Rediscovering a Forgotten Hero: Great-Grandson Retraces José Tanganho's Epic 1925 Horseback Journey Across Portugal

The Legend of José Tanganho

Today, the name José Tanganho may mean little to most people, but 100 years ago, this 'fearless man of strong and straightforward character' achieved a true feat. Over 25 days, mounted on his horse 'Favorito', he covered 1458 kilometers along winding roads and paths, overcoming obstacles to become the great winner of the Volta a Portugal a cavalo (Tour of Portugal on Horseback). It was 1925, the Algarve was one of the regions he passed through, and a century later, Pedro Bernardo is out there retracing the steps of the great-grandfather he never knew.

A Morning in São Brás de Alportel

It's a morning like many others in São Brás de Alportel, a town where, at 10:30 on a Tuesday, two friends meet on a terrace. With a warning from the staff: 'The BBC has come here twice just to eat those pies!' 'I can well believe it,' replies Pedro Bernardo, between bites.

But the reason he – and his friend João Belga – are in São Brás de Alportel is far from those pies. It's even written in his own name: José Tanganho.

'He is my great-grandfather, and so both the figure and the story have always been close to me,' says Pedro to start the conversation. Born in 1970, he never met his great-grandfather, who died in 1968. Even from his father – Tanganho's grandson – he heard few stories.

'Unfortunately, my father died when I was very young and I didn't have that luck, but this was always a figure spoken of and remembered, even in the family, as someone of great freedom and bravery,' he recounts.

'In fact, only a very brave man would do something like this,' he adds, with a smile on his face.

The Epic Feat of 1925

Let's focus on the 'thing' Pedro Bernardo is talking about. And as you'll see, it's no small 'thing'.

The clock struck 11:00 on October 10, 1925, when 39 riders gathered at the Jockey Club in Campo Grande (Lisbon). The reason? The First Volta a Portugal a cavalo, organized by Diário de Notícias, which would cover 70 towns and cities across the country.

Most participants were military, but José Tanganho, who grew up among horses in Caldas da Rainha, was one of the three civilians who entered the competition.

Quickly, the 'myth' began to emerge. Departing from Lisbon and heading down to the Algarve, it was in the Alentejo that Tanganho began to gain the status of a people's hero.

In Faro, after already passing through Odemira, Monchique, Silves, and São Brás de Alportel, he was leading the race. In the book 'José Tanganho na Volta a Portugal', author Mário Lino describes how 'an immense and enthusiastic crowd flocked en masse to the arrival location.' In second place was Germano Domingos, also a civilian.

From there, it was always uphill – Mértola, Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Bragança, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Leiria, Caldas da Rainha, Santarém until the end... in Lisbon.

Always with many adventures along the way, like the one in Viana do Castelo that forced him to go to Condeixa without stopping for a day.

In a twist, Tanganho was overtaken in the final stages, and the one who arrived first in Lisbon was Captain Rogério Tavares. But, as in any good story, the plot still had a different ending.

After already arriving in Lisbon, the horse 'Emir', belonging to Rogério Tavares, died of exhaustion, and the rider was disqualified for not being able to participate in the jumping competition the next day.

As for Tanganho and his 'Favorito', they arrived safe and sound, and in that final competition, they managed to win the First Volta a Portugal a cavalo. It was November 4, 1925.

Retracing the Steps a Century Later

These days, Pedro Bernardo, accompanied by his friend João Belga, is also traveling around the country repeating Tanganho's steps. With one difference: by car, not on horseback.

'The idea to mark the centenary of the Tour was old, but after thinking about various possibilities, this idea emerged to redo the Tour in a way to be in the same places at the same time, 100 years later,' says Pedro.

And that's what they've been doing: on the day we met in São Brás de Alportel, the epic journey, which also serves to celebrate the 100 years of Gazeta das Caldas, the city where they both live, would still take them, that same day, to Mértola. Wherever they've passed through, they've been received by local authorities.

'The first reaction from people is always one of novelty regarding the story. Then, it's astonishment that someone, 100 years ago, accomplished an adventure like this under those conditions,' says Tanganho's great-grandson.

João Belga, an artist and friend of Pedro, wanted to join this epic as soon as he heard about it for the first time.

'I told Pedro I'd like to accompany him because, as an artist, it's stimulating and an opportunity to cover the entire territory. It gives me the possibility to make a portrait of the country, 100 years later,' he explains.

The two friends have been photographing, collecting sounds, and writing texts. The goal is, in the future, perhaps to gather everything into a book. 'We wanted to do something that would last. It's important for things to have that permanence, especially regarding such a rich story,' he adds.

More Than Just a Tribute

Because, beyond the homage to Tanganho, this entire adventure of recreating his great-grandfather's steps had, for Pedro, another objective: 'There are political similarities between the political situation then and today. In 1926, we entered a context of military dictatorship; just the other day, we saw how Albufeira will have a far-right municipality,' he says.

The recreation of the Volta a Portugal a cavalo wouldn't be possible without the support of many people – companies, individuals – which materializes, for example, in the van the two friends are using on the trip.

It's to it that we head at the end of the conversation: in the trunk, there's a small 'museum' to Tanganho, with newspaper clippings, photographs, documentation.

Parked near the Municipal Market, on the way there, we came across three statues recreating the Festa das Tochas Floridas that caught Pedro Bernardo's eye. 'What's the story of this festival?' he asks.

Given an explanation, Pedro goes up to them, photographs them, as well as the Cineteatro de São Brás de Alportel.

The curiosity, which was also one of the driving forces of his great-grandfather José Tanganho, the hero who won the Volta a Portugal a cavalo 100 years ago, might indeed be hereditary.