Spain 2019. Minorca horses

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2019-09-10-Spain-Balearic-Island-Minorca-Ciutadella-Traffic-Transport-Roundabout-Moped-Senior-Citizen-Art-Sculpture-Rising-Horse-Bot.JPG
Spain. Balearic Islands. Minorca (Menorca). Ciutadella. An elderly man rides his moped on a traffic roundabout. He is wearing an orange helmet and drives by a bronze sculpture of a rising Menorquín horse. The Menorquín is a breed of horse indigenous to the island and is closely associated with the doma menorquina style of riding. The most valued quality of Menorquín horse is its suitability for the traditional festivals of Menorca. Horses and riders are usually at the centre of local fiesta celebrations. Riders pass through the crowds, executing caracoles and repeatedly performing the bot. The aim of the ‘bot’ is for the horse to stand on its hind legs while keeping its head and shoulders relaxed and without tension; the more often it is performed and the greater the distance travelled, the greater the applause of the crowd. The elevade, in which the horse beats the air with the front hooves, is also a part of the ritual of the fiesta. Ciutadella de Menorca or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipality located in the western end of the island, which is part of the autonomous community of the Balearic. In Spain, an autonomous community is a first-level political and administrative division, created in accordance with the Spanish constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy of the nationalities and regions that make up Spain. 10.09.2019 © 2019 Didier Ruef