Grandad of Races

Begun in Medieval times, the annual horse race between various contradae (districts) in the Northern Italian city of Siena is full of pomp, pageantry, and tradition. The various contradae try to outdo each other with colorful costumes and enthusiastic partisan support. The mounts are not pedigree thoroughbreds but home-grown Barbary horses and the jockeys' whips are not only for their horses but each other. Although the circular course is only ¾ mile, the cobblestoned surface of the Piazza del Campo is full of uneven twists and rises, and before the exciting race is over, many of the horses will cross the finish line riderless.