Two days after when Muslims end their about 30 days of fasting and have their big feast, which is known as End of Ramadan, some towns in Cameroon, in particular those with large Muslim populations in the Grand North region, host an occasion called “Fantasia.”  It’s an event when community members from the town and nearby towns come together to see a horse show.  The horses are adorned with beautiful saddles, clothes, and fringes and the riders wear beautiful outfits. The community members honor Lamido, the traditional leader of the town.  Then during the show, horses race down a street towards Lamido who is usually sitting on a horse watching the horses and riders racing.  Lamido will sometimes participate in the race too.  Once the horses and riders comes close to Lamido, they salute to him.  They will sometimes use swords or raise fists as another way of greeting Lamido.  The riders and horses will return back to beginning of the race and come racing again down the street.  The cycle repeats for about 30 minutes.

Community members stand on the sides of the streets or sit at the end of the street to watch the show.  They also play music and dance while the horse show is happening.

I had the opportunity to attend “Fantasia” while vacationing at Alex’s post in Adamawa.  I have always wanted to see a horse show in Cameroon because I have seen images of them and admired the beauty of horses, especially how Cameroonians dress them up.  Seeing the show was incredibly exciting and a worthwhile experience.

Lamido, who is under the red umbrella and wearing a white scarf, is a traditional leader of the town.

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