"La Russie", Carentan: an afternoon at the races

The Carentan horse race meetings takes place at La Russie, or Russia. The site is so named because it used to house Russian prisoners of war during the Napoleonic wars. It must therefore be exactly 200 years since the French capitulated and the Russian soldiers were able to make their way home.

There are three race meetings in August at La Russie, the intermediate one always on the Feast of the Ascension (a public holiday). All the races are trotting races. Today there was one race with mounted jockeys, the remainder being with sulkies, i e the driver is seated on a minimalist two-wheeled cart.

In a trotting race, a horse is instantly disqualified if he breaks into a different stride, e g a canter or gallop. The speeds achieved at a trot can nonetheless be impressive.

This photo was taken before racing started, the horse seen on the left was just being exercised.

And yes, the gathering dark clouds were later to produce the anticipated rain.