Professional horse racing
In the Torre d'en Dolça Park
The grounds where the competition is held, in the Parc de la Torre d'en Dolça, currently attract more than ten thousand people to attend the races. The bets made in the Sant Antoni races are discreet, but you can appreciate the joy of the people at being able to participate.
Traditional Horse Racing
The history of the municipality has chapters written in equestrian matters. Horse racing is part of the life and tradition of the municipality and has become, over time, one of the most indigenous elements of the Sant Antoni Festival, which attracts people from all over Spain for this competition. Vila-seca, along with the Zarzuela racecourse in Madrid, San Sebastian and Seville, is one of the places that gather the official calendar of equestrian competitions in the Spanish State.
The “cós” was already celebrated at the end of the last century. A document from 1876 that has been recovered attests to the prizes that were awarded at that time and the way in which the competition was developed. The cavalries, after having been blessed, and when the procession ended, gathered at the Casa de a Vila. Immediately afterwards, the parish priest would throw a flag in the air and the rider who caught it had to run away, pursued by the rest of the competitors.
They went towards the four roads and on the way back they took a detour around the town through Plaça de Sant Antoni, Carrer de la Presó, Carrer de Sant Josep, through Plaça de Manyà and Carrer Major.
The horse that crossed the finish line first was the winner. The first prize was a lamb; the second, four chickens; the third, four cakes; and the fourth, four onions and a bunch of garlic.
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Horse races or races may have religious origins, as they were featured in some ancient agricultural ritual practices.
The races had formed part of the old ritual of the cult of the Sun. They tried to simulate the path of the Sun and, with this sympathetic magic, accelerate its course.
The rings, garlands, cakes and cakes that were always circular and given as prizes also had a marked solar meaning. Primitive civilizations have often organized a natural religion and one of their principles has been to believe that accelerated and rapid movements accentuate the growth of plants by sympathy.
This ritual speed of priests and performers can include the custom of cavalcade through the streets of the town after the blessing of the animals to obtain the pennant. But the real “body” began about a hundred years ago, as Tecla Garcia points out in a study on the subject.
Given the importance of the vineyard and the wine industry in Vila-Secana at that time, some foreign traders settled in the town.
Two Frenchmen, called Barrau and Planchons, had some beautiful horses to transport the wine that was exported to Salou and Tarragona. As they often met on the route, the rivalry between the carters of both merchants was great and soon the challenge arose of having a “race” to test which horse was better.
It was agreed to do it on the day of Sant Antoni Abat, which was a half-festival for workers, after the blessing of the animals.
The first "cós" took place along the road, to the level crossing of the "Carrilet" of Salou, and back. It was contested by the "Percheron" of the Barrau and the "l'Andalus" of the Planchons and the start was made from the vicinity of the Riera.
When the clock in the bell tower struck twelve, a loud whistle was heard. The “Percheron” of the Barraus won. Despite not having a prize, preparations soon began to repeat the race the following year with more horses and riders from Vila-Secan. The mayor, Joan Vidal Veciana, promised the material and personal support of the city council.
The rector, Father Sebastià Obrador, agreed to give the proceeds from the sale of prints of Saint Anthony as a prize, believing that this would encourage more people to attend mass. There were also numerous private donations. Over time, the prize money reached the magical figure of 15 pesetas. The prints were worth five cents.
The aging of men and horses brought years of crisis until the new push of Joan Gené Salvadó and a few young people from the town. A lamb, some chickens and a rabbit were the prizes that year. The white mare of Ca Xatruch was the most famous animal of this second stage of the “cós” for her victories. Even the horse of Tarragona’s Minguet was brought, against the rules, to defeat her. Mr. Xatruch was ready to kill his animal near the Reixa de Torrell if on the return it did not come out ahead. The mare from Vila-sec won that exciting “Cós” again of 1908.
The races were very popular. Thus, on the occasion of the inauguration of gas lighting Part 1910 A race was held, won by “Garboso”, owned by Joan Gené Salvadó. The hermitage of La Pineda was the destination of many of the participants' ex-votos.
Despite some hiatuses, which were covered by horse, mule or donkey races, the tradition maintained its growing level here and in the region. From 1923, the City Council took charge of the prizes. Mayor Elies Garrabé had to prohibit in 1930 The celebration of the “cós” in that traditional place due to the increase in dangerous car and truck traffic, and the asphalting of the road. That year it was still held there.
The antagonism between the recreational societies due to the race caused incidents such as the change of Esteve Seritjol's call. The Vila-Secà rider won with a horse from Reus, demonstrating his class to the Vila-Secà animal owners.
The year 1931 It begins along the Pineda road to the Miquela “box”, on the Valencia road. The tradition was not lost in the forced pause of the war. The asphalting of the Pineda road, converted into a road, forced new changes. The Folc avenue, the Hort del Pep stop, the Emprius road, the current Vila-seca to Salou motorway before its construction, the Formiga grounds near the stadium and the Gran del Castell stop have been the setting for the traditional Vila-seca races over the years before the current Torre d'en Dolça Park Urban Circuit. The current circuit hosts races from of the year 2001, after a renovation and adaptation of the park by the City Council.
A few years ago, the races in Vila-seca became professional and were regulated by the Spanish Horse Breeding Society. However, since 2016, the races have been regulated by the Jockey Club Español de Carreras de Caballos. The races in Vila-seca can be considered professional, as they can be in Madrid, San Sebastián or Seville. About 25 years ago, the race began to attract the best Spanish riders such as Claudio Carudel and Lluís Saugart.
The grounds where the competition is held, in the Parc de la Torre d'en Dolça, currently attract more than ten thousand people to attend the races. The bets made in the Sant Antoni races are discreet, but you can appreciate the joy of the people at being able to participate.
It should be remembered that at the end of 2010, the Government of the Generalitat of Catalonia declared the Cós de Sant Antoni de Vila-seca a festive heritage element of national interest, a recognition that allows this event, which has been celebrated in Vila-seca since the end of the 19th century, to be registered in the catalogue of festive heritage of Catalonia.
