STORIES : Centaurs Of The Sands
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Centaurs Of The Sands
The Horsemen 2 (World)
By Patricio Estay
Image ID: 010PEMA_NV_041

The sorbas are groups of seven to ten riders, whose ages range from fourteen to seventy, since a senior member must be present. They are commanded by a mokhadem whose authority is recognized by everyone. The sorbas are grouped together by ethnic group, or tribe, and they all know each other. In some exceptional cases, the sorbas can include as many as a hundred riders. With the command to shoot given by the mokhadem, the rifle shots go off all at once, in order to make it sound as much as possible like one single shot. Although shots are sometimes fired towards the ground, they are generally fired into the air, above the horse's head, with the butt of the rifle held in both hands and pressed against the rider's chest. Immediately after the firing, the horses are stopped within a few meters and do a quick half-turn. The sorba starts up again, in columns, with the starting line alongside one of the sides of the field, while the next team takes its turn. Morocco.