Sardinian Sa Pariglia: 5 facts about the spectacular acrobatic horse rides

Attending Sa Pariglia is a truly adrenaline-filled experience to fully enjoy the greatness of the most authentic and picturesque Sardinia, a whirlwind of emotions that accompanies each spectator to the frenetic rhythm of the horses hooves running at a gallop and the breathtaking acrobatics performed by the riders.

This particular circus-like horse ride is usually performed by a couple or trio of expert riders, with strong athletic and acrobatic skills and great dexterity, therefore capable of knowing how to lead their animals excellently on the path and at the same time put into practice surprising maneuvers and figures at high speed.

A characteristic of the Sardinian Sa Pariglia also concerns the aesthetics of the equestrian show, an important factor that gives each ride unique sensations and peculiarities related to the local traditions of each province and town. In fact, in their harmonious and reckless performance, horses and jockeys proudly wear clothes and accessories of Sardinian folklore and tradition rich in colors and details.

Respectively, the horses usually wear embroidered harnesses embellished with cockades, while the riders often show off masks and wonderful traditional costumes, especially for Sa Pariglia races at Carnival time, a very popular festival here in Sardinia.

Do you want to know more about the world of Sardinian Sa Pariglia? Here are 5 interesting facts!

Just like many traditions of the culture of Sardinia (and not only) the origins of Sardinian Sa Pariglia can be traced back a long way in time, to a remote era of which we retain a more romantic and folkloric memory than a purely historical one.

Let's get back about a millennium ago, in the heart of the middle ages after the year 1000, and in particular in the following century with the beginning of the Crusades, when the custom of military tournaments began to spread throughout Europe as an opportunity for leisure and entertainment for the population, but also for training future knights.

In the beginnings these chivalric jousts were held as equestrian races combined with sword or lance combat, but then there was a progressive abandonment of the military nature of the games - while maintaining the use of weapons as tools to hit puppets or other objects midair - until the complete transformation of Sa Pariglia into real artistic shows (around 1500’s) focused exclusively on riders’ acrobatic skills and galloping dexterity.

Over the most recent centuries, Sardinian Sa Pariglia have come down to today in the guise of traditional parades and acrobatic horse rides closely related to the celebration of sacred and profane festivals, representing for both citizens and tourists one of the most fascinating and engaging folkloric traits of Sardinia.

The folk tradition of Sardinian Sa Pariglia has spread over the centuries throughout the island, acquiring different characteristics, values and meanings depending on the local culture of each province, city or village. In this regard, it is necessary to talk about the most freaking race in Sardinia: Sartiglia of Oristano.

In fact, while Sa Pariglia generically indicates any equestrian artistic performance of a predominantly acrobatic nature, Sartiglia is a particular horseback joust typical of the historic capital of the Giudicato of Arborea which still today keeps alive the tradition of medieval chivalric tournaments.

Held on Shrove Tuesday and the last Sunday of Carnival, Sartiglia is indeed an event of great historical and cultural relevance for the city of Oristano (officially occurred for the first time in 1546 according to the oldest reliable historical sources) which includes the spectacular Corsa alla Stella (Race to the Star) - a real old-fashioned joust, of course wearing masks and ostentatious traditional costumes, where the galloping riders must hit a steel star hanging midair with their sword - followed by the colorful and crazy acrobatic Sa Pariglia.

Speaking of acrobatics, a key element in Sardinian Sa Pariglia, it's time to discover the most spectacular maneuvers and formations performed by the galloping riders.

- Two by Two, Sa Pariglia in duo where the two riders stay balanced standing on the saddles of their horses and support each other throughout the ride;

- Bridge, Sa Pariglia in trio where two sitting riders support a third one who stretches out on their shoulders;

- Stick, Sa Pariglia in trio where two sitting riders support a third one standing on their shoulders, using as the only point of support a long stick held high by his companions;

- Handstand, Sa Pariglia in trio where two sitting riders support a third one on their shoulders while he performs a handstand, remaining upside down with his legs pointing upwards;

- Sa Sedda, Sa Pariglia in trio where the two external riders of the formation remove the saddles from their horse and, leaning on their partner in the middle while remaining balanced standing on the backs of their horses in the race, show them to the public.

Another noteworthy event related to the world of Sardinian Sa Pariglia is the Corsa a S’Ischiglia (S’Ischiglia race) which takes place in the village of Bonorva, in the province of Sassari, in particular at the end of the Carnival celebrations - considered one of the most beautiful and fun in Sardinia - in the so-called days of pentolaccia, that is the weekend following Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent.

In addition to the clear religious value attributed to the celebration of Sa Pariglia in Bonorva, S’Ischiglia also emphasizes in a very important way the ancient agricultural tradition of the village, historically famous even as the “wheat belt of Sardinia” for the quantity and quality of wheat production in the fertile Santa Lucia Plains.

One of the key characters of Sa Pariglia in Bonorva is Su Asone de Carrasegare, the one who once had the role of guiding horses in the practice of threshing. On Saturday morning, he is the one who kicks off the celebrations with a greeting to the mayor and the delivery of the green and blue banner of Bonorva, before the picturesque inaugural parade of horses and jockeys (dressed in elegant traditional clothes, but without masks) accompanied by flags, trumpets and drums, followed by the spectacular acrobatic races of Asone and his riders.

On Sunday it’s the moment for Corsa a S’Ischiglia di Bonorva, a joust that recalls the dynamics of the Sartiglia of Oristano, where riders must hit and ring a bell - called indeed s’ischiglia in Sardinian language - attached to a ribbon.

Although the Sardinian Sa Pariglia are folkloric events mainly bound to religious festivities such as Carnival, or at any rate inspired by ancient agricultural rituals for good omen to be carried out between the end of winter and the arrival of spring, they really also find space in other moments in the calendar.

One of the most significant examples is Cavalcata Sarda (Sardinian Horse Ride), considered one the most important cultural events in Sardinia. It takes place in Sassari on a Sunday usually in late May or early June, and consists of a long horseback parade of folkloric groups from all over the island, obviously all wearing traditional costumes, followed by the unique acrobatic Sa Pariglia at the town’s hippodrome.

Cavalcata Sarda as we know it today was officially established only in 1951, but most likely traces its origins back to 1711 when the town council invited local nobility to pay homage to the King of Spain, an event then repeated in a more modern key in 1899 when the city paid homage to King Umberto I of Savoy and Queen Margherita visiting Sassari.

In the heat of summer, anyway, an unmissable event for those who love acrobatic horse rides is the adrenaline-filled Sa Pariglia Regional Festival which takes place every year in July in the town of Ovodda, in the province of Nuoro, an event that since the ‘90s enhances and promotes this extraordinary cultural tradition that mixes sacred and profane, past and present, risk and entertainment.