Sanlucar de Barrameda Horse Racing

Sanlucar de Barrameda is also noted for its horse racing which dates back to 1845 and takes place along a 1,800m stretch of beach at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir during the month of August, daily from 6.00 pm, on the 2nd and 4th weekends of the month (Thursday to Sunday). This is a thrilling spectacle where real racehorses thunder across the sand watched by a large noisy crowd of spectators. There is nothing amateur about this event and you can expect to see spectator stands, bookmakers, paddocks and of course the winners enclosure. Now an international event with horses from other European countries taking part and many famous names amongst the spectators.

The dates for the 2010 horse racing in Sanlucar de Barrameda are 7/8/9 and 19/20/21 August.
How exactly the races started is unclear. One story is that fish buyers raced the horses along the beach as they waited for trawlers to bring in their haul to the port. One story is that people raced donkeys along the banks for fun and eventually upgraded to horses.

What is known is that a horse racing society was established in Sanlucar in 1845, creating a tradition that would become a part of the city’s cultural fabric. Miguel Sanchez Delage, an insurance businessman who has directed the race for the last 17 years, said that the races have grown and are "1,000 times better." But, he said, the beloved event almost died in 1980 because of mismanagement and apathy. It needed new blood he said.

The race once was considered for rich people only. But there is little that separates the elite from the common folk at the races today.

Families can sit on the beach with only an orange mesh construction fence separating them from the horses. A party that concludes the last round of races is open to the public.