il Palio 5

Screw the Kentucky Derby (often referred to as most exciting 2 minutes in sports), Siena's biannual bareback race around the medieval town square has got to be the gold standard in adrenaline and comes in at around a minute-thirty. It marries a fierce and almost mafia-like rivalry between different districts of this small Italian city (called Contrade) with throngs of excited people packed tight and close to the thunder of the hooves.

Just hours prior to the race, jockeys discover their horse assignments by lottery, and between rituals and traditions, down to the last moments before the race, clandestine meetings take place to plan strategic alliances and animosities.

The race itself invites danger in its purest form: Bareback around a tight circuit, a horse can win the race even if the jockey is trampled in the process.

Italians are known for their pride and their passion, and the Palio is a testament to that fact and then some. The buildup and the crowded atmosphere guarantees a thrill you just can't get through opera glasses from the stands while sipping a mint julep.