Annual San José horse parade suspended due to budget conflict

A disagreement between the National Police and the municipality of San José is responsible for the cancellation of El Tope Nacional, Costa Rica’s famous annual horse parade, announced the city’s Festival Commission on Wednesday.

The yearly festival, which draws Tico equestrian aficionados from all over the country and was scheduled to take place Sunday in the capital’s southern suburb of Desamparados, has been suspended due to a budget conflict between the municipality and police personnel in charge of providing security for the event.

According to representatives from San José’s Festival Commission, the National Police force requested 800 snacks at 9:00 a.m., 800 lunches at noon, 800 snacks at 3:00 p.m. and 800 dinners at 6:00 p.m., in addition to 2,400 bottles of water.

The Festival Commission was shocked by the National Police’s request for food and drink that they claim is nearly four times what it was last year. The request, in addition to a lack of sponsors for the horse parade, makes the event financially impossible, the commission stated

Traditionally, a large portion of the money raised by the event goes toward helping San José’s orphanages, and unless the municipality and the National Police come to an accord before Sunday, the shelters will suffer a significant cut in funding.