 |
| yahoo news |
This morning all eyes in the United States are watching the superstorm, Sandy, hitting the East Coast. But I wanted to bring to your attention another human interest story that may not have gotten on your local channels.
Yesterday over 2000 Merino sheep were herded through the streets of Madrid, Spain. Apparently this happens every year as a reminder to the city officials that they are planning their urban sprawl directly on top of ancient droving routes.
 |
| yahoo news |
Close to one million animals each year, mostly sheep and cattle, are moved over 78,000 miles between winter and summer pastures in Spain. This is a tradition dating back hundreds of years, and no one is taking it for granted.
 |
| yahoo news |
Each year in late October, the streets are blocked off. The shepherds bring a small flock to town, and the sheep muddle their way through the 21st century. Known as the Transhumance Festival, it is a major event in Madrid. It's not so much a protest as a celebration of the rural farmer and his labors. But it's also a case of "use it or lose it."
 |
| yahoo news |
It is a passive reminder of who was here first, and on what their country is founded. By 1000 A.D. both England and Spain were regarded as the premier wool centers of the world. Spain had a virtual monopoly on Merino sheep, developing the breed for a fine and soft fleece. From this wealthy industry, exploration to the New World was founded, and Spain's strong hand reached across the globe (source).
 |
| yahoo news |
But as with every industry, shepherds are modernizing their practices to meet demand and keep costs low. It must be every shepherds' dream to sit idly by, watching their sheep graze on the hillside, but ever-increasing flock sizes and dwindling man-power make this more impractical. And in the face of that reality, I raise my crook to the shepherds of Spain who are keeping this tradition alive. Goodness knows, I'd never trust my Shetlands to traverse one city block without breaking down into complete ovine panic!
one of my dreams is to be in Madrid when this happens. I salute those Spanish shepherds!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this festival. Maybe other dying industries should try this, too.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the shepherds - that one in the picture is handsome!
ReplyDeleteWe have something similar, but on a much smaller scale, here in Arizone when they move their herds to seasonal pastures. We were fortunate to happen on them one year near our home as we were heading out for a 4-wheel adventure. It was cool to pull over and watch them pass by. BTW, you said 78,000 miles. Is that a typo????
ReplyDeleteGreat post. That has to be a sight to see first hand. In the US they would probably had been run over.
ReplyDelete