Las Luminarias: Young Rider

We met this teenager on the eve of the festival in the hills above the town. This was his first time riding at the festival and the moment he had been building towards his whole life. 'Young Rider' is the fifth and final image from my genesis photography collection 'Las Luminarias', a visual documentation of my time spent at this surreal, 500-year-old, rural Spanish festival. On the 16th January, in the small mountain village of San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain. In honour of San Anton, the patron saint of animals, horses are ridden through bonfires, in the belief that the smoke and flames will purify and protect the animal for the year ahead. Over 140 riders took part on this night, riding their horses through burning pine bush to purify and protect them for the year ahead.