Introduction
Gran Culom is from the Spanish island Menorca. The origin of the
Cavall de Raca Menorquina (the horse of Menorquina race) can be
traced back to two significant periods in the history of the island
of Menorca. The first is the establishment of the cavalry troops
by King Jaume II of Majorca in 1301. The horses that were used as
cavalry mounts were strong, agile and manageable, traits which are
still important in the Spanish breeds of today and which are
typified in this early ancestor of the Menorquina, the Andalusian.
The next important period was the arrival of the English in the
1700s. They brought with them horses of thoroughbred blood, the
influence of which can still be seen in the elegant heads and long
legs of the Menorquina horses.
It has also been proven by an in depth blood group study of the
Menorquina that there has been significant influence from the
Arabian breed. For more information please visit the Association of Cavalls Menorquina by
clicking here.
Menorca's Traditional Festivals
Visitors to Menorca in the summer months may have seen the famous
black stallions of the Sant Joan de Ciutadella festival as they walk through the
crowds on their hind legs and gallop through the streets as part of
the traditional mounted games. It is from these horses that Gran
Culom descends. Indeed, he has been a participant in the festival on
a number of occasions, specialising in the jousting!
There are other festivals that these magnificent Spanish horses
perform in, such as the Sant Bartomeu de Ferreries, Sant Llorenç
d'Alaior, Mare de Déu de Gràcia de Maó.
The horses grand performances were due to Joan Pons Marti when
the horses and riders were properly trained to buck under complete
control. Previously the horses were simply taken from their use as
work horses on farms.
As the horses became unused for farm work (motorised transport
didn't arrive in Menorca until the 1960s!) Joan Pons Marti was
able to train the horses regularly as a dedicated job. Soon the
horses began to apply airs of this high level Menorcan horses, even
when they had already been broken-in according to the style of the
festivals. Some of these airs are the passage, the piaf, and others.
Furthermore, they were able to perfect airs that had always been
present in Menorca. Everyone had always made the horse gallop, but
nobody ever looked to see if the horse galloped with one hoof or
another, and took even less notice of how to tell the horse with
which hoof to begin galloping.
Observing other disciplines, they were able to introduce many
improvements to the Minorcan discipline, whether it was the gallop,
sideways or diagonal steps, pirouettes, or others.
They realised that many disciplines considered to be international
in fact had their origins in ancient traditions. For example, the
Cowboy discipline originates in work on Andalusian estates, where
the herder controlled the herd with horses and cattle prods.
Visiting Menorca
Menorca's festivals are in the summer months, between June and
September. The island has great culture and beautiful beaches, so
it's well worth a visit! Many regional airports fly to Menorca,
including Gatwick, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and
Manchester.
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