| Black is a 13-year-old white Camargue/Barb
cross pony. Coincidentally, for at least 12 years he lived virtually
next door to Ray. |
 |
"I used to pass him in a field when I
was on my way to Fouzilhon (a nearby village)," Ray recalls."
He belonged to a M. and Mme Orciere, and their young daughter Christelle
used to ride him. |
| Then when I was looking
for a horse to buy, I looked in the Annonces Vertes (the local small-ads
paper) and there he was. It must have been meant." |
Black is slightly more dubious about the event. "I think Ray's
raving mad, but his heart is in the right place," he commented
when interviewed. "And after all, I won't be the first one
to travel through the Cevennes with a donkey..." |
 |
|
Black, meeting with friends at the
café in Gabian
|
| 
|
As you can imagine,
Black is very well looked after, and gets all the attention he
needs. This includes regular visits from Ray's nephew, Yan Lapointe.
Yan is a local mobile blacksmith and looks after horses in the
area.
The photo shows Yan making sure Black has
new shoes before setting off on the journey. |
| This
photograph shows Black with Ray outside the Occitan Tavern as
they prepare for the annual Occitan Pageant in Pézenas.
The pageant is held to commemorate the reconstitution of the States
of Languedoc in the mid 17th century. Ray and Black ares dressed
ready to take a part in a play written by Cristian Jougla, a local
vigneron and the president of the Gabian Cercle Occitan.
Cristian plays the part of a 17th
century cobbler, a 60 year old bachelor who has had no luck with
his love life. |
Photo:
Arnaud Photographies
St. Pons
|
| Then, he meets a beautiful
and high class lady, and falls madly and deeply in love for the
first time. All is thrown to the wind when on the scene arrives
an English cavalier who is in the area looking for wine contracts.
The twist in the tale is that "l'homme Anglais", played
by Ray, is in fact the devil…
The rest you must see for yourself. |
 |
Ray Everitt, le troubadour,
et son cheval blanc Black partent en croisade au bénéfice
des autistes |
|
