The extraordinary life of the Granada cowboy who has 32 horses, 100 cows and 500 goats

Antonio Yebra Cabrera was born in the La Alpujarra area of Granada province 43 years ago. He has been a cowboy, goatherder and shepherd since he was very young. He also has cows and is an equestrian guide in the mountains of his native villages.

Antonio's way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation and is, sadly, disappearing. His father, Eduardo, was from Canjáyar, and his mother is Carmen, who was born in Laroles, one of the most beautiful municipalities with breathtaking views of the eastern Alpujarra.

Antonio has four brothers but he is the only one who maintains this way of life. Tall, sinewy and dressed in denim, Antonio resembles a Texan from the American wild West. He knows better than anyone the paths between orchards, beech groves, hills, plains and mountains, which he travels across on horseback.

Antonio's father was the sixth generation of a family of muleteers who would transport oil, flour, fish, cereals and much more through the Puerto de la Ragua to reach Marquesado del Cenete. Their animals were loaded and they returned loaded with other things to their land. Bartering was a very common practice in those times. Antonio also runs a horse and mule trekking business in the Sierra Nevada.

Antonio, who has three children, says that he is free. "Nobody bosses me around. Some people call me crazy with so many cattle, but I am free this way. I have participated in films, series and documentaries. I have taken part in some films made on location in Tabernas (Almeria). Now, between horses and mules I have 32 animals that I love dearly. I also have dogs. I didn't go to school very often. When I was eight years old I had to start working in the fields keeping 500 goats at an altitude of 2,500 metres above sea level. Now, apart from horses and mules, I also have more than a hundred cows in extensive farming of the famous and almost extinct Pajuna breed at the top of the Puerto de la Ragua," he explains.

"I usually go to villages in the Alpujarra to participate in exhibitions and in the ribbon races on horseback. The last visit was to Yegen to take part in the ribbon races. I took 25 horses and mules, pack mules, as in the old days: with brandy, homemade bread, sausages and wine. Several horsewomen accompanied me. When I go out, I take anisette, wine, tobacco and food with me to carry on the tradition of my ancestors. When I arrive in a village or farmhouse I give what I bring to my friends. It is my way of being. One of my friends is in Yegen and his name is Manolo 'El de Mandanga'," Antonio describes.

He goes on to say, "My company organises short and long routes with mules and horses on ancient paths. On several of these routes we go into the Sierra Nevada National Park where we experience a cowboy adventure. No riding experience is necessary. However, for the Cowboy Route, those who wish to do so should have ridden several times before," Antonio concludes.