Those who say they are “happy with the performances” but not “satisfied” with the outcome of the Giostra are Alberto Branchi, captain of Porta Crucifera. His district reached the play-offs despite a major unexpected event.
“The horse of Lorenzo Vanneschi he lost an iron – he says – so the vet and the blacksmith intervened. The horse was shod and his health was protected, but the hoof was causing some problems. Lorenzo, however, proved to be in excellent shape and I decided to take a risk. A choice that rewarded us at the beginning, with a beautiful 5, but which in the end penalized us, because the play-off career was slow”. An episode which, however, led to a further reflection: “The Giostra – says Branchi – needs more professionalism. In the minutes in which the vet and farrier intervened, three times I saw the field master arrive and order us to hurry. But under what regulation? In reality we could have changed horses, going to get the spare one in Antria. Then yes, the times would have been extended. We could say the same thing for the episode of the Porta del Foro carousel’s descent from his horse. It appears to us that the jury did not give the signal. In these cases, article 40 of the regulation speaks of a deduction of two points. And if it had been interpreted literally, perhaps the fate of the event could have changed. To avoid situations like these, which happened to us yesterday, but which could befall any other neighborhood in the next round, we need greater professionalism.”
