The Festival of San Juan at Ferreries

Since we missed the horses at the Festival of San Juan in San Climente, we decided as a group to go to Ferreries the following Friday to see the horses there. We took the bus and arrived around 7, just in time to see the parade of the horses go by. After hanging out and seeing the sights for a couple of hours, it was finally time for the horse lifting to begin.

It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. The group was standing in the middle of the square, which was packed with people. The band started playing, and all of a sudden, two Andalusians (with riders) come bolting through the crowd. Not expecting this, we all scattered. From the fringes of the throng I watched as the horses would rear up, and the people would literally carry them for 10 or 20 feet before setting them down again. Each pair of horses was lifted several times before exiting the square for the next pair to take their place.

Only one rider fell off, and he was able to get back on. It's not uncommon for people to get hurt, though. I don't know the origins of the festival. Apparently it's only something done in Menorca. Had I to guess, I would say that it derives from military training, but I don't actually know. I'm glad I got to witness it, however, since I doubt I will ever see anything like that in my life again.