The traditional Mare Roundup filled Hinojos with life this weekend. Around 400 equines, including mares and foals, were guided from the Doñana marshes to the town center for exhibition and subsequent sale as part of the Livestock Fair.
The work began on Saturday when horse-riding ranchers started searching for livestock within the 8,500 hectares of the municipal property known as the Marisma Gallega. After selecting the animals in the Choza del Pastor area, they departed early Sunday morning towards Hinojos.
The procession of animals through the town, led by the horsemen, culminates with their presentation before the Virgen del Valle, the town's patron saint, before being housed in the Municipal Livestock Enclosure. The entry into Hinojos is made via the Camino del Rocío, skirting the Salvador Talavera Botanical Park.
This spectacle, which attracts a growing number of visitors requesting authorization to enter Doñana, has roots in a much older activity. The event as it is known today began in 1991, although the roundup of animals from the marsh is one of the oldest traditions in Andalusia.
