Every year in June, the small Cumbrian town of Appleby-in-Westmorland turns into a mecca of Gypsy and Irish Traveller horse culture. Roughly 10,000 Roma and Travellers gather in a cavalcade of cobs and gold to attend Appleby Horse Fair, along with 1,000 caravans, hundreds of horse-drawn vehicles, and 30,000 tourists.
The festival dates back to the 1700s—VICE photographers were there in 2012 and 2015—and is a place to show off, race, or trade horses and make merry in traditions without the shunning they’re typically met with. The event has not been without controversy in recent years: there are persistent complaints over litter, aggravation, and animal cruelty. Still, it’s the largest traditional Gypsy gathering in Europe, and a major celebration of a cultural identity still heavily marginalized more or less everywhere.
We caught up with Italian photographer Lorenzo Roncaglione about his trip to Appleby.
VICE: Hey Lorenzo, what was Appleby like?
Lorenzo Roncaglione: I didn’t know what to expect, but I went with [noted photographer of Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities] Joseph-Philippe Bevillard, so I was in good hands; he knows the people over there. I was worried they might have suspicions at the beginning, but I would walk around with my camera, both in the market area and where all the trailers and caravans are, and people would call to me and ask, “Hey, photographer, please come here, [shoot] my children, my granny,” whatever. If I approached 250 people, ten of them might say “no.” So, super cool environment, super-cool vibe, super-cool atmosphere.
Travellers and Gypsies are quite marginalized here in the UK. Is it the same in Italy?
Maybe even more so. From conversations that I had with Travellers at Appleby, many of them are working. In Italy, they are way more marginalized, because they’re still associated with criminality, drug trafficking, car stealing, and a lot of horrible things, which is very sad to me.
Did you meet any locals, and were they happy about the event taking place there?
There is an insane amount of police during the festival, so there is no big chance of fighting. Everything is very controlled. In general, locals are happy. It’s been happening for so many years that they kind of get used to it. Secondly, it brings a lot of tourism and money to Appleby. They’re very respectful of one another, so there’s nothing major going on that would upset the locals. The locals tend to go away from Appleby. Let’s be honest, there are horses everywhere, which also means there is horse shit everywhere.
What kind of photography work do you do normally?
Mostly fashion.
Were you interested in the fashion at this event?
Of course. That’s a thing that also drives me, because the fashion has evolved. So it’s nice to see an old picture where people would be dressed in a very specific and typical way—then, as times have changed, fashion has changed, so there is a switch to a lot of tracksuits, jumpsuits, gold chains, and gold rings. For the kind of photography that I like, it’s perfect, because I like shiny, I like bling bling. I can’t really stop shooting at Appleby because I like tattoos, too. At Appleby, you find insane tattoos, from modern ones to very old ones.
Is there anything else you want to say about Appleby?
It’s very nice seeing the closeness [of the Gypsies and Travellers]; they’re always welcoming. It’s not that if you don’t belong to the Traveller culture, you’re not accepted, but it’s nice because it’s a gathering and you can see that people are happy, the kids are going around with the little carts. It’s a happy environment. It’s worth a visit for the atmosphere alone.
Follow Lorenzo Roncaglione on Instagram @lorenzoroncaglione
Follow Nick Thompson on Instagram @niche_t_
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