Defined the Olympic Games of the Ancient Regime, a real spectacle characterized by equestrian technique, tenacity and determination where the experience, commitment, enthusiasm and work of the teams are challenged by three knights.
Tolfa, recognized as the CITY OF THE HORSE, presents three unmissable events every year:
– the RIONALE Butteri Tournament
(Last weekend of July), equestrian challenge between the Tolfetan districts, the winner of which goes straight to the REGIONAL
– The REGIONAL Butteri Tournament
in August (15 August), an Equestrian Sports Competition between all the municipal teams of the Lazio Region
– The Horse Race
arrived at more than a century of history, punctually for the celebrations of the Patron Saint of Tolfa, Sant’Egidio (1 September)
Tolfa is also known internationally for its leather craftsmanship relating to work riding, especially with the “Catana” or “Tolfa”, i.e. the leather bag of the Tolfetan buttero (born in 1500 , the oldest stock exchange in Italy, which became famous in the 1960s in Italy and abroad), the Tolfetana bardella, the saddle of the buttero invented in Tolfa in the 1930s.
THE THREE TESTS
– The first test: the ring game
The first knight takes the lance, leaves and rings the bell, jumps the obstacle and goes to get the smallest ring, then passes the lance to the second knight who slaloms between the poles and goes to get the medium ring , he approaches the gate and passes the lance to the third knight who goes to take the largest ring, puts down the lance, opens and closes the gate, takes the gongolo, goes to break the jugs and closes the time by ringing the bell.
– The second test: the hat game
It consists of starting at a gallop, taking the hat placed on the block, returning to the starting point, turning around the block, repositioning the hat and returning to the starting point to close the time. This test must be done by all the riders of all the teams two by two.
The third test: the calf game
The team made up of three riders enters the field, positions themselves in a marked area and waits for the calf to enter. When the time starts, the riders must take the calf by the horns with the lasso, land it, tether it, turn it, market it and place the bull in the center of the rope to close the time. It should also be remembered that the previously numbered calves are drawn.
The times of the three tests must be added, the one who completes the three tests in the shortest time wins.
The winning district will have right to access the regional equestrian competition on August 15th
– The buttero from Tolfa with the traditional waistcoat and hat
the horse retains its important role, that of helping man to herd the cattle to graze and move them from the highest areas of the mountains into the difficult tangle of vegetation.
The teams are from the six participating districts: Cappuccini, Casalaccio, Lizzera, Poggiarello, Rocca, Sughera, and are each made up of 3 riders plus a reserve.
The evening before the race takes place in Piazza Vecchia which hosts the dinner and the cencio is presented, a banner that will be awarded to the winning team.
WHEN
This event generally takes place every year towards the end of July
Event Type: Free
For information, dates and events, visit the site indicated at the end of the article
The reported events may be subject to changes or cancellations.
It is always advisable to inquire in advance to confirm the event and the dates
Butteri Tournament
“La Nocchia” Exhibition Center
Santa Severa-Tolfa Road, 14 Km
Tolfa (Rome)
Lazio – Italy