WHITE BEAUTIES
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No doubt they would have thwarted the laws of
apartheid. For the celebrated white horses of the Camargue, that vast delta
region in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of southern France, are actually a
grayish-brown colour when they are born - their change in pigmentation taking
some five years to complete. Famed for its marshes and shallow lagoons that
dwindle in the Mediterranean sun, the Camargue has been host both to roaming
herds of wild horses and bulls since time immemorial. And despite France’s
long-standing ranking as the most popular holiday destination amongst Britons,
the entire area remains both sparsely populated and relatively unspoiled - a not
insignificant proportion of visitors gypsies on their annual pilgrimage to the
picturesque town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer during the month of May.
" I began working with the horses and
bulls when I was 16 years old", recalls Jacques Espelly, now aged 78, and
whose weathered, wrinkled face is ample testimony to over a half century’s work
out in the rain, wind and sun. "My son Christian has taken over now - but
I still help out several times a week. Couldn’t do otherwise - these animals
are in my blood."
The Espellys are the epitome of Thatcherism a
la francaise - a philosophy which is of increasing appeal in Chirac’s
France - in that they succeeded in making the transformation from gardian
(worker) to manadier (herd-owner) upon the demise of the legendary
Fanfonne-Guillerme, the only woman working with horses and bulls in the whole
of the Languedoc-Roussillon. Their manade (herd) now comprises 250 head
of cattle, the best bulls being used for the course a la cocarde,
perhaps the most poignant symbol of the Camargue tradition, whilst those not
making the grade are earmarked for the abattoir.
A highly intelligent animal, the Camargue
horse was only officially recognized as a distinct breed in 1978, even though
it bears an uncanny resemblance to the ancient caveman drawings discovered in
Lascaux. Docile, cooperative and willing, the white horses of the Camargue are
the gardian’s friend throughout the year - from fete time during July,
August and September to the cooler months when the area is swept by the mistral,
the powerful cold northern wind that blows down the Rhone Valley.
"I actually trained as a computer
engineer", Jacques’s son Christian reveals, "but I gave it all up a
few years ago to come and work here when my father retired. Its a tough old
life though. It is les fetes, mind you, which keep us busy almost every
day during the summer months. Some of our bulls are very much in demand with
particular villages - the more aggressive the better, that’s what the
organizers say, the object being to frighten the wits out of everyone. Pelo is
our star attraction at the moment. But our horses always accompany us on these
outings, just as they do throughout the year. They are to us what sheepdogs are
to farmers.
About eighteen months ago Christian Espelly
had reason to spend some time pondering whether or not his career move away
from the world of computers and back to his roots in the Camargue was a wise
one - in that he spent several weeks recovering in hospital having received a
15 centimeter bull’s horn right up his backside. And not just up his backside -
the wound was so deep that it almost emerged through his stomach, although
fortunately none of his vital organs were affected.
"It was my fault entirely", he
admits with Gallic resignation, "I had my back turned when I should not
have done. In any case he had every reason not to be best pleased with me on
account of my having just castrated him - and so I guess he figured he would
get even.
"We don’t go in for la mise au mort,
as they do in Spain, although there are places not far from here - Arles,
Beziers and Nimes - where that does take place. To me that seems to be rather
brutal and unnecessary, although I am a little reluctant to criticize it since
it is deeply embedded in our culture - just as hunting is in England."
The conquest of the Camargue only began at
the end of the nineteenth century with the appearance of vineyards, followed by
forage crops and grains, which included the growing of rice in what proved to
be a costly attempt to meet national demand after the second world war. But the
appeal of the Camargue only really began in the 1950s, following the
publication of a book by Cremblin which introduced the French working man -
only just familiarizing himself to the concept of paid holidays - to an area of
outstanding natural beauty, and with a growing reputation as a haven for
protecting endangered wildlife such as the pink flamingo.
"The summer season of les fetes is
really what keeps us ticking over financially for the rest of the year",
Christian Espelly admits. "It is to us what Christmas is for shopkeepers.
The atmosphere of a Camargue bull race is very exciting - with trumpet calls
announcing the arrival of the bulls. There are prizes to be awarded to the young
men if they can successfully remove the rosette-tassels from their horns. I
quite accept that this is a dangerous business - people have been killed trying
to do this in the past - although fortunately not in any events which I have
been responsible for organizing. But that’s our culture down here - the horses
and bulls, sunshine and sea. All in all its not a bad life. I have an eight
year old son Hubert. Recently he told me that one day he would like to follow
in my footsteps and take over the running of the manade. He has gone
horse-mad. I know these are just the words of a young child, who no doubt wants
to emulate his father. But if that’s the way things should turn out - then I
would do everything within my power to ensure that he succeeds.
The main Web site of freelance writer
Jeremy Josephs is at www.jeremyjosephs.com Please check there if you might be interested in
engaging him as a writer.
Many of his articles are available online.
Please check the sitemap
for a complete list.