An
important event that inaugurates the Festejos Populares is the Tope Nacional.
A tope is a horse parade, which is a typical tradition in all local
fiestas. The San Jose horse parade is the most famous and largest in
Costa Rica. Thousands of riders come from all over the country come to
show off their beautiful horses, riding skills, fancy steps, and specially
designed cowboy outfits. It is widely known as the biggest
people-watching event of the year.
The
tradition began in colonial times as a horse race to commence the Fiestas de
San Juan, a horse-racing and bullfighting event. It was customary for
everyone to come out to see who the best jockeys and the fastest horses were.
Costa Rica is a country with a great farming and agricultural tradition.
Horses have a very important place in history since most families that colonized
the country either had farms or raised horses. Naturally, like everything
else in Costa Rica that was established by the Spaniards, this tradition has
evolved into something uniquely Costa Rican. It has become the most
important horse show of the country, what we know today as El Tope.
The tope is
the National Day of the Horseman and, on December 26th, the Festejos Populares
is inaugurated with this traditional event. Horse owners, farm workers
and farm owners come to the capital from all over the country to bring their
best animals to the best horseman show of them all. Instead of racing,
the horses are trained to take special steps, almost dancing for the spectators
that line the streets. You will also see many of the typical hand-painted
ox carts created by famous local craftsmen. The girls are all made up, wearing
flashy cowgirl outfits, and the men are right behind. The event is all
about how good you look while riding your horse and how many fancy steps your
horse can maneuver to impress the crowd.
The parade
starts around 1 p.m. and takes over Paseo Colon and Avenida Segunda along a
four-mile route. On the day of the tope, no cars can move around the narrow San
Jose streets. Thousands of spectators arrive, converting the streets of
San Jose into a sea of people and horses. Music is blaring throughout the
day, and TV cameras focus on the beautiful people. If you are planning to
come watch the wonderful parade, plan on getting there at dawn to ensure a
front row viewing space.
People
donning cowboy hats often have coolers full of their favorite chilled
drinks. For the spectator, it is much like tailgating at your favorite
football game, except the players, or riders, partake in the party as
well! It is very impressive to watch, because these jockeys are
multitasking; leading the horse, waving at the crowd, cooling off with a drink
in hand, and making the occasional phone call or TV interview.Read more…
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