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Latin America Professional Award 2023 Shortlist

Kawallu Pata (Horses of the Heights)
Uriel Montúfar
Series description

The Andean people’s love of horses can be traced back to their early encounters with Spaniards on horseback, who the Inca people believed were gods. That strong bond remains, and every April people gather to race their horses in Langui District, the equestrian capital of the Andes. The races take place on a race track that covers a distance of 1,000 metres on the plain between Languilayo lagoon and Yanaorco mountain, at an altitude of 3,969 metres. The stars are the Andean horses that have adapted to life in the high mountains, ridden by child jockeys as spectators place their bets.

Biography

Environmental lawyer and passionate about photography, of Quechua birth and Aymara upbringing, he seeks through photography to revalue the worldview of native peoples and create awareness of the destiny that Pachamama runs.

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Training Andean horses before the races.
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The start of a race.
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Andean horse races held on the shores of the Languilayo lagoon.
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A rider in the high Andean horse races.
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An Andean horse race in Langui.
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Spectators watch the horse races.
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The arrival of horses at the finish line; in the background is the 4,400 metre mountain of Yanaorco.
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Spectators watch as a rider reaches the finish line, with Yanaorco in the background.
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The winners of the race: the jockey, his father and their horse.