Zakaria Katif will be in Nîmes on Sunday, crowned winner of the Trophée des As for the third consecutive time.

Une action du raseteur Zakaria Katif. M. L. – CYRIL DANIEL

This Sunday, October 13th, in Nîmes, the final of the Trophée des As of the Camargue race will take place. The raseteur Zakaria Katif will be the winner already designated. A title that he wins for the third consecutive edition.
 

Have you looked at the statistics and noted that you are going to win the competition for the third consecutive time, and that only seven raseteurs, in more than half a century, have achieved this feat ?

No, not at all, I haven't looked at these numbers. What I know is that I'm very happy to be able to win this trophy again this year. What you need to know is that participating in the As requires constant effort. It's a job on continuity and regularity, to be accomplished over as many races as possible, and to keep commitments.

Do you keep track of the races you take part in??

It's difficult to say very precisely, but I think that this season I should be around sixty, all inclusive, because I also took part in races in the Trophée de l'Avenir.

Which days do you think are the most memorable to highlight? your entire 2024 season?

If I had to choose two, I think I would choose Nîmes for the Pentecost feria, and Lunel, in July, without the 3M Trophy framework.

And which bulls made the strongest impression on you ?

Without doubt Vicar, Bohemian, and Castella. They have shown value and regularity.

Bulls that you will therefore find on Sunday in Nîmes ?

And yes !

To still mention Nîmes, what do you think of the idea, launched several summers ago, of organizing Camargue races as part of the Nîmes Thursdays ?

It's a very good initiative. It highlights the Camargue race, attracts a rather different, family-oriented audience, and allows children to measure the performances of the raseteurs and the bulls. It's really very good.

On the track, how do you feel that it is not the same crowd as the other races ?

By the reactions, especially, when a bull jumps over barriers or makes the boards fly. It amuses the children a lot.

How do you judge this Nîmes track ?

It is complicated, by its dimensions and the height of the boards. It requires a lot of commitment, for the bullfighters and the bulls.

How do your young children react when they see your activity in the bullring ?

I have a 9-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. The boy often comes to see me at the bullring. After the race, he doesn't talk about it much, but I know he's very happy when I win…

Do you still enjoy shaving ?

Maybe not always. For the Aces competition, for example, you have to be mentally strong. There is a lot of pressure.

Don't you think that shaving seven bulls, as is often the case, is a considerable physical ordeal ?

Not particularly, if an eighth bull came out on the ring, I would shave it too.

How do you feel about the fact that your real first name, Zakaria, is most often shortened to Ziko ?

I don't care about this shortcut. Besides, even my parents sometimes call me Ziko…

 

 

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