Horse wrestling in Spain

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Hundreds of horses are wrestled to the ground in northwest Spain as part of a traditional festival, on June 14, 2020 (VCG)

The Rapa das Bestas or “Shearing of the Beasts” festival in Sabucedo, Spain has begun. This annual tradition has taken place for 400 years as young people divide into the mountains to search for wild horses that they then bring back to the village.

Then they all cut the horses’ manes using complicated maneuvers.

After the shearing, people gather for food, music, and wine.

Rapa Das Bestas” or “The Shearing of the Beasts” is a 400-year-old Spanish traditional festival, which used to be an annual occasion for horses to be checked for diseases and shaved so they are cool during the hot summer. (VCG)

During the festival, men and women alike will wrestle the untamed horses with their bare hands. /VCG
Horses are trimmed and marked during the festival. /VCG
Hundreds of horses are wrestled to the ground in northwest Spain as part of a traditional festival, on June 14, 2020. (VCG)

Horses are trimmed and marked during the festival. (VCG)