A cavalcade is a
procession or
parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
on
horseback
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
, or a mass
trail ride
Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and ...
by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cavalcade
re-enacts an important historical event and follows a
long-distance trail
A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents excep ...
. A cavalcade may also be a
pilgrimage.
Many cavalcades involve ceremonial entries into and departures from towns and villages along the way. A small version of such a ceremonial entry is the "grand entry" that is traditional in many
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
s. Long-distance cavalcades may acquire more riders who join from populated places along its route.
The term ''cavalcade'' comes from the classical Latin word ''caballus'', used to describe a strong work horse. This developed into the word ''caballicare,'' "to ride horseback," which in Italian became ''cavalcare.'' In Spanish the term for cavalcade is ''cabalgata.''
United States
In
New Mexico,
Philmont Scout Ranch includes a week-long cavalcade among its programs. The annual
pilgrimage to
El Santuario de Chimayó
El Santuario de Chimayó is a Roman Catholic church in Chimayó, New Mexico, United States. (''Santuario'' is Spanish for "sanctuary".) This shrine, a National Historic Landmark, is famous for the story of its founding and as a contemporary pil ...
includes a cavalcade of
classic cars on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
. Traditionally, the pilgrimage had been made on foot. Today, in addition to traveling by car and foot, a few pilgrims ride horses.
Columbus, New Mexico is the end point of the annual Cabalgata Binacional Villista (see
#Chihuahua).
In
Texas, numerous long-distance cavalcades occur annually in conjunction with the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the oldest of these was established in 1952, creating a new tradition based on historic activities. A 110-mile cavalcade is held annually on the
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cheroke ...
(paved roads) from
Cuero
Cuero ( ) is a city in and the county seat of DeWitt County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,128 at the 2020 census.
History
The city of Cuero had its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle route ...
to
San Antonio in conjunction with the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Mexico
Sonora
In
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
, cavalcades are regular annual events in March and October.
On 26 through 28 October 2007 the
Governor of Sonora,
Eduardo Bours
José Eduardo Robinson Bours Castelo (born December 17, 1956) is a Mexican businessman who served as governor of Sonora under the Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI. He is a member of the Robinson Bours family which immigrated from the Uni ...
, and the regional Cattlemen's Association led a cavalcade of approximately 7,000 cowboys who were primarily from the local area, the state of Sonora, some other Mexican states and several western U.S. states. The cavalcade was called ''Remontando El Río Sahuaripa 2007,'' and the route covered 61 kilometers. Beginning in
Sahuaripa
Sahuaripa is a town in the Mexican state of Sonora, municipality of Sahuaripa. The area is 5,694.4 km². with a population of 5,792 in 2005. The town and municipal seat had a population of 3,807 in 2000.
Location
The municipal seat is locate ...
, the group traveled south following the river upstream, through the municipality of
Arivechi, passing the banks of the Cajon de Onapa Reservoir Lake, and ending in the village of Guisamopa. The cowboys and horses were fed and supplied by an elaborate "Chuck Wagon" system. That cavalcade is the focal end stage of the ''Cabalgando por Sonora'' from the Río Sonora to the Sierra Alta.
Chihuahua
In
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
*Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state
**Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state
**Chihuahua Mun ...
, two separate cavalcades commemorate the history of the
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
and
Francisco (Pancho) Villa.
Cabalgata Binacional Villista
Each year in February and March, the ''Cabalgata Binacional Villista'' commemorates the 9 March 1916 invasion of the United States by
Pancho Villa's men. The first cavalcade took place in 1999 and followed the same route that Pancho Villa used, coming from the Hacienda de San Jerónimo,
Bachíniva
Bachíniva is a town and county in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The town serves as the county seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. It was founded by Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, m ...
. A handful of riders were expected but more than 125 showed up. The Cabalgata passed
Namiquipa
Namiquipa is a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Namiquipa.
As of 2010, the town of Namiquipa had a population of 1,752, up from 1,718 as of 2005.
History
The origin ...
and Cruces, as during the original 1916 event. In 2008 the 9th cavalcade began on 27 February in
Ciudad Madera
Madera, also known as Ciudad Madera, is a town and seat of the municipality of Madera in the mountains of the northwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2010, the city of Madera had a population of 15,447, up from 15,267 as of 2005. Institu ...
with more than 200 riders. During the next 10 days, they traversed north through towns and villages in northern Mexico (Ignacio Zaragoza,
Buenaventura,
Galeana,
Nuevo Casas Grandes
Nuevo Casas Grandes is a city and the seat of the Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality in northern Mexico. It is located in the northwestern part of the state of Chihuahua, on the Casas Grandes or San Miguel river, situated in a wide, fertile valley o ...
,
Casas Grandes, Colonia Graciano Sánchez,
Janos,
Ascensión,
Seis de Enero) to
Puerto Palomas de Villa, arriving on 7 March with a complement of 400 riders and twice as many crew.
On 8 March 100 riders continued across the
United States–Mexico border 3 miles to the Pancho Villa State Park and Museum in the village of
Columbus, New Mexico. From the border the Villistas were accompanied by 200 American riders. The 8th cavalcade in 2007 was larger, with 500 riders arriving in Puerto Palomas de Villa. The 7th cavalcade in 2006 was smaller but the arrival of the 100 Villistas at
Pancho Villa State Park
The Village of Columbus and Camp Furlong is a National Historic Landmark District commemorating the 1916 raid by Pancho Villa on the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and the American military response to that raid, the "Punitive Expedition" led by Ge ...
coincided with ceremonies attended by New Mexico Governor
Bill Richardson, Chihuahua Governor
José Reyes Baeza Terrazas
José Reyes Baeza Terrazas (born 20 September 1961) is a Mexican politician and lawyer. In 2004, he was elected Governor of Chihuahua as a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party for the term ending in 2010. Prior to that, he was Chair o ...
, and many other dignitaries. The cavalcade in 2010 was the opening event of the centennial celebrations ''Tres Siglos, Tres Fiestas'' (Three Centuries, Three Fiestas).
The riders are received each night with a dinner, rodeo, music and dancing, and their horses are fed and watered. The growing popularity of the cavalcade presented increasing financial challenges for the communities along the route. In 2008, the community presidents formed an association, Presidentes Municipales de la Región Noroeste, to coordinate and manage the event.
Horses traveling from Mexico to the United States normally are subject to
quarantine of at least 3 days, but starting in 2006, a special 12-hour waiver was obtained for up to 100 horses (hence the limit of 100 Villistas). Before 2006, the Mexican horses were left behind in Mexico, and the Villistas rode American horses from the border to the park.
The 11th cavalcade in 2010 began on February 23 in Hacienda San Jerónimo, Bachíniva, repeating the historical original route, passing through Namiquipa, Cruces to Buenaventura. There the cavalcade joined the group coming from Madera, continuing together up to Columbus, New Mexico.
Cabalgata Villista
Each year in July the ''Cabalgata Villista'' (also known as ''La Gran Cabalgata Villista'') commemorates the
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
of Francisco (Pancho) Villa on 20 July 1923 in
Parral. The cavalcade was initiated by José Socorro Salcido Gómez in 1996. It travels to Parral from
Chihuahua City, a distance of , led by municipal, state, and federal dignitaries. In general, its route passes through
Satevó and
Valle de Zaragoza, with riders (''
jinetes
''Jinete'' () is Spanish for " horseman", especially in the context of light cavalry.
Etymology
The word Jinete (of Berber ''zenata'') designates, in Castilian and the Provençal dialect of Occitan language, those who show great skill and riding ...
'') joining the cavalcade along the way. Since 1996 the cavalcade has grown progressively larger; in 2007 3,000 riders participated. The 2008 cavalcade was still larger. In 2009, the cavalcade began with 500 riders departing from Chihuahua City. Participating villages, cities, and municipalities included
Matamoros,
Valle de Allende,
San Francisco del Oro,
Santa Bárbara, municipio de López,
Zaragoza,
El Tule,
Huejotitán
Huejotitán is a village and seat of the municipality of Huejotitán, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
*Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihua ...
,
Balleza,
Coronado Coronado may refer to:
People
* Coronado (surname)
* Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado"
* Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847
Places United ...
, and
Jiménez.
Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas
In
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
,
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
and
Tamaulipas, on 12 March 2005 the fifth ''Cabalgata Interestatal'' (tri-state cavalcade) included 10,500 riders along a portion of its length.
Guanajuato
In
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, a cavalcade
pilgrimage occurs at
Epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
to the shrine of
Cristo Rey.
New Zealand
In
New Zealand, an annual
Otago Goldfields Cavalcade
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government regi ...
is held. Different towns in
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
play host at the culmination of the cavalcade each year, with
Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
,
Ophir, and
Clyde having been among the host towns. Some years the cavalcade's route follows the
Dunstan Trail
Dunstan Trail, also known as Old Dunstan Road, is a historic route in Otago, New Zealand. The road was created during the Central Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s.
At the time of the road's creation, it was the shortest route from the city of Dunedi ...
, a principal route of the
Central Otago Gold Rush, from
Clarks Junction near
Middlemarch to the site of the former Dunstan goldfields. This route covers much the same journey as the
Otago Central Rail Trail, though it is shorter and over far rougher terrain.
[Dunstan Trail information](_blank)
from Nature-wise website. Site also includes
map
of the Dunstan and Central Otago Rail Trails The first re-enactment cavalcade was in 1991, from near
Dunedin to
Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
. More than 200 people (and 240 horses) took part in the 1991 cavalcade.
The History of the Cavalcade
accessed May 10, 2011.
Colombia
In Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, riding in cavalcades is a recreation enjoyed throughout the mountains. In Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, a cavalcade is an important part of the annual Festival of the Flowers
The Flowers Festival ( es, Feria de las Flores) is a festival that takes place in Medellín, Colombia. The festival is the most important social event for the city and includes a pageant, automobiles, a Paso Fino horse parade and many musical ...
.
See also
*Parade horse
Horses are ridden and driven in actual parades in many different ways. However, a Parade horse refers specifically to a type of horse attired in elaborate, specialized equipment that is more often seen today in specialized competitions and exhi ...
*Stibbert museum
The Stibbert Museum ( it, Museo Stibbert) is located on via Frederick Stibbert on the hill of Montughi in Florence, Italy. The museum contains over 36,000 artifacts, including a vast collection of armour from Eastern and Western civilizations.
...
References
{{Equestrian Sports
Horses in culture
Parades