The broad smile of sa prima pandela Danilo Pes and the affectionate handshakes with his assistants Matteo Falchi and Andrea Mureddu, but especially with family, friends, and fellow villagers who congratulated them, had the power to instantly dissolve all the tension that had built up during the race, just before 8:00 PM. The Sedilese breeder successfully fulfilled his leap of faith and childhood dream, completing the Ardia on July 6th with great satisfaction : he made his vow to San Costantino on behalf of the parish priest Don Maurizio Demartis , who can be proud of his choice.
The anticipation had been as thrilling as ever, from the handover of the flags in the packed Piazza San Giovanni, with the riflemen called to mark the various stages of the anxiously awaited investiture rite. The journey from the village to the sanctuary served to pray to the saint for all to go well and to finalize the final strategies, while at "su Frontigheddu" the hard work of the escorts was essential to stem the pressure of the knights. Then, at 7:10 PM, when Danilo Pes darted at a breakneck pace down the steep hill overlooking Lake Omodeo, speeding through the Arch of San Costantino, the silence of anticipation quickly turned into a roar of joy. The enthusiasm of the cheering crowd accompanied the clatter of "Tenaghe's" hot hooves as he proudly climbed up to the sanctuary, surrounded by an exceptional crowd despite the weekday.
Behind the first banner, the two flags arrived, also very quickly, Matteo Falchi with "Chirilla" and Andrea Mureddu riding "Deodorada". The leaders were closely followed by the escorts Giambattista Carboni, Giuseppe Carboni Paolo Mureddu, the faithful guardians were called upon to the arduous task of keeping the large group of Sedilese horsemen and horsewomen at bay. The odd laps around the Sanctuary also clearly confirmed once again the strong bond between the people of the Ardia and the race leader , who had to work hard to please all the faithful who raised their arms to touch and kiss the flag. The sudden, remote-controlled sprint in agreement with Falchi and Mureddu made the descent to "sa Muredda" even more exciting and thrilling. Here the ritual of clockwise and counterclockwise laps was repeated and, when the moment was right, Danilo Pes decided to climb back up at a wild gallop to the church to the conclusion of a perfect Ardia without smudges .
Surrounded by all the knights to receive greetings and compliments that were certainly not superficial, the three race leaders thanked everyone with the equanimity of those who knew they had honored the holy warrior.
The thanksgiving mass celebrated in the sanctuary, in the presence of the same flags, marked the moving religious moment, beautifully accompanied by the San Francesco di Sedilo choir . After the religious rite, the ritual, unbridled race back to Su Frontigheddu marked the conclusion of the first part of the Ardia 2026.
Mayor Salvatore Pes, who watched the race in front of the sanctuary, expressed satisfaction with the problem-free race . "Everything went very well," Pes emphasized. "Everyone contributed to the exceptional festive atmosphere."
The impeccable work of the entire organizational and security team is also to be considered positive. It was no easy task for the members of the Santu Antinu association led by Angelo Porcu, the "fusileris" association led by Salvatore Pisanu, the civil defense, local police and law enforcement agencies (police, carabinieri, financial police, and forestry police), who discreetly ensured that everything ran smoothly.
The Ardia will be repeated tomorrow morning with the same ritual, a more intimate but no less anticipated event. At 7:30 a.m., in Piazza San Giovanni, the parish priest will again hand over the Sas Pandelas to the race leaders, preceding the 8 a.m. Ardia, accompanied by the riflemen and the Villanova Monteleone marching band. In the afternoon, at 6:30 p.m., solemn vespers in the parish will precede the procession of San Costantino through the town streets, one of the most heartfelt moments of the entire festival, in which the race leaders will also participate.
