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The horses of Andalusia
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With its sweet and tortuous name like an arabesque on its side, Andalucía rings of a separate world. A land of shadows and light, of passions. The land of Frederico García and Manuel de Falla. From the banks of the Guadalquivir to the banks of the Guadalete, there is a single bedazzlement, rigorous and severe, a regular rhythm that beats from the green of olive trees, the black of soil, the white of houses. Dotting the landscaoe, in the blaze of its whitewashed walls, a hacienda sparkles in the sun. |
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It’s here that we find Jerez de la Frontera, the proud, the beautiful Andalusian woman. Jerez as nobility. This the land of lords, inheritors of the latifundia, which where, in their time, the fortune of the Romans. |
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How did this land, a melting pot of many civilizations, watch the birth of these horses, which were the heigt of fashion in all the princely and royal courts of Europe? The horizons are boundless. |
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Indeed, as early as the sixteenth century, the monks of the Cartuja Carthusian monastery in Jerez provided patient care and applied their skill to breeding the horses that were for a long time considered to be the best in the world. After the religious orders disbanded in Spain, the monks were forced to leave the Jerez monastery and to sell their horses. There were many complicates transactions between the Jerez breeders. |
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But the cartujano line would remain the most admired among the different descendants of the purebred Spanish horses... |
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_________________________________________________________________ Extract from :
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Horses of the World
Through vivid and dramatic photographs and a lively impassioned text, this tunning book provides a unique look at horse-loving cultures around the world. Following a curiosity that led her to the four corner of the globe, author Jacqueline Ripart takes us on a spellbinding tour as she describes how horses are tamed and trained, pampered and paraded, raced and revered the world over.
She delves into the minds and hearts of these horsemen, revealing their commitment to their beloved steeds and sharing their pride in a bond as old as civilization.
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