Ascoli Quintana horse tournament starts with Luca Innocenzi's first assault

The traditional Quintana horse tournament in Ascoli Piceno entered its August edition after the ceremonial Offerta dei Ceri in Piazza del Popolo. Six riders received a blessing and the order of assault for Sunday, 2 August, was drawn. Luca Innocenzi of the Porta Solestà district will launch the first assault against the Moro, followed by Davide Dimarti (Piazzarola), Tommaso Finestra (Sant’Emidio), Mattia Zannori (Porta Tufilla), Adalberto Rauco (Porta Maggiore) and Lorenzo Melosso (Porta Romana).

Veterinary checks, carried out by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Teramo, examined twelve horses – two for each district – and all were declared fit for the competition. The event follows the July Giostra, with traditional processions, the municipal group, seventeen castelli and a banquet in each district to wish luck to the riders.

The ceremony also featured the reading of the challenge by banditore Daniele Cannellini and coordination by choreographer Mirko Isopi and master of the parade Marco Terrani.