The Golegã Horse Fair takes place every November in the town of Golegã, widely known as the horse capital of Portugal. Almost overnight, this normally quiet town becomes a vibrant celebration of Portuguese equestrian culture, drawing horse lovers from across Europe to honour Portugal’s iconic native breed, the Lusitano.
If you’re booked on one of our horse riding holidays in Portugal in October or November, we highly recommend adding the Golegã Horse Fair to your itinerary. It’s an unforgettable highlight for anyone looking for authentic horseback riding vacations and unique equestrian travel experiences.
Often considered one of the most exciting events on Europe’s equestrian calendar, the Golegã Horse Fair Portugal truly has it all: dressage, showjumping, eventing, driving, equitation, endurance riding, traditional equestrian games, performances, plus endless stalls and markets filled with tack, gifts, and local specialties. You’ll also see top breeders from Portugal and beyond—and some of the most stunning horses in Europe.
And it’s not just Lusitanos, either. While the Lusitano is the star of the show, visitors can admire many different breeds parading through arenas and lining the streets, with horses peering from stable doors all throughout town. For riders and spectators alike, this is the perfect addition to a horse back riding adventure and one of the most memorable cultural moments you can include in your horse riding holidays in Portugal.
And it’s this immersion that makes the fair so wonderful – you don’t have to attend a particular event or to to a specific area to be completely surrounded by horses and riders. They’re everywhere – trotting along the roads, tied up outside makeshift bars, grazing in tiny backyards, pulling cartloads of giggling children, and even accompanying their owners to the ‘discotheque’, where, amazingly, they don’t seem at all bothered by the strobe lights and throbbing beats!
The most important day of the Fair is the Feast of Saint Martin, or Saint Martin’s Day, which occurs on the 11th of November. Riders and horses don traditional Portuguese riding costumes and join the pilgrims in walking through Golegã to the Church of Saint Martin. Once they have been blessed, the party begins in earnest. The air is thick with the smoky scent of roasted chestnuts. New wine is consumed in truly impressive quantities. Street vendors, restaurants, clubs and bars stay open until the wee hours, and the energy and excitement of thousands of horses and humans is tangible.
References: Feira da Golegã, Lusitano Horse Finder, Daily Mail Australia.
Image credits:nvphoto/Shutterstock (Feature image cropped from original)
