Bayonne is a bullfighting city from the very beginning, as evidenced by a decree of the Bayonne aldermen in 1289 which regulated the release of cows and oxen in the streets. It is therefore only natural that cow races are still organized today, during the Bayonne Festival. The cows are the stars on the Place Saint-André. During the holidays, Olivier Baratchart is the announcer for the cow races. With his comments he regales you with crisp anecdotes, joyful comments, whether you are in the center of the arena or in the stands, place Paul Bert.
Cows at the Bayonne Festival
Olivier Baratchart : These are cows from landaise races. You should know that the Landes cows are cows that come from the brave animal, the brave bull. Landes ganaderos, breeders, always buy their cattle in Spain. It is therefore really the same breed as the brave bulls that we see in all the bullfighting shows. It is this ability that the cow has to rush on anything that moves. But, of course, people move in the arenas!
How to play with the cow
During the cow races, the Place Paul Bert is closed by talenquères which are solid barriers and sand is spread in the center of the arena. The festayres, properly shod it is important, wait for the cow to come out of the toril and find itself in the middle of the crowd. This is where it all begins.
Olivier Baratchart : One of the great games is to make a hallway. You understand it, the cow being attracted by the movement it is necessary that people remain very static. If they don’t move, the cow often comes down the hall. If people move, escape and don’t hold on, obviously the cow ends up much earlier.
Another game with the cockade, which is something very traditional. The cows come out with this cockade and people try to raze it to catch it.
There is also the bag which is very Bayonne. It’s a bag filled with hay with a broom handle that crosses this hay and we get into line behind this bag to try to provoke the cow which normally hits the bag and behind we hold on. Except that sometimes the cow doesn’t arrive quite straight and it’s a bit complicated.
Finally, there are appetizers. People who sit on a small camping table with four chairs and who drink an aperitif or who hit the cardboard. You have to try not to move when the cow arrives. It’s very difficult because as soon as there’s one that moves, it’s often the chairs spread out everywhere. The table, let’s not talk about it. And the aperitif that disappears in the sawdust.
A popular meeting
At the cow races, there are those who come with a cape to bully the cow or the jumpers, who are always very impressive. Cow racing is above all about respecting the animal. We play with it but we don’t get on it. We don’t pull her by the horns or by the tail, it’s very badly seen by the partygoers. The cow races at Place Paul Bert are a popular meeting place in the noble sense of the term.
Olivier Baratchart : It’s in the DNA of the Bayonnais to say I’m going to go to the cow races for the first time. We feel major, we feel adult, we pass a course when we go to the cow races. We see people from 12 to 80 years old. It’s all the richness of the Bayonne Festival that makes us create relationships that we often find like that over the years, during this festive period and never elsewhere. And it’s always a completely renewed pleasure.
Cow racing at the Bayonne Festival is place Paul Bert on Thursday and Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday double doses from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Entrance fee at the price of 5 euros.