: ▁Heil ig - Bl ut - Re iter ) ▁car ries ▁the ▁re lic ▁through ▁We ing arten ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁areas . ▁Every ▁year ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁hors emen ▁dressed ▁in ▁tail co ats ▁and ▁top ▁h ats ▁( in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 , 3 6 6 ▁hors emen ), ▁grouped ▁in ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁groups ▁of ▁Blood ▁R iders , ▁esc ort ▁the ▁R ider ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Blood ▁on ▁horse back . ▁About ▁ 8 0 ▁chap els ▁accomp any ▁the ▁hors emen . ▁Every ▁year ▁the ▁Bl ut ritt ▁in ▁We ing arten ▁is ▁witness ed ▁from ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁by ▁over ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pil gr ims ▁and ▁spect ators . ▁ ▁A ▁" small ▁blood ▁Friday " ▁is ▁also ▁held ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁Sunday ▁of ▁July , ▁the ▁tradition ▁Fe ast ▁of ▁the ▁Most ▁P reci ous ▁Blood . ▁Despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁after ▁lit urg ical ▁re forms ▁the ▁fe ast ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁on ▁the ▁official ▁calendar , ▁many ▁pil gr image ▁sites ▁retain ▁the ▁custom ary ▁celebr ation . ▁De leg ates ▁from ▁various ▁r ider ▁groups ▁gather ▁( with ▁their ▁b ann ers ▁but ▁without ▁horses ) ▁for ▁a ▁church ▁service ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁social ▁gather ing . ▁ ▁The ▁We ing arten ▁Blood ▁Friday ▁Community ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁to ▁promote ▁rever