanies Sabucedo residents during their search in the mountains above the village for herds of wild horses for 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of beasts festival). Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Press accompanies Sabucedo residents during their search in the mountains above the village for herds of wild horses for 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of beasts festival). Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382072
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Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382074
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Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382078
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Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382080
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Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382084
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Herds of wild horses run free in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Herds of wild horses run free in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382086
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A herd of wild horses is being chased by the 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A herd of wild horses is being chased by the "aloitadores" (fighters) in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382088
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The spectators present at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, await under the sun for the event to begin. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

The spectators present at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, await under the sun for the event to begin. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382091
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Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382093
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Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382098
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Hundreds of wild horses await at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival to be marked and their mane trimmed. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Hundreds of wild horses await at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival to be marked and their mane trimmed. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382100
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Spectators observe two rampant horses fight at the Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spectators observe two rampant horses fight at the Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382101
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An 'aloitador' struggles through the heard of wild horses holding a child before Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts) a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

An 'aloitador' struggles through the heard of wild horses holding a child before Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts) a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382102
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Spanish 'aloitadores' remove a foal from the heard of wild horses before the 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spanish 'aloitadores' remove a foal from the heard of wild horses before the 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382103
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A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382104
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Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382105
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Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382106
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A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382108
More Info
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles through a herd of wild horses in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles through a herd of wild horses in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382110
More Info
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382111
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A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

ID: 382113
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Every year thousands of tourists arrive to the Galician village of Sabucedo (Spain) to participate in the 400-year-old festival 'Rapa das bestas', the Shearing of the Beasts. Several hundreds of wild horses are rounded up from the nearby mountains and put into the village’s pen to be marked and their mane and tails trimmed. This taming tradition unfolds throughout many villages of Galicia June onwards, till the end of summer.

The very day of the Shearing, at 6:30am a religious service is offered in Sabucedo’s parish church to request St. Lawrence’s blessing, right before most experienced stockbreeders march on foot or on horseback into the mountains -this time covered with thick haze- to find and round up wild herds of horses.

Animals are driven down to the village pen where they are locked till the shearing begins in ‘O Curro’ a traditional corral, right in the middle of Sabucedo. Despite the soccer World Cup quarter finals game between Spain and Paraguay, scheduled to coincide with the ceremony, the ‘aloitadores’, people who grapple with the animals, keep their complete focus on the age-old tradition, to subdue the horses in order to have their mane and tails trimmed.

Before the shearing begins, pregnant animals, fouls and colts are separated from the rest of the herd to avoid any risks; while those that remain do not suffer any harm and are released in wild, having been groomed and cleaned.

A Estrada, aloitador, aloitadores, Animal Cruelty, Animal-Related Occupation, Animals, Arts & Entertainment, Arts Culture and Entertainment, Beasts, Bestas, color image, colour image, Estrada, festival, Galicia, horse, Human Interest, Landscape, mane, mountain, people, Rapa, Rapa das Bestas, Sabucedo, Santiago, Shearing, Shearing of the Beasts, spain, Spanish, struggle, Tradition, Trim, Trying, wild, Animal Protection, Festival, Mountain, Places, Our world, Politics, Society

Comment

Thanks, Biniam! See you on

Submitted by Ervin Sarkisov on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 17:30.

Thanks, Biniam! See you on sunday near Santiago Bernabeu! Cheers

Hi Ervin,how you doing?The

Submitted by Biniam Ghezai on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 17:18.

Hi Ervin,how you doing?The story you selected is very intresting and well done with the images.

Thanx Juliette, Law, Wais! I

Submitted by Ervin Sarkisov on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 17:03.

Thanx Juliette, Law, Wais! I enjoyed the trip very much, cheers!

These are beautiful pictures!

Submitted by Juliette Atkinson on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 11:24.

These are beautiful pictures!

Wow Ervin!! You really have

Submitted by Lawrence JC Baron on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 11:02.

Wow Ervin!! You really have the exclusive of the day!! Great stuff.

Absolutely stunning!

Submitted by Wais B on Thu, 08/07/2010 - 10:46.

Absolutely stunning!

Posted by:

Self-taught, my first photographs were shot using a Zenit 35mm Russian camera while still being a secondary school student, m... Read more.

A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Residents heading to the mountains above the village to search for herds of wild horses for Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Press accompanies Sabucedo residents during their search in the mountains above the village for herds of wild horses for 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of beasts festival). Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo mountains in mist, as villagers are search for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the village mountains, searching in the haze for herds of wild horses to be taken to Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Herds of wild horses run free in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A herd of wild horses is being chased by the 'aloitadores' (fighters) in the mountains of the village of Sabucedo during the Rapa Das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
The spectators present at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, await under the sun for the event to begin. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spectators at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival, observe some 200 wild horses brought together before the event begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Hundreds of wild horses await at Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival to be marked and their mane trimmed. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spectators observe two rampant horses fight at the Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
An 'aloitador' struggles through the heard of wild horses holding a child before Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts) a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spanish 'aloitadores' remove a foal from the heard of wild horses before the 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival begins. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
Spanish 'aloitadores' (fighters) struggle with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles through a herd of wild horses in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010
A Spanish 'aloitador' struggles with a wild horse in Sabucedo's 'Rapa das bestas' (Shearing of the Beasts), a 400-year-old traditional festival. Sabucedo, Spain. 04/07/2010

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