A little further on from Murcia is the town of Caravaca de la Cruz. Not sure of the date this year, but during the first week of May each year, they hold the running of the wine horses, which is an incredible spectacle.
Each horse, decorated in an amazingly embroidered tabard/cover, runs at full tilt up the approach to the church. 4 fellows accompany it, holding tethers attached to the horse, & they all have to be there at the finish in order for the timed run to be valid.
We saw people quite badly injured by falls, but, such is the sentiment, any tears shed were because they had let the team down.
There were 6 ambulances on shuttle duty when we visited, used a lot for spectators who seemed to have little regard for the need to leave enough space for the horses & runners to get through.
A fantastic atmosphere throughout the day, & the locals all seemed to want you to drink some of their wine with them.
Def. Worth the visit
