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THE WINNERS OF THE 2013 PALIO DI SIENA HORSE RACES


Jockey and horse of contrada dell'Onda during a July Palio trial race in 2013
Blue and white, the colors of contrada dell'Onda (during a trial race of the July Palio)

After the Palio on the 2nd of July 2013, which has been won by the neighborhood of the Goose the second Palio in 2013, the August race called Il Palio dell'Assunta, has been won by contrada dell'Onda, the neighborhood of the Wave, which is based to the South of piazza del Campo. 

This is bad news for la Torre - the Tower neighborhood lying behind Torre del Mangia - which is the only contrada in Siena to have two enemies: Oca and Onda, the two winners of the July and August Palios 2013.

Both races have been won by Giovanni Atzeni, the jockey known as Tittia in Siena. Giovanni Atzeni participated in the Palio di Provenzano in July for contrada dell'Oca and won on the horse Guess, whereas the Palio dell'Assunta saw him racing for L'Onda on top of Morosita Prima. 



Palio dell'Assunta, 16th of August 2013


It's a special feat for a jockey to win both Palios in a year. Giovanni Atzeni has run the race 20 times and won it four times so far (three out of four for contrada dell'Oca). He is the second jockey to fare cappotto (win both races) in the 21st century. In 2005 the jockey Trecciolino won the July Palio for Bruco (caterpillar) and the August race for La Torre, both times on the horse Berio.  


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