The beach of Sanlúcar de Barrameda will be transformed into a real racecourse. The umbrellas and towels will be exchanged for horses and jockeys looking for the grand prize. This great spectacle has been celebrated for several centuries, specifically in the year 1845, when the first horse races were held officially.
On the 28th, 29th and 30th of August the second cycle of the 179th edition of the Horse Races in Sanlúcar de Barrameda will take place, one of the oldest and most charming races in the Spanish state.
For these last three days of racing, 212 entries have been received, including the two Grand Prix of the season, corresponding to 74 horses, for a total of 13 races; five on the first day, four on the second and third days of this second cycle with the best prizes of the racing season.On Wednesday 28th the Grand Prix of Andalusia will be held, sponsored by the Department of Tourism of the Andalusian Government, over a distance of 1,600 metres and with 10,200 euros in prizes and on Friday 30th the Grand Prix of the City of Sanlúcar will be held, the most eagerly awaited and important race of the season, with 13,600 euros in prizes, over a distance of 2,000 metres.
The most notable sponsors for this new edition are: Fundación Cajasol, Cruzcampo, Lexus, Seville City Council, Caja Rural del Sur, Pernod Ricard, Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, CaixaBank, Puerto de Sevilla and Bodegas Barbadillo.
Mythology tells that in order to rest, the God Febos unhitched the fire horses from his chariot when he reached the coasts of Sanlúcar. Others attribute the origin of the races to those in which horses carried out fish, a hypothesis that others discard because those were for endurance and not speed in the English style, although horses, seafood cuisine and enjoying summer afternoons next to the beach of Sanlúcar go back a long way. At the end of the 19th century, the aristocracy moved to Sanlúcar for "wave baths", thus becoming one of the pioneering destinations in the development of tourism in Spain along with Santander and San Sebastián.
Horse racing has been held since 1845 and is now attended by the best jockeys. The competition has grown in prestige and in recent editions there are races for jockeys (professionals), gentlemen (amateurs) and horsewomen. In 1981 they re-emerged with great success, when the former Sanlúcar de Barrameda Horse Society was re-established, which has been in charge of the organisation ever since.
Enjoy our luxury apartments in Sanlúcar de Barrameda that THE SUN PLACES has specially chosen for this special and family event