Courir tradition remains strong

Accurately predicting the weather for MardiGras on Feb. 9 may be nearly impossible, but one certainty is the party will go on rain or shine.
Pat Frey, Eunice Mardi Gras Association captain,said, “We are going to run, rain or shine,we are going to run.”
The Eunice courir de Mardi Gras has been a constant since at least the late 1800s with the exception of a few years during World War II, Frey said.
The costume-clad, horse-riding, chicken-chasing courir is a tradition that puts its indelible stamp on this area.
The costume, complete with a mask, is a must for those who participate in the run, Frey said.
“We don’t want to keep beating it in the ground, but people need to understand what we are trying to preserve,” he said.
“It is not a street dance, it is a Mardi Gras run,” Frey said.
Plenty of people sign up for the run.
“Last year we had a little over 800 that ran.It rained on the Monday night. That kind of dampened things. The sun was out on the Tuesday, but it was cold,” he said.
The courir starts at theNorthwest Community Center in Eunice with sign up from 6 to 8 a.m.on Mardi Gras. For $30runners 21 and older get beer, soft drinks, water,a boudin lunch, gumbo after the run, an association membership and a day of memories formed around about nine stops to chase chickens.
The run is open to males and females.
Frey, who is about to experience his 13th year as captain, observed that warm, rainy weather maybe the best for the run.
“I’ve noticed over the years that I’ve seen the best times the MardiGras have had is when it is warm and wet,” he said.
This year’s route is 13 miles.