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Jerez
2002
WEG
 
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First Visit to Jerez
July 27, 2002
(Spanish Tapas - July
28)
Found Cartujan Horses! Jerez
is a lovely town in the south of Spain, near the Mediterranean
coast. The people are friendly, life is good, the horses are
beautiful and have the best temperament. Each one I met at the stud farm
today immediately came to be petted. This
is my first visit to Jerez for the pre-production trip for Dressage un
Ltd's videos of World Equestrian Games in September. I flew to Madrid and
then to Jerez on Iberian airlines, picked up a rental car, diesel and
standard transmission at the airport and found my way to the hotel on the
wide and beautiful main street, Alcade Alvaro Domecaq. Jerez is very interesting to navigate as I have yet to find any street signs. I wound up on the toll road to Seville and stopped at a gas station who told me I had to go back toward Jerez. Only 24 km to a turn around. Then I luckily (but I didn't think so at the time) missed the Jerez North exit but found the Jerez South exit which took me by the Cartujan
Monastery on the front of the state stud farm brochure. I did a turnaround (interesting), went to the
monastery and found that the farm is 3 km away. It only took 2 more stops to find my way <G>. I arrived just as the show was ending but got to see about 5 minutes including the mares and foals. Met the director of the farm and the English speaking guide had only me to guide so I got a private tour of the lovely, now state-owned facility.
The guide is a college student who has been to Ireland and has been the English speaking guide for 2 years. The farm is open only on Saturdays. Free Jerez sherry is offered, but since I had skipped breakfast, I had to decline.
The farm does not sell its horses yet and at this time has about 350, stallions, mares and foals. Only the stallions are ridden, as the mares are kept breeding. This line of Pure Spanish Horses (same "breed" as Andalusian which come from the area of Andalusia) was started by the monks in
about 1400. The state is trying to preserve the breed. If you have a Pure Spanish mare, you can bring her to the stud to be bred -- natural cover not AI. They have a state of the art clinic complete with operating room. The
farm is on land that was once part of the Catujan monastery that started
the breed. The estate has had many owners over the five centuries
but was purchased by the state about a decade ago. The facility was
built to equestrian specifications and is beautiful and functional.
Ten large stalls in each "stable" each facing out on a shaded
aisle. Large, shaded communal pens and barns for the mares and the
yearling and two year old colts. A lovely arena with seating for the
Saturday shows.
The horses have an unbelievable friendly temperament. They crowd to be petted -- foals, mares, stallions, colts. The color is 94% dapple grey which turns to pure white about the age of 10. There are also bays and extremely rarely a true black. The stud farm has several bay mares and a bay stallion as dark bay as a stallion can be and not be black. He was ridden in the show and when bathed looks pure black. The state stud has not had a black mare or stallion yet, but would definitely keep it. The foals are separated from the mares for about an hour a day and handled. They come right up to you. Fillies tails are shaved with a "brush" on the end to tell them from the colt foals. At 6 months they are weaned and at a year, fillies go back in the herd with the broodmares, while the colts join a herd of yearlings and two year old colts. Colts are never gelded. The brochure features the twelve mares "cobra"
as we saw at CHIO Aachen last year.
When I asked the guide at the farm how to get back to the hotel, she said go to Jerez and then stop and ask <G>.
Tried to go back to the hotel by following the Jerez Central signs. Stopped at a gas station where water was only 50 cents a bottle and I should have bought more than 2. Then some very interesting side tours of Jerez down extremely narrow one way streets before finally deciding to follow a bus and voila, the street finally widened and I thought, wouldn't it be nice if this was the street the hotel was on and it was.
Decided food was long past due and asked the hotel for a place for lunch -- a tapas bar around the corner where their English is as good as my Spanish. A dictionary would be helpful. Tapas is appetizer size (although usually big enough for 2) al a carte. You order several items and make a leisurely meal. Local white wine, Jerez sherry, beer, soft drinks in small bottles, and coffee are beverage choices. Olives with a clove of garlic (but very very mild) and chunks of
French bread start the meal. Tiny hard rolls shaped like French bread baguettes are the local "cracker". Started with the recommended Meat of the Bull
- Carne de Toro -- chunks of beef in a wine sauce - excellent. Stuffed mushrooms were excellent, too. Had to order "Jumbled to the Boots"
(Revuelto a las Botas) -- that's the English translation -- which turned out to be scrambled eggs with mushrooms, local bacon, a bit of veggies. Dry white wine is served in a tiny glass. Coffee is made fresh by the cup with coffee beans ground and each cup brewed one at a time when ordered. Sugar packet is double size. I was way too full but couldn't resist ordering Bacon of Sky for dessert. The dessert baker just delivered the "bacon" fresh. It is a baked smooth custard served cold with a bit of
caramel sauce. Again excellent. Total was 15 Euros. The English menu translations are sometimes a challenge. Also need to find where they put street names. Rental car didn't have any maps as the "tourist" office was closed. Hotel had a street map that is hard to read but even if I can make it out, I
rarely find any street names. I did buy a map at the first gas station but it is of Spain, without a map of Jerez. There are lots of traffic circles. I stopped at a greenhouse only 3 kilometers from the stud farm and a nice couple insisted the store would know how to get to the school but they didn't. Actually, you go to the cement plant and just past the plant is a road that says El Porta which I went by (I am getting to be excellent at U-turns -- and improving standard transmission).
Just go past the entrance to the cement plant and around a few more curves and here is the sign with the brands.
Once inside the farm gates, the facility is beautiful.
Back to the hotel and despite the extra sleep last night, I couldn't resist the turned down bed for "afternoon siesta". It is very easy in the heat to quickly become addicted to life on Spanish time. Stores open about 10 a.m., then close for lunch and siesta about 12 or 1, opening again at about 5 and staying open until 8 p.m. Restaurants open for dinner at 9 (a few as early as 8 p.m.)
I asked the front desk for a place to ride and maybe they will find one for me in the morning.
People are very friendly and everyone tries to help. I asked for a room with a balcony --- which is available, but only for two people <G>. I would have considered paying for a double room but the front desk acted as if it was not possible for one person to occupy a double room.
My room is quite adequate although very small -- European standard -- with a lovely horse print on the wall. Sheets are very soft, turned down for afternoon siesta and at night with a chocolate on the bedstand. There is one soft pillow on the bed which is as wide as the bed. You can request your choice of 4 different pillows. This one is perfect -- too perfect. Towels are big and soft. Soap is glycerin and it almost instantly melts. First bar only lasted for
one shower.
I think I passed the WEG stadium in construction but I have not yet seen the Royal Andalusian school although it is supposedly very close.
The wait in Madrid for the flight to Jerez makes the travel time almost the same as renting a car and driving.
The countryside is farm country with groves of grapes and fields and fields of crops. There are occasional beautiful walled and gated estates.
I think I will visit the tapas bar again tonight for dinner --- about 9 p.m.
Spanish Tapas - July 28
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