No palio for the people of Acate

The decision is final for the people of Acate. The police commissioner of Ragusa, Giuseppe Oddo, has in fact ordered that the Palio of San Vincenzo will not take place. The traditional horse race that normally runs in Acate from April 30th to May 3rd has been suspended after various animal rights groups had protested that the event was far too dangerous both for the animals involved as well as the watching public. According to the LAV and other associations, safety measures for the manifestation were well below par putting the horses at risk but also the crowd that normally gathers to watch the race. Numerous incidents have taken place over the years and only last year two horse shoes had come off the galloping animals and flew into the crowd. At the heart of the decision lies also the fact that there were many violations with the health certificates of the animals and also that many of the jockeys and proprietors involved with the race had records of arrest, some quite serious and linked to clandestine races, that had been signalled to the police over the years.