The Mayor of Calasparra, Jose Velez, has already announced that the “vereda” (herdsmen on horseback bringing animals in from pastures) last Saturday will be a regular feature of the September fiestas here in Calasparra.
The move follows the great success of the Vereda, which attracted large crowds and more than 100 horseback riders from Moratalla, Caravaca, Elche de la Sierra, Hellín, Socovos and Calasparra.
A heavy mist hung over the Sierra del San Miguel at 8am on Saturday but this did not deter either the spectators, who were already lining the route, or the riders.
The mist hung around for much of the morning but the riders were in no hurry and made two stops between the pastures, in the Lllano de la Traviesa” and the end of the footpath alongside the Tanatoria (chapel of rest).
They eventually arrived at the Tanatoria at 10am where a large crowd was waiting and many more spectators lined the six kilometer route from the pastures to the corrals.
The more than 100 riders, cows and oxen made a grand spectacular as they passed through the Sierra and on through the town and there were no incidents or accidents reported.
THE VEREDA ENCIERRO
A 57 year old Calasparrian was gored in his knee during the Vereda Encierro in the Calle Poeta Miguel Hernández.
He was watching the run from behind the barriers when one of the heifers gored his leg through the gap between the slats.
He suffered a 10 centimeter in his left knee which was treated in the field hospital before he was transferred to the hospital in Caravaca.
There were no more incidents in the run, which lasted for two minutes and 48 seconds.
