My last week in Brazil was nothing short of spectacular!
It began on a sunny Wednesday morning when I drove to the Rivera bus station to pick up my good friend Victoria Hay.
“I can’t believe you actually came,” I said giving her a big hug.
Victoria grew up in Bolton, Ontario just like me. Her father was heavily involved with the Bolton Wanderers Soccer Club where I spent most of my childhood and as a result I became good friends with her family. But what really brought us together is our love for the horse. Victoria is a talented jumper and since I departed on my first journey she has kept close tabs on my progress.
“I just had to come out and ride with you and the girls,” she responded putting down her heavy backpack.
As faith would have it, Victoria arrived on the day the Farroupilha week commenced. From 1825 – 1835, the state of Rio Grande do Sul fought a revolution against the Brazilian army in an attempt to separate from the rest of the country. Unfortunately they lost the war, but every year, the week before the fighting ended, the state erupts in a celebration only comparable to Carnaval.
“I don’t know if you are ready for what’s about to happen,” my friend Mario Luna said as we headed to the first CTG for dinner.
I hate to admit it, but he was right. I wasn’t ready. For seven days, my new friends took Victoria and I to different CTG’s at night where we drank and danced until the early hours of the morning. In the afternoons we would saddle our horses and ride to a bar called “Barreto,” named after it’s bearded owner. Alongside a hundred or so Gauchos, we drank beers and told stories or lies…
For a horse lover like Vic and myself, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Both of us had never seen anything like this.
“I have never ridden a horse to a bar before, never mind with 100 other people,” Victoria said with a big smile on her face.
The funniest part was watching the faces of the Gauchos as they stared at our western tack and clothing. It was as if we were allies. Everything on us and our horses was different! Even the mares stood out. All of the horses were Criollos, the only two Quarter Horses in town were Life and Doll.
As exciting and fun as the week was, the icing on the cake came on the final day of the Farroupilha Week! Riding Life and with Victoria next to me riding Doll, we participated in one of Brazil’s largest horse parades. More than 2,000 riders pranced down Santana to Livramento’s downtown core as thousands of people watched from the sidewalks.
“Wow this is amazing,” I yelled to Victoria over the loud music and yelling.
“I can’t believe this is legal,” she said as we laughed at how this would never be allowed in Canada.
I will certainly never forget riding Life and Doll for the last time in this moment. It was the perfect way to end our ride through Brazil together. They looked so beautiful in the parade. I can’t say how proud I am of them!
When the parade ended we followed a transport truck with a full band on the back towards the fairgrounds. Drinks continued being passed, while meat barbecued on the open fire and music played until the late hours.
“We party this hard and we lost the war, can you imagine if we had won,” Mario said to me from a top his Criollo mare.
