Por Redaccion 
«How beautiful is El Rocío, how beautiful is the marshland, and how beautiful is Doñana, I am proud to be a marismeño from this Huelva marshland!» The lyrics of this historic sevillana sung by the marismeños and yegüerizos in Almonte after finishing the task of regrouping the livestock they have in the wild and free Doñana perfectly encapsulate the essence of a town that cannot be understood without the Virgin, without Doñana, and without the marshland. A holy trinity that outsiders, as the Almonteños often refer to them, will never comprehend or feel like they do.
In recent days, the yegüerizos have been in both the National Park and the Natural Park of Doñana, gathering around 1,300 mares of the native marismeña breed that roam freely in this natural jewel throughout the year. Once regrouped, they are moved from the marshland to Almonte, passing by the Virgen del Rocío, in preparation for the livestock fair held in the town. There, they will undergo the usual tasks of grooming and trimming their manes, and of course, there will be the buying and selling of animals. This transfer known as the ‘Saca de las Yeguas’ is always celebrated on June 26. After the fair, on July 1, the animals are once again led back to Doñana where they will roam freely for another year.
These living conditions make this livestock very tough and strong when it comes to working in the fields or pulling a cart. The living conditions and the abrupt weather changes they endure throughout the year make them robust and noble. Many acknowledge that they may not be as visually appealing as other horse breeds, but the depth, strength, and resilience of these marismeño animals are unmatched by other breeds.
Troops of mares in front of the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Rocío (Photo by Antonio Delgado-Roig).
Although it may seem like a simple and easy task, the Saca de las Yeguas conceals the deep-rooted feelings of a town and a way of life inherited for many centuries, specifically since 1504 when the Duke of Medina Sidonia formalized a tradition that had already been celebrated for ages. Back then, the nature of this activity was much more economic than it is now. The mares were used for threshing, for working in the fields, and the breeders bought and sold animals among themselves. Mares, males, foals, each one building their own small livestock according to their needs.
Today, the activity is carried out to preserve a tradition and a way of life, and to teach the new generations a rural task just as they learned it from their elders, as modern agricultural machinery no longer necessitates the use of animals for many farm tasks. The organization is led by the National Association of Marismeño Cattle Breeders in collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, through the Doñana Natural Space, and also with the Almonte City Council, which participates in the journey of the animals from El Rocío to the town’s livestock enclosure.
This is explained by Gregorio Maraver, one of the partners in the organization. His father was the founder of this collective, and he eventually became the president. During the rest period, after gathering their livestock the day before the yeguas are brought out, he affirms that this tradition «runs in their blood» and that, in addition to the fieldwork involved in spending a day or two on horseback in Doñana and sleeping outdoors, there is a very important social aspect of sharing with the group of yegüerizos to which each one belongs, making them feel that they are not just another family, but their family.
Yegüerizos in Doñana on their way to the animals (Photo by Antonio Delgado-Roig).
It is also worth noting that this is not an activity done for money. Most breeders have few animals. «In the end, all of this costs money, coming here, spending a couple of days in Doñana, going back, taking care of the animals. There is no financial compensation, quite the opposite, but it is a way of life and feeling for our town. We cannot live without it.»
Conservation of the ecosystem
Although it may seem otherwise, all activities related to marismeño livestock are thoroughly regulated. The animals are distributed among a total of ten estates within Doñana, each with a maximum quota of animals. Foals do not count until they are one year old, but afterwards they do. Then the breeders have to sell some animals if they have had offspring, or leave them in stables in the town to avoid exceeding the quota of each estate. This also involves the conservation of the natural environment. Livestock benefits from Doñana, and Doñana benefits from the livestock. However, everything must be balanced to avoid disrupting the ecosystems.
Yegüerizos resting after finishing the task (Photo by Antonio Delgado-Roig).
In maintaining this balance, it is also essential to know how to handle the livestock and be an excellent horseman. These animals live in the wild, are not accustomed to human presence, and have their own preferences for movement. Rafael Bejarano, a 76-year-old yegüerizo, shares a glass of wine after a morning of work and recalls how his elders taught him to move the animals. «Some areas now have some fences, but before there was nothing. They told me to run on this side and not on that one, because otherwise it would be impossible to gather them, and teachings like that I have passed on to others. As a boy, I would sit here at the meetings and listen to the elders talk, and that’s how I learned little by little.»
The work of the Park personnel is also crucial. Both Environmental Agents and Forest Rangers are responsible for ensuring that everything is in order and that there is nothing that could prevent the nature protection regulations from being followed. Javier Giménez, a local Forest Ranger from Almonte, explains that this activity fosters a «deep relationship» between the natural space and the town. «Right now, they have finished their work and there are grandparents, parents, grandchildren, children playing around the mares, learning and experiencing something they will never forget.»
Regarding their task, he explains that they must ensure surveillance and control, ensuring that all activities respect the regulations and restrictions due to bird nesting, animal offspring, species in danger of extinction, etc. «Every task carried out here must be respectful of the environment, and we must all work together to ensure it stays that way. There is control at the park entrance, no one can enter without accreditation, with their name and surname. Each meeting has a maximum number of guests, everything must be preserved to always be in balance.»
Giménez also clarifies that this livestock activity is not limited to just around June 26, as breeders are attentive to the animals all year round. «It may seem very beautiful, which it is, but it is also very tough. In winter, they also come to check on the livestock. Many hours on horseback on cold days in the marshland. And this year, with a lot of water and many flooded areas, they also had many difficulties in reaching the estates and seeing the condition of their livestock.»
The yegüerizos are organized into a total of sixteen meetings, and from two or three days before the saca, they start entering Doñana on their way to the estates where they have the livestock. It is important to consider that the park’s surface area exceeds 54,000 hectares, and reaching the estates where the mares are located can mean many hours on horseback. Once the mares are grouped in some of the designated enclosures, all that is left is to wait for the 26th, but during that time, the camaraderie of each meeting takes place, where singing, reminiscing about the elders, and the feeling that being breeders of the marismeña breed evokes, and all the activity it entails, make them feel like the happiest men in the world during those hours.
Once the 26th arrives, the work begins at dawn. The livestock must be driven to El Rocío. It is a few hours from where they started. Most of the troops of mares take the route through Boca de Lobo to head down Sanlúcar Street and arrive directly at the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Rocío. It is one of the most spectacular sights and also one of the powerful tourist attractions of Andalusia.
Mares on the Los Llanos road to Almonte (Photo by Antonio Delgado-Roig).
After leaving the hermitage, the troops of animals head down the Los Llanos road to Almonte and in the Pastorcito area, they have a long rest and another period of camaraderie. The marismeña mares are in their enclosure under the shade of a lush pine forest while the yegüerizos also give rest and water to their riding horses. A few hours later, as the evening falls, the procession sets off again towards Almonte.
Dress code guidelines
Here comes one of the most emotional moments for many of them, where emotions run high, as Isabelo Pérez, another breeder from Almonte, shines with emotion when explaining what the Saca de las Yeguas means to them. «It’s really hard to explain, but we have lived it for many generations since we were children. It is our way of life. Additionally, we also ensure that the proper decorum is always maintained. The horses must be well-groomed in the vaquera style; we do not allow straw hats or baseball caps. The caps must be traditional ones. The hats must be wide-brimmed felt hats, the traditional ones, made of rabbit fur as well. And the vaquero must wear a shirt; polo shirts are not permitted, even if they are cooler. This must be done this way because, if you’re not careful, in a few years, people here could end up dressing in any way, and traditions must be preserved.»
Breeders performing grooming and mane trimming tasks (Photo by Antonio Delgado-Roig).
After the rest period and with the animals now in the livestock enclosure, the town of Almonte erupts with joy. They have once again fulfilled their century-old tradition, and after the fair, the beasts will return to the marshland on July 1. The holy trinity of El Rocío, the marshland, and Doñana continues stronger than ever.
TEXT AUTHOR: Antonio Delgado-Roig.
VIDEO AUTHOR: Rafael Aviles.