The Tope Nacionalis a Costa Rican tradition, and San Jose's parade of horses is the country's largest and most popular. With both horses and riders elaborately decorated, the parade moves along the Paseo Colon to Avenida.
An important event that inaugurates the Festejos Populares is the “Tope Nacional”. A Tope is a horse parade, which is a typical tradition in all local fiestas. The San Jose Tope is the most famous and largest in Costa Rica. Thousands of riders come from all over the country to show off their beautiful horses, riding skills, fancy steps, and specially designed cowboy outfits. It is widely known as the biggest people-watching event of the year.
The tradition began in colonial times as a horse race to commence the Fiestas de San Juan, a horse-racing and bullfighting event. It was customary for everyone to come out to see who the best jockeys and the fastest horses were.
The Tope is the National Day of the Horseman and, on December 26th, the Festejos Populares is inaugurated with this traditional event. Horse owners, farm workers, and farm owners come to the capital from all over the country to bring their best animals to the best horseman show of them all. Instead of racing, the horses are trained to take special steps, almost dancing for the spectators that line the streets. You will also see many of the typical “carretas”, hand-painted ox carts created by famous local craftsmen. The Tico riders dress to impress. The girls are all made up, wearing their flashy cowgirl outfits, and the men are right behind. The event is all about how good you look while riding your horse and how many fancy steps your horse can maneuver to impress the crowd.
Check out the dancing horses below
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