Amatrice claims victory at the Mayor Donkey Race with Jacopo Grillotti riding to success, as the event returns after last year’s cancellation.
RIETI – Amatrice wins again this year at the Mayor Donkey Race. The jockey Jacopo Grillotti triumphs in the saddle (in 2023 Pietro Santarelli won), while a repeat victory is achieved in the beauty category: the hosts also claim the title of Lady of the Palio with Lucia Rosati (in the 2023 edition, Lucrezia Massari for Accumoli and Stefania de Angelis for Capitignano tied for first place). Last year the race was canceled due to bad weather. In 2025, except for a few drops, the event was successful along with the usual historical parade that reached the Somarodrome in Lagozzo. ‘Despite the unforeseen events,’ said the mayor of Amatrice Giorgio Cortellesi, ‘resisting the usual bad weather, irony, fun, and that spirit of sharing that we need to give hope to our devastated land that needs to restart, have won.’ The script is the usual, the quadrupeds compete in humorous races but always attentive to animal welfare, bearing the names of their respective mayors. A playful moment that saw numerous municipalities from the Rieti area and neighboring regions participate. The second position was claimed by Montereale. Not only competition, but also a touching moment of reflection, which took place this morning as scheduled, at the Monument to the victims of the earthquake, in the presence of the authorities. No less competitive was ‘Il Campanaccio’, the final for the last of the last: the donkey-mayor of Arquata, ridden by Alessandro Marini, won.
