One of the finest houses in the vicinity of Ca’s Concos d’es Cavaller has to be Es Puig Gros, an impressive casa senyorial as ever you have seen. On approaching the estate, a flock of pavos reales (peacocks) start emitting their high pitched cries, alerting the proprietors of a possible intrusion. That’s what peacocks do naturally and that’s why peacocks are kept in Mallorcan country houses: to keep guard. In the fields below the estate, a dozen or so of the most beautiful Arabian horses graze, minding their own business, mostly mares and their foals.

The owner, María Teresa Gual de Torrella, is one of the best known horse breeders in Spain. She set up her Fundación Mare Rumbosa in 1973 to start her thoroughbred breeding program under the name of Yeguada Puig Gross. Her purebred Arabians, some of which became National Champion Stallions in the States, in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, are noted worldwide for their exquisite beauty with huge eyes, slightly longer underjaw and their powerful motion. Sadly, the horse breeding in Ca’s Concos is now slowing down a bit due to Doña Gual approaching her retirement age. The younger Gual generation does not seem to be too interested in pursuing horse breeding as a way of earning one’s living and does not seem to share their mother’s passion. A great shame, really.

The photo was taken near Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: March 22nd, 2010. The time was 13:24:37.