What a pleasure to be back in a Comice field yesterday, and Echimiré really did do a fabulous job, with a really well laid out Comice venue and some truly excellent entertainments. We were advised to wear face masks most of the time, apart from when in the special areas for eating and drinking, where you had to have a health pass, but rather than keep showing it, you registered it once, and were given a very hard to remove bracelet that let you into the food and drink areas. It worked well.
You know you are at a Comice if there are decorated floats - there were only two this year and mostly static, although they were moved to the main arena at one point, but with no one on or accompanying them (didn't stop Cheviré le Rouge singing a lot). Well done to the two teams that put them together - for many it was a step too far.
One of the highlights of the Sunday afternoon was a Regional Percheron contest - I think mainly mares, ideally with foals tagging along, but there were some without I think. It was a painstaking process as the horses had to be shown static and moving, standing four square and ideally with ears pricked. Well, telling one tonne of horse who wants to keep an eye on her foal and doesn't much like flies to do that isn't the easiest task, and the judging went on all afternoon. The photos show some horses being prepared, and the entrance of a beautiful mare with two foals.
Among the entertainments were an all girl cabaret band, a fun show and some great musicianship too.
Animals are a key part of the Comice, as it reflects the local agricultural traditions. There were a number of cows, donkeys and ponies in pens in the woodland surrounding the Comice site, allowing them to stay cool as the afternoon wore on.
Continuing the animal theme, there was a local gentleman who herds geese, of course!
Among the numerous stands, there was a demonstration of carving with a chainsaw, glass blowing and the "mobile" peanut roaster. The largest crowd around the chainsaw sculptor was when it came to moving the massive crocodile, and everyone wanted to see whether the chaps with the big green lifter were up to the job!!
The Comice is all about the rural way of life and agriculture so the purveyors of nice, big, shiny machines are out in force with some mechanical porn. How about one of these as the new ride on lawn mower?
Such a wonderful day out - there was so much more, but you needed to be there! After the awfulness of the Covid months, it was great to enjoy such an event. So well done, Echimiré and I'm already looking forward to Pontigné in 2022.
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