A Ville Platte horseman has been crowned the winner of the 2023 Le Tournoi de la Ville Platte.
Marcus Guillory won the competition this year and said despite being a third-generation participant, the victory was unexpected.
"It feels great," Guillory said. "I had a lot of mixed feelings about it and I couldn't believe that I actually won, especially since yesterday was one hell of a day with the wind and everything else, a lot of factors came into play."
Le Tournoi, which means "tournament" in French, dates back to the 1800s in France. The race requires horseback riders to lance rings while killing the seven evils of cotton.
Guillory said the sport takes more than just skill and accuracy to be successful.
"It takes a lot of practice and healthy horses that are healthy in body and mind," Guillory said.
While Guillory said he earned bragging rights, he also earned a belt, a trophy, and a 300-hundred-dollar check for coming in at first place.
Ken Saucier is the president of the Tournoi Association and a former winner. He said the tradition is a big deal in Ville Platte.
"It got passed down from generation to generation," Saucier said. "It's dads, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons and it used to be a big, big honor and a real challenge to win it to just be the king, the champion."
For more information on how you can participate next year or to find out how you can become a rider, visit the Louisiana Tournoi Association's Facebook, at Louisiana Tournoi Association | Ville Platte LA | Facebook.
