Heavy horses, light relief

I'm posting very late again.  The days clip by like a ceaseless procession of  horses, the champion stallions heading the parade followed in rapid succession by the lighter weights, the ponies, the knee-high Shetlands, even a donkey.  That was/this is Barley Saturday in Aberteifi/Cardigan. I wrote about it in an earlier blip (2012!) and it hasn't changed since..

Once a major hiring fair, Sadwrn Barlys still attracts equine and farming folk from all across southwest Wales. The stallion show  is followed by a horse parade through the main streets, and then a procession of well- used vehicles: ancient tractors shaking and shuddering and belching out smoke, old bangers and jalopies without silencers revving aggressively as they round the castle and approach the steep bend into the High Street.  The atmosphere is full of fumes and excitement, balloons and ice-creams, the hottest day so far.   Small boys perch precariously on the castle walls as they must have done in the days before combustion engines, when it was  hooves and swords creating noise and sparks in battles to take control of the river crossing here.

A few extras from the day.