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Caracas, Venezuela.  The Caracas Basque club enjoyed one of the more exciting encierros on July 13, due to the animated cows from the Triviño ranch. According to Jazoera, the festivities began at the Txoko where traditional San Fermin neck scarves were sold by the club.

At two in the afternoon, after the traditional songs to the saint and the launching of the rocket by Pedro Javier Arriaga, club president, the encierro began.  Two of the cows, Malandrin and Brincona, ran the route and chased runners. “A good group of brave folks ran the entire way in front of the animals and some other followed behind the two beasts, who were then guided by herders Andoni Azpiritxaga and Lander Guruceaga,” as reported in Jazoera.

After the race, when the animals were being led away, Brincona decided to follow the festival and jumped the barrio and escaped to the park are of the club’s cancha. Malandrin was quick to follow and got all the way to the pool.  “This then transformed into persecution of the animals and anguish for the public,” Jazoera explained.  According to member Belen Arcelus, “in this encierro everybody ran those who wanted to as well as those who didn’t.”

[One of the cows in the club’s cancha (photo CaracasEE)]

Finally, and after much running and work by the herders, young men and organizers, the animals were loaded into he truck when gorka Abrisketa launched another rocket to announce that the animals had been caught.

After the excitement of the race the festival followed its usual tone with food prepared by Koldo Zugadi, Clever Ramirez and Maria Teresa Ballatori Arteaga and some very animated periods between dishes that was not short of anecdotes and comments about the encierro that many members described as “the best encierro that the club had ever had.”

The festival was organized with the help of members: Maite Arriaga, Irantzu Leunda, Amaya Arriaga, María Teresa Ballatori, Josune Zubizarreta, Koldo Zugadi, Clever Ramírez, Txomin Viscarret, Unai Azpiritxaga, Anton Arriaga, Fran Pernia, Andoni Azpiritxaga, Lander Guruceaga and Víctor Ballatori, along with all the members who attended.