Watch: The European cowboys herding bulls in southern France

euronews (in English)

In France's Camargue region, a family of cowboys herd bulls on horseback, reminiscent of the American Wild West.

Transcript

00:00We were called the European Cowboys for a certain time, we are still called the last European Cowboys.

00:08Of course, we do the same job, we bring in wild animals, because in the Great Walls, they have the lasso to catch them.

00:16We have a trident that serves to protect us and also to drop bulls to be able to catch them.

00:23We have several similarities, of course, we are people of horses, we are horsemen,

00:28and we do it because we have animals to take care of.

00:35My name is Raoul Mayan, I am a Camargue manatee.

00:39A manatee is simply a breed of Camargue bulls that graze on the vastness of Camargue.

00:48But the manatee spreads over 1,500 hectares, so it is quite large, it is very large.

00:55There are 300 bulls that graze on the vastness of Camargue.

01:00The manatee is the one who takes care of these animals.

01:04The manatee is a family story, it is my grandfather Marcel who created it in the 1954s.

01:11Then my uncle and my father followed my grandfather Marcel,

01:17and then the manatee spread over 1,500 hectares.

01:23Then my uncle and my father followed my grandfather Marcel,

01:30and then the manatee spread over 1,500 hectares.

01:34Then the manatee spread over 1,500 hectares.

01:38I have always been carried by the bull, by the horse.

01:41It is something that is an integral part of my DNA.

01:47But let's say that Raoul, when he was very young, started to ride a horse with us.

01:52It was the moment, at the age of 30, when my brother and I said,

01:56well, Raoul is ready, we are going to go to the flambeau.

02:00Raoul was ready, we felt it.

02:02He was in the mold, I would say, in the mold of the bull,

02:08because he has this spirit, you have to have this spirit, this heart,

02:13this mind to raise animals.

02:16All this, if you don't have it in your heart, in your soul, it's not possible.

02:21So it's a great pride to have a son like that, who takes care of Raoul.

02:30Let's say it's the culmination of the manatee.

02:35The connection, let's say, is really special with a horse or with a bull.

02:39Even if the horse is really our teammate, because we are really all day with it.

02:46Camargue horses are white.

02:48It is a very versatile horse.

02:50But on the other hand, its greatest strength is for the work of the cattle,

02:54and for the sorting and the processing of the cattle.

02:59I often compare them to herd chains, to lock up the cattle, all that.

03:09My job here consists of mainly taking care of the cattle and the bulls.

03:17And I like to do this, I like to do this a lot.

03:21My job here is to take care of the cattle and horses of Raoul Mayan.

03:31I have the chance to work as a professional guardian,

03:37which consists of taking care of the well-being of each animal.

03:43Being able to marry a horse and a bull,

03:47and therefore these two passions,

03:50is something that gives satisfaction every day,

03:54and even more beautiful things.

04:01Because we have, as I said, a plurality of activities,

04:06our core is the Camargue race.

04:09The Camargue race is a bull that will be put in the arenas,

04:14and there will be racers dressed in white, with a hook.

04:20To remove the attributes that will be placed on the horns of the bull,

04:24the bull that enters the track will defend these attributes.

04:28These racers will try to delight them with a hook.

04:31When people see a Camargue race,

04:35the goal is that they have an emotion,

04:37and this emotion is created by danger.

04:40And the more the bull will put the racer in trouble,

04:44by his behavior,

04:47the more emotion he will have, the more danger he will have.

04:58Camargue bulls are not injured in the Camargue races.

05:03The Camargue bull is a sacred bull in Camargue.

05:10What I like the most in my job is that we live bulls,

05:16we live bulls, we think a lot about them.

05:20It is satisfying to have a goal,

05:23and my goal is the well-being of each one, of these bulls, of these horses.

05:27It is important to keep the Camargue traditions alive,

05:32like in other countries.

05:35We are called the last cowboys of Europe.

05:38We are already proud of our Camargue.

05:41I don't feel like working.

05:43I feel like living my passion,

05:46and that's the most beautiful thing.

05:57Camargue Bulls

Category

Transcript

Recommended