Imagine hundreds — no, not hundreds, thousands! — of horsemen gathering in front of the imposing façade of the Guadalupe Monastery to pay homage to the Queen of Hispanic Culture at a an outpouring of pride, faith and tradition.

This whole «fuss» began with Gil Cordero, a 13th-century cowboy who found the Virgen Morena hidden by the River Guadalupejo; from then on, Alfonso XI and the Catholic Monarchs set about turning this corner of the world into the spiritual epicentre of half the world.

The thing is, Guadalupe is just so very Guadalupe.