What does a manadier's job entail? Discover the work of Camargue horse and bull breeders, passionate about keeping our region's traditions alive.
More than a job, a passion!
The profession of manadier is above all a profession of passion around the breeding of bulls and Camargue horses.
We naturally find herds in the Camargue, around the Mediterranean and more widely in the Gard, particularly around Beaucaire.
The herdsmen raise the bulls and prepare the most valiant like athletes to participate in the Camargue bullfights. Unlike bullfighting, the Camargue race is a game, without violence for the animals and dangerous only for men, a spectacular confrontation between bulls and bullfighters.
The manade, a place where bulls are bred
Manade means herd, and its etymology comes from the Provençal word meaning "what the hand can hold." This means that the manadier must raise at least 5 bulls, but most often he owns around 200.
In a herd, horses, bulls, and cows are raised. Bulls are wild animals, and the herd is not like a traditional farm. They will be tested extensively to determine those who will be selected to participate in the Courses Camarguaises, those among them who have the best assets for fighting: bravery, fighting spirit, endurance, but also heart, a playful and unpredictable spirit! We must not forget that the Course Camarguaise is a game in which the bull is the main actor, and he must play his role perfectly: surprise, amaze, and foil the raseteur's traps!
Out of a dozen animals, only one or two will have a career in the arenas.
What's incredible is that very often, it's the mother's choice that will determine the qualities of the young bull! The cow passes on to her offspring the genes that will make the bull a young champion. It is therefore an integral part of the herd manager's role to raise a herd of quality cows to make his herd shine.
Did you say "branding"?
The ferrade consists of branding the animals with a hot iron with the symbol of the herd.
The ferrade takes place in the open field, the gardians sort the anouble (the young bull) then chase it to keep it away from the herd and mark it. A bull cannot run in a Course Camarguaise if it does not have the mark of its herd of origin.
The ferrades are often the occasion for large, joyful celebrations in the herd with the herdsmen, the herdsmen, and their friends, such as the abrivados, the encierros, and the gazes. If you have the opportunity to attend this event, don't hesitate!
In addition to this article
Themes
