written by Alex Daggett for SPEL: Journalism
The light falls onto the street in harsh shadows, with the sounds of crowds and cheers mixing with the sharp rhythmic noise of hooves clacking. Antonio Mula is no stranger to this scene, as he has grown up surrounded by the Palio race and all that goes into it. As he prepares the racehorse, Estupendo for his trial run, he lets out a quick breath to calm himself down. Mula closes his eyes to prepare, letting the world quiet as he focuses on the task ahead. Together, horse and man become one, and they take off down the street.
The Palio di Siena is one of the oldest horse races in the world, taking place annually 45 minutes south of Florence. The Palio is such an important part of Italian culture because of how far back the history of it goes. Officially starting in 1633, this race predates the entirety of the United States. I have never been involved in something that stretches back so far in time, which gave me a new appreciation for the event. There are trials and parties in the days leading up to the official race, which occurs on July 2 every year. This was explained to me by Mula while he gave Estupendo a shower following their practice.
In my time in Florence, I have had the chance to be involved in this historic event, getting a glimpse into this cultural experience. Every horse has a sponsor, and since I am interning with one of the foundations that is sponsoring a participating horse, I was given a first-person vantage point into the race’s preparation.
A month before the event, I took a trip out to visit the race horse, Estupendo, as well as his rider, Antonio Mula. Heading off into the Tuscan countryside from Florence is like taking a car ride into a different world, with a large expansive sky, rolling hills, and fields and fields of grass and vineyards in every direction. The ranch was located about 15 minutes north of Siena, and tucked away in the hills, only accessible by a seldom used gravel road. The ranch itself houses several different horses, as well as goats, cows, and a number of different animals, all roaming the property.
While meeting with Mula, I got to see him take Estupendo out for his practice. The pair galloped across a small track, going in all kinds of different directions and speeds to prepare for the Palio.
What really stood out to me was how much care was put into the animal, and how traditional everything was. Mula always rides bareback — a bizarre feat to me — and does everything very old-school in terms of horse raising.
After Mula finishes hosing off and brushing Estupendo, he leads the horse back to the stable, where he gives him some hay to munch on. Mula takes a great deal of care when it comes to Estupendo, as this horse has never competed in a Palio before. To see the behind the scenes elements of what goes into everything to make a horse ready to race was truly an eye opening experience to me, and it would not have been possible if I never came to Florence. The Palio is such a unique event, and while it has many controversies surrounding it, I hope that it never goes away and we can continue to hold onto this historical event.