Next: 1 May 2027
Fête des Gardians
On the first of May the mounted cattle herders of the Camargue ride through Arles, with a Mass, games and courses camarguaises.
Cattle at Fête des Gardians
The gardians are the mounted herdsmen of the Camargue, the delta of the Rhône, who look after its free-ranging black cattle and white horses. Their brotherhood, the Confrérie des Gardians, was founded in 1512, and on 1 May they ride into Arles in their black hats and velvet jackets with their partners riding pillion in the costume of Arles. After a Mass and a blessing, there are games of horsemanship in the Roman arena and a course camarguaise, in which young raseteurs try to snatch rosettes and strings from between a bull's horns. In this form of bull game the animal is not killed, and the most skilful bulls become local stars.
Also part of it, and being written: Raço di Biòu (The black Camargue bull of the course camarguaise.).
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Gardian" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.