In Spain more subsidies to ill-treat animals

Far from looking for worthy festivals that everyone who experiences them can be proud of, it seems that Spain is promoting an irrational and medieval attitude, always hiding behind a distorted concept of the word “tradition”, and always subsidized by public funds.


This time it’s the turn of Carpio del Tajo, a town in the province of Toledo’ (Castilla la Manxa).

Every 25th July this town celebrates what is called “the geese horse race” in honour of the apostle James. These races consist of hanging geese by their legs using ropes strung from poles and then riders on horseback knock off the geese’s heads. The winner is the rider who knocks off most heads.

A few years ago they used live birds, so the event was indescribably cruel. Nowadays they use dead geese but it is nonetheless grotesque to kill them just to amuse a group of people. And it is worrying that parents are encouraging in their children values based on sadism.



According to the National Association for Animal Protection and Wellbeing (ANPBA), every year 60,000 animals are ill-treated in Spanish festivities. The law not only doesn’t punish these acts, but they are also subsidized using everybody’s taxes; funds that could be used for basic necessities, such as health and education.

Traditions are a combination of knowledge, customs and beliefs, which are passed from generation to generation because they are considered to have a high cultural value.. Maybe, for the good of its own society, the Spanish government should rethink the actual meaning of the concepts “tradition” and “culture” .

Spanish version