Blessing of the Horses
A tradition at St. John's Hyde Park is the annual blessing of the horses. Nearby Hyde Park is home to several hundred horses that are stabled there, with many of them (and their owners) participating in the annual blessing ceremony held on 19 September.
The church visible in the background in some of the pictures is St. John's (our church in London). Visit http://chuck.smugmug.com/gallery/244272/1/9533119 for the photos.
The tradition of blessing the horses developed in the 1960s when many of the stables in the area were threatened with closure. It is viewed as an opportunity to draw to our attention that horses are still very much a part of our lives in central London, and on the Hyde Park estate in particular.
(The main riding trail in Hyde Park is called "Rotten Row". This famous bridle path is almost four miles long. In the 17th century the road was used by William III, who found the walk from Kensington Palace to St. James was too dangerous. So he had oil lamps installed along the route, thus creating the first public road to be lit in England. The term 'Rotten Row' is derived from the French 'route du roi' or King's road.)
The church visible in the background in some of the pictures is St. John's (our church in London). Visit http://chuck.smugmug.com/gallery/244272/1/9533119 for the photos.
The tradition of blessing the horses developed in the 1960s when many of the stables in the area were threatened with closure. It is viewed as an opportunity to draw to our attention that horses are still very much a part of our lives in central London, and on the Hyde Park estate in particular.
(The main riding trail in Hyde Park is called "Rotten Row". This famous bridle path is almost four miles long. In the 17th century the road was used by William III, who found the walk from Kensington Palace to St. James was too dangerous. So he had oil lamps installed along the route, thus creating the first public road to be lit in England. The term 'Rotten Row' is derived from the French 'route du roi' or King's road.)
posted by Chuck and Kathi Calvano @ 8:33 PM
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