"I'm happy". Giovanni Atzeni, for all Tittìa, won his fifth consecutive title at the Palio di Siena on Sunday evening, a total of ten. What did this Palio represent? "The reward for so many years of hard work is a boy's dream come true."

Did he think he could do it?

“Yes, I expected that. In the draw I had a good horse with whom we started working right away».

What does it mean to enter the history of the Palio?

«The fact of being part of the glorious history of this event means that I was a lucky boy and that the commitment and effort paid off».

Who do you want to dedicate this victory to?

«In Siena, in the Selva district that supported me, in my family (mother Cristina and father Franco were present on Sunday at the Palio ed), in Sardinia, in all those who follow me, in Nurri, whose warmth is not never missed."

Not even time to celebrate, he has already resumed training.

«Yes, I'm already at work, because I intend to put the same energy into the next prize, the desire to win is always the same».

Will you come back to Sardinia again this summer?

«Yes, of course, as always in September to see everyone again, go on vacation and go to the beach».

Giovanni Atzeni is 38 years old and in a hurry. The interview ends here. His are words spoken with enthusiasm and emotion, because it doesn't matter if the victory is the tenth of his career and if this time he has projected him into history, a success is always an indescribable emotion that can hardly be transformed into words. Its history is known, for a long time now its name has been associated with the Palio di Siena and with the triumph. He who, born in Germany to a German mother and a Sardinian father, has always had horses in his head and heart. It is precisely the father Franco who buys two. At the age of 11 Giovanni returned to Sardinia, where the races began, at 17 he had already done 170 making himself noticed by those who count. After meeting Luigi Bruschelli, symbol of the Palio, Giovanni leaves his beloved island to start a successful career beyond the sea together with horses. Far from Sardinia, the warmth of the sun is lacking for the young jockey who suffers from the cold and keeps repeating "tittìa ", hence the nickname by which he is known by all.

But he wasn't always a champion and everything didn't always go well. There have been periods of difficulty, crashes which however didn't make the Sardinian jockey give up, who worked even harder, always looking ahead and fighting for victory. Success that didn't take long to arrive and that Tittìa wants to manage wisely and aware of the luck she has had. His family and the small community that has seen him grow have been following Giovanni's businesses for years. Each race is followed carefully, with the anxiety that accompanies each competition which then explodes into immense joy that lasts until the next race, until Tittia then returns to the village and can be celebrated as he deserves.

Sonia Joy

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