Horseracing but not as we know it: inside Bulgaria's otherworldly Easter celebration

The roads are winding, the trees loom ever taller on both sides and snow begins to appear on the ground as I head deeper into the Sredna Gora mountain range. 

Having set off from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, I am on a long and scenic journey towards the town of Koprivshtitsa in the middle of seemingly absolutely nowhere in the vast central region of the Balkan nation.

I admit it is not a place I had ever envisioned visiting, let alone in a professional capacity for the Racing Post, although I am soon about to discover a beautiful, historic town hosting a vibrant centuries-old community celebration. But for now, I am bemusedly wondering, ‘How on earth did I end up here?’