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The Supreme War Horse of Spain
By John Reismiller
Fool! Dolt! Babieca! Thus was
named the most famous horse in
the history of Spain.
In 11th century Spain, a famous
order of monks, the Carthusians,
were known for their horses.
They were raised and trained by
the order and were reputed to be
the best throughout the Spanish
Peninsula, their reputation even
reaching as far as the Frankish
and Norman nobles to the north
and the Italian states to the
west.
A young boy named Rodrigo Diaz
de Bivar was brought up near the
Carthusian monastery around
Burgos. His godfather, a monk
known as Pedro El Grande because
of his large size, looked after
the boy much as a father would
and counseled him in matters
both religious and practical.
When the young Rodrigo came of
age, his godfather granted him
the pick of a herd of beautiful
Andalusian horses. The boy could
not wait to enter the corral and
make his choice. After looking
for a while, his eyes fell upon
a white foal who, for some
reason, stole his heart. The
priest was astonished and
disappointed and called the boy
to task for choosing such a
frail and poorly formed figure
of a horse. Rodrigo defended his
choice and named him Babieca, my
stupid one, the name that had
been shouted at him for being,
in the eyes of his godfather,
such a poor judge of horses.
Babieca became an imposing white
standard of the Andalusian race,
obedient and nimble; noble and
of generous spirit. He soon grew
into a formidable charger, a
frightening machine of war. He
carried his master courageously
into all battles for thirty
years, each time towards victory.
His name was legendary and he
was spoken of with awe and
reverence.
So vast was the renown of
Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar that his
Saracen enemies paid tribute to
his prowess as a skilled warrior
and bestowed upon him the title
of El Cid Campeador which in
Arabic means My Lord, the
Champion of Warriors.
Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar went on to
capture the city of Valencia,
one of the last Moorish
strongholds in Southern Spain.
He took up residence in this
former Saracen capital,
departing its gates from time to
time on brief sallies against
his adversaries who had laid
siege to the walled city.
Mortally wounded in a fruitless
skirmish outside its walls, he
made his way back again through
the city's gates at great effort
and was laid upon a bed where
his wounds were treated. The
attempt to keep him alive proved
to no avail and El Cid passed
away before nightfall. Knowing
that the Moors would attack the
city in full force when the news
of his death was known, the next
morning his liegemen dressed his
lifeless body in his armor and
tied his lifeless corpse astride
his famous steed Babieca. Thus
propped upon his faithful
charger with his famous sword
Tizona clasped in his right hand
in an avenging gesture and with
a crimson cross blazoned across
his breast, Babieca carried his
dead master at the head of his
troops at full tilt against the
Saracen hosts. Like foam against
the prow of a mighty warship,
the panic-stricken Moors parted
before him and fled for their
boats, thinking that El Cid had
been miraculously raised from
the dead to continue the
struggle. Not even the fanatical
Moorish leader, Ben Yusuf, could
urge them to stand against this
white knight and his powerful
charger Babieca while his wife
and children watched fearfully,
yet proudly from the ramparts.
In death, as in life, El Cid had
saved Spain from the invading
hordes of Islam. He and his
mount had become unconquerable
heroes and lasting symbols of
national pride as they gallop
off into legend.
One who fills them with dread,
Grown much larger than ever,
Who rides on a white horse,
A crimson cross on his breast,
In his hand a white banner,
His sword looks like a flame
To torment the Moors.
After the death of El Cid,
Babieca was never mounted again
and died two years later at the
incredible age of forty. His
master had asked that his wife
and famous steed be buried with
him at the Monastery of San
Pedro de Cardeña. But
unfortunately their remains were
removed after the Peninsular
Wars and taken to the cathedral
in Burgos where they were
finally interred and where they
currently rest today.
The Andalusian breed of horse
has a long and distinguished
history. Developed in the
Spanish Peninsula, it was a
blend of the Arabian and Berber
horse with some admixture of
English blood. Their fame spread
as formidable mounts in the
Iberian cavalry of the
Carthaginian army that fought
against the Roman legions who in
turn captured and bred them to
help conquer the known world.
They soon became the standard by
which all warhorses were
measured and were prized for
their agility, temperament,
endurance and depth of character.
It is a pure bred that has great
stamina coupled with its stance,
power and the rhythm and grace
of its movements. It has always
instilled in spectator and rider
alike a feeling of grandeur.
There have been many statues
cast of El Cid and his fabulous
horse Babieca. Most notable is
the one in Burgos, Spain outside
the entrance of the famous
cathedral where El Cid, his wife
Ximenes and Babieca are buried.
Another impressive bronze statue
of this hero of Spain and his
mount is the creation of the
famous sculptor Anna Hyatt
Huntington and is located in
front of the Hispanic Society of
America at the Audubon Terrace
in the Washington Heights
section of New York City.
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