The career of the Palio di Siena which took place last night in Piazza del Campo risked ending in the worst possible way. After an exhausting move that lasted over an hour, marked by three exits from the ropes and by as many starts canceled by the mover Renato Bircolotti, the Contrada del Nicchio dominated the race from the first to the last meter. The jockey Giovanni Atzeni, known as Tittia, riding the horse Anda e Bola, set an unsustainable pace for the pursuers from the districts of Selva, Torre and Istrice, bringing the Nicchio back to success after a 28-year fast.
However, immediately after crossing the finish line with nerves raised, the party turned into a tragedy: a member of the Contrada who recklessly entered the track collided with Anda and Bola, causing the disastrous fall of the horse, Tittia and the involvement of a third person. The jockey, who remained unconscious on the ground for several moments, was rescued by medics and transported by ambulance to the Santa Maria delle Scotte hospital in Siena, where he was found to have a head injury and a microfracture to a vertebra in his neck. Tittia will have to remain under observation for at least 24 hours to monitor the evolution of the head trauma, while for the cervical microfracture he will have to wear a collar for around 30 days.
Yet another confirmation of an anachronistic and dangerous demonstration
The accident that happened to Giovanni Atzeni and Anda and Bola – fortunately declared in good condition by the vets – represents only the latest chapter in a long trail of dramatic events. The structure of Piazza del Campo, characterized by a sloping city layout with right-angle curves and slippery tuff layers, transforms each edition into an unjustified risk.
The presence of dozens of people on the route after the race just ended demonstrates how current safety measures are insufficient to guarantee the safety of both humans and animals. This event continues to perpetuate an archaic entertainment model, in which the life and physical integrity of equids are subordinated to the logic of parochialism and folklore.
The trail of blood: the heavy toll of accidents over the years
Historical data confirms that the tragedy experienced by Nicchio is not an isolated case, but the natural consequence of a high-risk race. From the 1970s to today, it is estimated that around 50 horses have lost their lives due to injuries sustained on the track or in official trials. Memory runs to tragic slaughters such as those of Quasar in 1980, Rodomonte in 1983, Quebel in 1995 and Quercino in 1998, up to the more recent cases of Zodiach in 2004, Aramis in 2006, Ombrone in 2010 and Raol in 2018. The case of Abbasantesa, the mare from the Contrada della Giraffe injured in August 2023 and subjected to euthanasia weeks later, in a context of communication opacity. The time has come to say enough to a tradition that exploits horses and puts the lives of jockeys at risk in the name of entertainment.
