Shots and the fall of 11 horses. This crazy race is a local Italian tradition
During one of the most important festivals of the year in the Sardinian village of Sedilo, eleven horses fell. Several riders were taken to hospital.
On Saturday afternoon, a serious accident occurred during the traditional s’Ardia horse race in Sedilo, Sardinia. Slow-motion footage shows shots being fired and horses rushing as they began to fall one by one, throwing their riders off their backs. The accident occurred in the first part of the course, as the jockeys were passing through the Su Frontigheddu descent leading to the bend.
Horse racing accident in Sardinia leaves rider with head injury
The event was suspended due to the fall of 11 horses. Several ambulances arrived at the scene, and five riders were taken to hospital. The participant was in the most serious condition, having suffered a head injury. He was taken from the race course by helicopter. Some were treated on the spot for minor bruises. One of the animals almost trampled an event security officer. Local portals do not report on the condition of the animals after the fall. The residents who watched the spectacle in designated areas were not harmed either.
The race leader decided to continue at a more leisurely pace on Saturday, with Mayor Salvatore Pes expressing hope that the following day “the race will be beautiful again and without incident.”
S’Ardia also attracts tourists
Sedilo is a quiet village of about 2,000 inhabitants in the province of Oristano in central Sardinia. S’Ardia, one of the most dangerous traditions on the island, is celebrated here every year on July 6 and 7, in honour of Emperor Constantine I the Great. The tradition refers to the battle fought on October 28, 312, at the Milvian Bridge on the Via Flaminia, where Constantine defeated Maxentius. In the central square of the village, the parish priest officially names three riders as representatives of Christianity. The main rider and the other two symbolically defend the colourful flags of the “pandelas” from the attacks of the other riders, who represent paganism.
“If you think that the traditional cult of the saint in Sardinia is all about processions, flowers and songs, we invite you to discover the S’Ardia in Sedilo, a wild and dangerous horse race in honour of St. Constantine, simply called Santu Antine or Antinu,” the local tourism website encourages.
