Francesco Lilliu, very young knight of Guasila, is the winner of "S'Acchixedda 2023". At the first light of dawn, this morning in the Guasila countryside, the traditional heifer hunt (Sa cassa de s'Acchiscedda) took place, the origin of which dates back to the time of Spanish domination in Sardinia. The bachelors of the village (bagadius) took part in the competition, organized as part of the festivities in honor of the patron saint Maria Vergine Assunta, in turn opposed by the married (coiaus) in their gallop on horseback chasing the heifer.
Lilliu managed to stop the calf's run with a snare, taking the animal by the horns, as established by the regulation handed down orally over the centuries. The winner was awarded the symbol of triumph, the fresh cane to which a large silk handkerchief is tied which he will then have to give to his fiancée with the hope of getting married soon and thus entering adulthood.
Tomorrow instead, in the afternoon of August 15 (the gates of the racecourse towards Villanovafranca open at 5 pm), is the great day of the Palio di Santa Maria organized by the Guasilese Horse Association in collaboration with the Municipality of Guasila, the Union of Municipalities Trexenta and the Region of Sardinia.
This year the equestrian club wanted to do things on a grand scale, giving away – it must be said – the record prize money of 15,000 euros: 7,000 for the winner, 1,500 for the runner-up, respectively 1,000 and 500 for the third and fourth. The remaining sum is destined for the Palio dei Neighborhoods (the race featuring the historic districts of the center of Trexenta): 3,500 euros for the first, 1,000 for the second, 500 for the third. Thanks to the growing success of the event, the town of Trexenta has earned the nickname of "Little Siena" over the years. There are not a few jockeys who, in the past editions, have raced both in Guasila and in the Tuscan city.
