The closing of the Summer Meeting at the Hippodrome Cote d’Azur in Cagnes sur Mer resulted in a colorful evening with the Palio of Friendship as highlight.
More than 3,300 visitors attended the outstanding program of the closing night of the Summer Meeting 2014, on August 23 at the Hippodrome Cote d’Azur, including the second edition of the Palio of Friendship under the effigy the legend trotter Ourasi.
The Palio de l’Amitié
Le Palio Palio de l’Amitié (Palio of Friendship) saw 13 cities cities Côte d’Azur, Italy and Sweden clash in a friendly intercity challenge. Each city was associated with a horse-driver couple wearing its colors. Cities in race: Fermo, Montecatini and Montegiorgio (Italy), Malmö (Sweden), and Biot, Cagnes sur Mer, Grasse, La Gaude, Le Cannet, Mougins, Saint Laurent du Var, Golfe Juan and VilleneuveLoubet. The daily Nice-Matin was also involved with a silk at its colors.
Celebration of horse and friendship
In honor of the Palio of Friendship, the Hippodrome Cote d’Azur was adorned with flags bearing the colors of the participating cities, like it is done in the city of Montegiorgio in Italy. The evening began with a horses parade, opened by the Republican Guard.
Musicians in traditional costumes and 25 flag throwers from Cavalcata del Assunta then marched down the aisles of the Hippodrome. Then, at 21h, in the stands, all the faces were turned to the racetrack, to attend the most anticipated race of the day under the sign of friendship and conviviality, the Palio de l’Amitié.
A 14 horses race
The 14 horses in the race entered the track. The horse-driver couples in the colors of the cities represented then advanced with a majestic gait behind the Autostar. Once the barrier lifted, all rushed in the race and after 2 minutes of running, in the last turn, the city of Vallauris Golfe Juan, represented by the horse Rio Grande driven by Franck Jamard, triumphed.
During the Awards ceremony, each driver was presented with an award from Senator-Mayor of Cagnes sur Mer Louis Negre, surrounded by François Forcioli-Conti, the President of the League of Races.
Ponies joined celebrations
The ponies then entered the stage with, in the first race, the World Junior Summer Cup 2014, the final of mounted trotting by junior drivers. A competition of the FFE, governed by the regulation of trotting races, reserved for ponies of 1.20 mand 1.38 m size and Juniors drivers aged 11 to 15 years of age.
The event without mutual bet is run on a short distance of 1,550 m. 9 junior drivers raced, including three Italians, three Swedes and three French. All were dressed in islks emblazoned with the colors of their country. This race offered the public a spectacle worthy of a true international competition.
The 2014 edition, sponsored by Jean-Pierre Dubois, emblematic of races in France, ended with a cup-giving ceremony to the sound of the anthem of the winner.
The World Summer Cup Junior
The Cagnes-sur-Mer and Jägersro racetracks, the National Association for Pony Trot Racing, official organizer of racing pony Trot, and the Association of Juniors Drivers, met in 2012 to create the first international circuit of trotting pony racing.
The World Summer Cup Junior is a race on the calendar in French trotting pony, which is creating linguistic exchanges between young participants from different countries.
This competition takes place in several stages, held each year on racetracks in several countries enrolled in the organization of the circuit, where the final takes place at the Hippodrome Cote d’Azur of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Mini Trotters Race
The closing ceremony ended with the Mini Trotters race, mounted by future drivers aged 8-15 years. Mini-Trotters, from the cross between ponies and small American trotters, deemed smaller, are measuring between 1.30 m and 1.38 m and are particularly fast.
To drive them, are “minidrivers.” In Europe, only Italy in Naples, currently has a School for Mini Trotters. The idea of promoting the discipline in France through demonstration races materialized during the Closing Night of the Summer Meeting of the Hippodrome Cote d’Azur.
Entertainment for children and adults
Pour celebrate gayly the closing of the Summer Meeting, many attractions were offered to the public, including animations orchestrated by the partner Bilto and the drawing of the raffle organized by the South East Regional Federation of Races as part of the Festival of Hippodromes.
Throughout the evening, children were at the party with free activities such as pony, horse, sulky bicycle, bouncy, creative workshops and Tree Climbing Structure.
Closing the evening, the thousands of lights of a beautiful fireworks fired from Hippodrome Cote d’Azur set ablaze the Mediterranean sky of Cagnes sur Mer.
The Palio, tribute to Sosno
Le Palio is a flag velvet offered to the Cote d’Azur League of Racing by the city of Fermo, in gratitude for the organization of the Palio of Friendship 2014. In honor of the artist Sacha Sosno, it represents the monumental bronze “There are more barriers”, erected at the entrance of the Hippodrome.
Click on pictures to enlarge – © YesICannes.com – All rights reserved
- Louis Negre & François Forcioli -Conti
- The Palio de l’Amitié race
- Mini trotters
- Mini trotters race
- The Palio in tribute to Sosno
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