Elton Richard (left image) first formally organized the Church Point Courir de Mardi Gras in 1961. Until that point individual groups of men would ride horse back through the country on Mardi Gras Day begging for ingredients,or money with which to buy ingredients, for a communal gumbo. The first organized courir included approximately 400 horsemen. Elton Richard of Church Point and Senator Paul Tate (right image) of Mamou decided that each town needed its own courir and they flipped a coin to decide which town would have its courir on Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day, or on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, the French term for Fat Tuesday, is held on the eve of the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. The results of the toss determined that Mamou would conduct its courir on Mardi Gras Day and the Church Point courir would take place on the Sunday before Mardi Gras.
On Louisiana's Cajun Prairie northwest of Lafayette, the annual celebration before the beginning of Lent takes on a completely different form. The first Acadians brought "Le Courir de Mardi Gras" or the "Running of the Mardi Gras" to French Louisiana when they immigrated to the area in the 1750's. The custom of European peasants merrymaking before a period of fasting and penitence was handed to them from medieval times and was practiced by the Romans before then.
Traditionally, the rural Mardi Gras of today in Church Point is the same as it was in the old days of the early settlers. Men only can participate in the Courir (run). Tradition requires that all Mardi Gras be fully masked and costumed.
Le Capitaine (The Captain) heads the group and he and his co-capitaines must ride unmasked. The first Capitaine was the founder of the Church Point Mardi Gras. The Capitaine is allowed to retain his title year after year until he chooses to relinquish it and then hands it down to the man of his choice. Each year the Capitaine appoints his co-capitains for the run that year.
