At 11:50 AM, at the entrance of the fair in Area A, the Institute for the Improvement of Horse Breeding for Sicily will present Saro, a Bardotto horse born in 2021 at Tenuta Ambelia (CT), the offspring of the cross between Moreno, an Arabian thoroughbred, and Nocciola, a Ragusana donkey.
Once essential as a pack and draft animal, the Bardotto horse is known for its extraordinary physical strength and robustness, qualities that made it particularly suitable for heavy work in times of war. Although the breed is fairly common in Sicily, its breeding is complicated due to the low fertility resulting from the cross between the horse and donkey breeds, a peculiar characteristic that makes this breed increasingly rare and valuable.
At the fair, Saro will be presented with the traditional Sicilian saddle, an accessory once used during breeding campaigns when Sicilian roads were poorly connected, and the muleteers, to carry out their journeys, loaded everything they needed on their mules, from food supplies to tools for animal care, including materials to maintain the stallions in good condition.
Saro’s presentation will be accompanied by the evocative music of “Deborah’s Theme” by Ennio Morricone, a tribute to the Sicilian tradition and the history of this extraordinary animal, which has been part of the island’s rural culture for generations.
