In sand and sweat, Ziko Katif flies over the Alès arenas for the Camargue feria race

Face à Simba, taureau de chez Lagarde, Zakaria “Ziko” Katif prend, littérallement, son envol au dessus du Temperas. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

La course camarguaise du Trophée des As s’est tenue dans des arènes d’Alès plus que bondées ce jeudi 9 mai. Avec une prestation transportante du raseteur Zakaria “Ziko” Katif.

"No hay billetes." The inscription was very quickly posted on the wall of the Tempéras arenas this Thursday afternoon. And this has not happened for many years, according to several organizers of the event. For this second day of the feria, Alès hosted its traditional Camargue race belonging to the Trophée des As season, which brings together the best selection of raseteurs in the discipline. Nearly three hours of racing in which the public was able to contemplate seven bulls from seven large herds (Lagarde, Rouquette, Blatière, Cuillé, Vinuesa, Saumade and Rousty).

The arenas were sold out for this first race of the feria. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

The Arlésiennes dancing at the opening. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

Katif outclasses the race

An audience made up of fervent admirers of the discipline as well as families who came to enjoy the show with their children. "Me, I come especially for the white pants !", jokes a spectator who came from Saint-Julien-de-Cassagnas with a friend. The men in white, raseteurs and turners, never stopped running under a sun beating down on their heads (which had not happened in Alès for some time).

After a first kiss synonymous with warming up, the others offered some great moments of play: stampede in the callejon, jumping on the barriers and strings carried away with sums exceeding, sometimes the 400 € for runners.

At the start of the race, all eyes are on François Martin, who returned to action last year. However, his first string cut from the horns of Neptune, a solid bull from the Rouquette herd, was quickly eclipsed throughout the game by the numerous performances of the champion Zakaria Ziko Katif, already winner of four Trophées des Aces, including the last two to date. .

Faced with the heat and the bulls, the Montpellier rider chained together the big rasets including cockades taken from Neptune (Rouquette) and the bull Fouchet (Saumade). From the latter, he also takes acorn and string. The escapes and jumps follow one another and overshadow the rest of the group.

Jumps and destroyed barriers dotted the race. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

François Martin, best presenter of the race. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

At intermission, the track, and some spectators, enjoyed refreshments. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

Apollon, from the Rousty herd, named best bull. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

The Rousty herd received the prize for best bull. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

Winner of the “Favorite” handed over from the hands of Miss Alès, Clara Crouzette, and her two runners-up, Ziko Katif thus confirms his first place in the current ranking of Aces, which he already occupied with a strong lead. The capital of the Cévennes and the management of the arenas also rewarded François Martin as best presenter. The prize for the best bull was given to the dynamic Apollon, from the Rousty herd, the last to confront the white pants.

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