Animal Guardians: An Overview of Bullfighting
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Introduction to Bullfighting
Bullfighting (Spanish: corrida de toros [koˈriða ðe ˈtoɾos] or toreo [toˈɾeo]; Portuguese: tourada [toˈɾaðɐ]), also known as tauromachia or tauromachy (Spanish: tauromaquia, Portuguese: tauromaquia; from Greek: ταυρομαχία “bull-fight”), is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and some Latin American countries (Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru), in which one or more bulls are fought in a bullring. Although a blood sport, by definition, some followers of the spectacle prefer to view it as a ‘fine art’ and not a sport, as there are no elements of competition in the proceedings.
The roots of bullfighting are shrouded in the historical mists of antiquity. For thousands of years, herds of wild bulls — brave bulls, called toros bravos — roamed the rolling hills of what is now Spain. While the exact origins of bullfighting are not known, it is believed that bullfighting emerged in connection with some ancient fertility rite. To this day, the bull still symbolizes sexual potency, fertility, and virility.
The pedestrian bullfighters of the early 18th century were the dregs of society, bands of street fighters, social outcasts, and unemployed soldiers, who confined a bull in the public square, and then fell upon him with capes, knives, swords, pikes, and clubs until the poor beast succumbed to their collective assault. A famous bullfighter of the 19th century, Jose Rodriguez, acknowledged that men of his trade were butchers at best, proclaiming, “What do you expect of us brought up in slaughterhouses? There’s no refinement there. Dragging guts and skins about, chopping off heads, and always up to the ankles in blood. It brings out the worst in a fellow.”
There are many historic fighting venues in the Iberian Peninsula, France, and Latin America. The largest venue of its kind is the Plaza México in central Mexico City, which seats 48,000 people, and the oldest is the La Maestranza in Seville, Spain, which was first used for bullfighting in 1765.
Forms of non-lethal bullfighting also appear outside the Iberian and Francophone world, including the Tamil Nadu practice of jallikattu; and the Portuguese-influenced mchezo wa ngombe (Kiswahili for “sport with bull”) is also practiced on the Tanzanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar. Types of bullfighting which involve bulls fighting other bulls, rather than humans, are found in the Balkans, Turkey, the Persian Gulf, Bangladesh, Japan, Peru, and Korea. In many parts of the Western United States, various rodeo events like calf-roping and bull-riding were influenced by Spanish bullfighting.
The practice of bullbaiting (pitting bulls against dogs), as well as bull-running, a sport in which a mob of townspeople chased a bull until he is exhausted and then beat him to death with clubs, is also popular in Spain. These latter forms of sport have fallen somewhat into disfavor in modern times, but the more traditional style of bullfighting continues to be a socially accepted form of entertainment.
In 1725, bullfighting began to assume its present form when Francisco Romero invented the muleta, a relatively small red cloth suspended from a stick, and used it to mislead, torment, and ready a bull for the kill. The classical bullfighting maneuvers became defined during the 18th century and have not since changed.
Today, the matador’s manner is the embodiment of condescension and narcissism. Pride and conceit are humbled in his presence. Pathetically superstitious, matadors run from the ring at the sight of a snake, yet they arrogantly strut around the same arena as invulnerable and omnipotent. Whether one considers them heroes or lowly denizens of the slaughterhouse, they see themselves far larger than life.
The days of the roaming herds of wild bulls are forever over. The toros bravos in bullfights today are produced on registered bull ranches, called ganaderias. Selective breeding has enabled producers to create a bull who will die in a manner most satisfying to the public. Toros bravos must appear dangerous, ferocious, vicious, and wild, but all the cunning and reasoning must have been bred out of them. Their charge must appear vehement and powerful, but it must be smooth and predictable so the matador will not subject himself to undue risk.
The bull’s shoulder muscles are lacerated by spears and harpoons which weaken him prior to the matador’s assault. The spectacle of bullfighting would be compromised by a bull who could no longer endure the torment and desperately tried to retreat. He is, therefore, carefully bred to return again and again to the spear and harpoon, like a moth to a flame, regardless of the terror and agony he may endure.
He will never have the chance to learn from his mistakes. Federal law prohibits testing a fighting bull with a cape before he enters the arena. A fighting bull would quickly learn his tormentor is not a piece of cloth; it is the man who waves it. While matadors practice for years, they are afraid to enter the ring with a bull who has been tested by the cloth even once. The laws prohibiting ‘caping’ fighting bulls prior to the corrida are universal and exist for the protection of the matador alone and not for the protection of the bull.
An insecure herd animal who feels safe only when surrounded by his own kind, the fighting bull lives a relatively sheltered life in the company of his herd so his confusion and disorientation can be maximized the moment he is forced into the ring to die alone — alone, except for the cacophony of 50,000 people screaming for his death.
Bulls are not the only victims of the bullfight arena. The horses who die have a much less noble heritage, and die a much less glorified death. They are brought into the ring by lancers who take turns lacerating the bull’s neck and shoulder muscles when the bull charges the horses. Needless to say, the assault of an enraged 1,200-pound bull causes no small degree of terror to the average plow horse, just retired from a life of faithful service on the farm.
Tourists, who come to see a slice of tradition, find the sight of a horse’s blood and intestines spilling onto the sands of the arena a bit too unpleasant to stomach. Consequently, in order to preserve the tourist trade, horses in recent years have been covered with padding which greatly reduces the manifest gore the equestrian sympathizer must endure. Severe injuries frequently occur. Also, allegations persist that the horses usually have their vocal cords cut so that their cries will not distract the crowd.
In his book, Death in the Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway describes the role of the horse. “In the tragedy of the bullfight, the horse is the comic character … I have seen it, people running, horse emptying, one dignity after another being destroyed in the spattering, and trailing of its innermost values [viscera], in a complete burlesque of tragedy. I have seen these, call them disembowellings, that is the worst word. When due to their timing, they were very funny. This is the sort of thing you should not admit, but it is because such things have not been admitted that the bullfight has never been explained.”
The bullfight is so cloaked in festivity, splendor, and ceremony that the agony of the occasion is, at first glance, well-camouflaged, and this ritual of death is divided into three acts called tercios.
THE STRUCTURE OF A BULLFIGHT
The bullfight begins at the stroke of four in the afternoon with a signal from the plaza president, the heralding of trumpeters, and a colorful opening parade. Mounted riders lead the procession. Then the glorious matadors stride into the arena, each followed by his cordillera, a team of men consisting of two picadors on horseback who spear the bulls at least three times during the first act and three banderilleros who lance and weaken the bull with darts during the second act.The cordillera is followed by a team of mules who will drag the bulls’ bodies from the ring once the bulls have been slaughtered.
The fighting bull charges from the darkened chamber in which he has been confined for the last four hours and into the strange and terrifying territory of the arena. Alone, for one of the first times in his life, the young bull charges about, seeking protection by attempting to establish a territory for himself, now that he has just been deprived of the security of his herd. Three banderilleros enter the ring with large, brightly-colored capes, and take turns enticing the bull to charge while the matador cautiously studies him from behind a wooden barrier, carefully measuring the moves of his victim. Soon, the matador comes in and “cites” the bull, inducing the confused animal to charge his cape.
The president of the bullfight signals for the entrance of the picadors, two traditionally-corpulent men, riding the now-blindfolded horses covered with added armor. The matadors and the banderilleros induce the bull to charge. As the bull rams and tries to gore the terrified horses, the picadors thrust their lances into the neck of the bull.
The lance is designed so that its five-inch tip lacerates the bull’s neck and shoulder muscles, severely crippling the bull and causing him a great loss of blood. Centuries of selective breeding have created a creature who keeps coming back for more, like a retriever bred to return, despite the agony each return causes.
The trumpets sound, the picadors retire, and the three banderilleros enter the ring. Each banderillero carries two shortened spears, called banderillas, which he thrusts between the bull’s shoulder blades. Each banderilla has a barbed shaft to keep it imbedded in the bull’s already shredded shoulder muscles. This aspect of the festivities is much less dangerous than it looks. One banderillero distracts the bull while another imbeds the banderillas. Men can turn in much smaller circles than the bulls can. There’s really no danger at all.
The trumpet sounds a final time; for the bull, it sounds his death knell. The tormented and crippled animal still circles the ring, seeking an escape which will come only in death. The matador enters, and with the crowd cheering, he salutes the president, dedicating the first bull’s death to him.
The matador then begins la fuena de la muleta, or the work of the cloth. Using a small red cloth, the muleta, which is extended with the sword used to kill the beleaguered bull, the matador executes a final sequence of passes designed to show off his skill, demonstrate his complete domination over the exhausted animal, and set him up for the kill.
When there is nothing left for the bull to do but die, the matador adds one final degradation to the bull in his agony. The matador displays his bravado in an act of supercilious derision called displante while stroking the bull’s horns or nose and arrogantly gesturing to the crowd his disdain for his victim and his own manifest superiority. “Displante,” explains a matador, “is my way of showing the crowd I have conquered the bull. Killing toros bravos is only part of the art. Domination is everything.”
Death in the afternoon never comes quickly for toros bravos. After having endured twenty minutes of terror, frustration, and agony, after complete exhaustion and utter confusion, the beaten bull stands with his feet together, his eyes fixed on the bright cloth he mistakes as his tormentor.
Now comes what is called the “supreme moment” or the “moment of truth.” With his muleta in his left hand and aiming with his three-foot sword in the other, the matador lunges at the bull and rams the sword between the bull’s shoulder blades, endeavoring to sever the bull’s aorta in order to quickly kill him. Rarely does this happen. Usually a number of thrusts — and sometimes a number of swords — are needed until the bull is mortally wounded.
Banderillas and imperfectly aimed swords protrude from the shoulders of the fighting bull. Now the matador’s assistants attempt to induce a kind of suicide by torment. They harass the wounded beast, hoping that his own pathetic attempts to defend himself will shift a sword within him and puncture a vital organ.
Eventually a lung is punctured, the bull staggers. With blood pouring from his nose and mouth, the helpless animal lurches about, but maintains his footing, sometimes for several minutes. The crowd, which has come for the excitement of the quick kill, finds the protracted death throes of the fighting bull anti-climactic. For this reason, the descabello was invented. By thrusting this 25-inch sword into the base of the bull’s neck, the spinal cord is severed and the bull immediately falls to the ground. The final thrust is always given with a dagger called a puntilla. The blood from the blade is cleaned by wiping it off on the body of the fallen bull.
The team of mules then drag the bull’s body from the ring to the butchering area within a chamber of the arena. The matador bows to the cheering crowd. One bull is dead. Five more have yet to be fought. And the day’s sport has just begun.
SPANISH-STYLE BULLFIGHTINGSpanish-style bullfighting is called a corrida de toros (literally a “running of bulls”), tauromaquia or fiesta and is practiced in Spain, where it originates, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, and Portugal, as well as in parts of Southern France. In traditional corrida, three toreros, also called matadores or, in French, toréadors, each fight two out of a total of six fighting bulls, each of which is at least four years old and weighs up to about 600 kg or 1,300 lb (with a minimum weight limit of 460 kg or 1,010 lb for the bullrings of the first degree). Bullfighting season in Spain runs from March to October.
- Exceptions should be noted, such as the area of Pamplona in northern Navarre and Bilbao in the Basque Country, with major bullfighting.
- In 1991, the Canary Islands became the first Spanish Autonomous Community to ban bullfighting, and Catalonia became the second in January 2012.
Each matador has six assistants — two picadores (“lancers”) mounted on horseback, three banderilleros (“flagmen”), and a mozo de espada (“sword servant”). Collectively they comprise a cuadrilla or team of bullfighters. The crew also includes an ayuda (aide to sword servant) and subalternos (subordinates), including at least two peones (singular peón).
PORTUGUESE-STYLE BULLFIGHTINGPortuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting. The cavaleiros and the forcados are unique as well as the horsewomen (cavaleiras).
Most Portuguese bullfights (corridas de touros) are held in two phases: the spectacle of the cavaleiro, followed by the pega. In Portugal, the main stars of bullfighting are the cavaleiros, as opposed to Spain, where the matadores are the most prominent bullfighters. Nevertheless, bullfights with matadores are frequent, notably with Portuguese matadores who practice their trade in Spain and who, when in Portugal, replace the sword in their final strike with a bandarilha.
During the cavaleiro, a horseman on a Portuguese Lusitano horse (specially trained for the fights) fights the bull from horseback. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandeirilhas (small javelins) in the back of the bull.
In the second stage, called the pega, the forcados, a group of eight men, challenge the bull directly without any protection or weapon of defense. The front man provokes the bull into a charge to perform a pega de cara or pega de caras (face catch). The front man secures the animal’s head and is quickly aided by his fellows who surround and secure the animal until he is subdued. Many people who watch Portuguese-style bullfights in the United States use the term, “suicide squad”, to refer to this group of eight men.
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Take Action on Behalf of Bulls Killed for Entertainment
Next September 16 Madrid will dress in white and green. The demonstration will start at 17:00 with a symbolic act in the Puerta del Sol, in homage to all the animals that have been tortured … Read More
In Ohanes, six bulls are roped and taken around the village while the procession through the streets. These bulls are pushed, beaten against walls and cobblestone streets until they are forced to submit to the … Read More
Bullfighting is a violent tradition that is unfortunately still around today. About 1,000 bulls are killed each year due to these barbaric fights. However, things have taken a turn for the worse. In Valmojado, Spain, … Read More
The “Toro de la Vega” is a medieval bull festival celebrated in the town of Tordesillas (province of Valladolid, Spain). The tournament consists of – depending on the sources – the fight, hunt, or chase … Read More
Numerous actions are available at the Animal Liberation Front web site. Though some of the campaigns are outdated, many are still viable, unfortunately. Please visit the ALF site and take the actions that have been … Read More
On its website, the company says that Plaza Monumental de las Ventas is “the international centre of bullfighting” and that those who go on the tour “will discover a place which is emblematic of the … Read More
Bullfighting involves horrendous cruelty to animals. Bulls are painfully tortured with lances and spiked spears before the bleeding and wounded creatures are killed with a sword into the heart. As a grisly trophy for the … Read More
Showing Animals Respect & Kindness (SHARK) lists numerous ways you can help end bullfighting. Visit this page and follow the suggestions about you can lend your voice to end the cruelty of the so-called bullfight … Read More
Platform Torture is Not Culture and International Network Antitauromaquia launch a campaign of unpublished images showing what happens to bulls in bullfights. A report by the Veterinary Association of bullfighting Abolitionists about suffering and fate … Read More
Should be animal cruelty become a world’s cultural heritage like the attractions of the Terracotta Warriors in China? We, the undersigned, believe that Spanish bullfighting should NOT be given under UNESCO protection. You have the … Read More
Bullfighting is not a fight at all. It’s a systematic torture killing that pits a gang of armed thugs against a lone, frightened, and wounded animal. Bullfighting is the most indefensible type of animal abuse. … Read More
Ferias of Nimes festivals in France are held twice a year and last for 5 days. They centre around bullfighting (the corrida) and are held in celebration of the bull and its fighting spirit. Throughout … Read More
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News and Noteworthy About Bullfighting Throughout the World
Next September 16 Madrid will dress in white and green. The demonstration will start at 17:00 with a symbolic act in the Puerta del Sol, in homage to all the animals that have been tortured … Read More
A Spanish province is bringing in laws aimed at eliminating bullfighting by the back door despite opposition from the country’s government and constitutional court in Madrid, which has ruled that the practice is a protected … Read More
Bullfighting is one of the most beloved cultural events in Spain and several Latin American countries, including Mexico, which is home to the largest bullfighting ring in the world, seating 40,000 fans. Opponents, however, … Read More
HAVING applied for and obtained permission from the local authorities to stage a formal protest against bullfighting, 20 activists from the Spanish charity and NGO AnimaNaturalis gathered in Valencia and covered themselves in fake blood. … Read More
Along with tamales, ronpope (spiced rum), and school vacations, December and January also bring typical bullfights or “corridas de toros” to many small towns across Costa Rica, and with them, divided opinions and strong feelings. … Read More
The holidays may be over in some places, but in Costa Rica, festival season is just getting started. This time of year, nearly every town holds an annual fiesta cívica with horse parades called topes, … Read More
Two bulls were instantly killed as they clashed heads in a Spanish bullfighting arena. Shocking footage captured the freak accident which saw the two half-ton creatures collide at high speed in front of crowds in … Read More
The organization Platform Torture is Not Culture has filed a complaint following a publication on the website of Patronato del Toro de la Vega where the legal body behind the organization of the controversial festival … Read More
Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday to demand an end to the centuries-old but controversial tradition of bullfighting. The protest came after the anti-bullfighting lobby successfully managed to obtain a … Read More
Matador Andres Roca Rey – aged just 19 from Peru – had been back on his feet for only a few days after being knocked unconscious during an earlier event. And amazingly Rey has already … Read More
Bullfighting is a violent tradition that is unfortunately still around today. About 1,000 bulls are killed each year due to these barbaric fights. However, things have taken a turn for the worse. In Valmojado, Spain, … Read More
A well-known matador has been killed during a bullfight in eastern Spain, the first such incident to occur in the country this century. The fight was taking place at the festival Feria del Angel in … Read More
As matadors face half-ton bulls this month during Madrid’s most important annual series of bullfights and Pamplona gears up for its chaotic July bull runs down cobblestoned streets, tensions are building between anti-bullfighting forces and … Read More
Fourteen works by Iranian painter Ramin Hafizi are on display at the exhibition entitled “Toward a Wild Beginning”. Speaking to the Persian service of ILNA, Hafizi called bullfighting scenes irritating and said, “We live in … Read More
As Mexican matador El Zotoluco danced around a bull at the Plaza Monumental bullring in Tijuana, spectators roared with appreciation for his final performance at the arena. The popular bullfighter will retire this year and … Read More
This weekend marks the climax of Las Fallas, the annual festivities in the Mediterranean city of Valencia made famous by the giant papier-mâché puppets of famous personalities which are paraded through the streets before being … Read More
Spain’s fiesta nacional is on the ropes. This week, the mayor of Valencia — Spain’s third-largest city — floated that he might support a Portuguese-style of bullfighting that doesn’t end with the matador killing el … Read More
Sharon Townsend, 41, formerly of Eardley Road, wants people across Bexley to create banners and send snaps of them being waved from March 8 onwards — in demonstration against the dangerous games. She is also … Read More
The little girl was sitting with her family, making her way through a bag of crisps. It was Sunday afternoon in Ajalvir. The planes from nearby Madrid airport flew above her in the clear skies … Read More
Lawmakers of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous division of Spain have voted in favour of a proposal to introduce a ban on bullfighting and animal fiestas. As reported by the Human Society International in a … Read More
A family business in Spain has reluctantly changed the name of its famous El Toro Vega biscuits after customers threatened to boycott the product named after a highly controversial bull lancing event. “Unfair” but the … Read More
The Suedehead singer is currently on tour in South America and took the opportunity to address the issue ahead of a scheduled concert in Peru’s capital Lima. The outspoken animal rights campaigner branded the bloodsport … Read More
Animal welfare campaigners have welcomed a vote by the European Parliament against taxpayer subsidies being paid towards bullfighting. Some 438 MEPs voted in favour of an amendment against payouts which campaigners say are worth over … Read More
Spain has come under fierce criticism from animal rights groups after its education ministry announced a new policy to teach bullfighting in schools. The controversial plans, which were approved by Spain’s conservative government ahead of … Read More
A 66-year-old Spaniard died after being gored in the chest by a bull in a village festival in the Spanish province of Segovia, bringing the number of deaths by gorings in summer street festivities this … Read More
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Facts About Bullfighting
At most of these Corridas there are about ten bulls ridden and released into the ring each night. A brave (and nervous) montadore only makes about $30 for his effort. But for those who excel … Read More
Bullfighting is heavily subsidized both by funds from the Spanish administrations and by European funds. Without such backing, this recreational activity would probably be on the brink of financial collapse and unable to subsist. We … Read More
In Spain according to the numbers of the Ministry of Interior there are 43 registered bullfighting schools. All these schools are subsidized by the Autonomic Regions, local authorities, etc. For example the region of Andalucia … Read More
It seems hard to believe that in this so-called civilised age, a most vicious and cruel spectacle of blood continues to flourish in Spain and certain other countries. Bullfighting is barbaric and should have been … Read More
It seems hard to believe that in this so-called civilised age, a most vicious and cruel spectacle of blood continues to flourish in Spain and certain other countries. Bullfighting is barbaric and should have been … Read More
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Articles and Commentary About Bullfighting
The scenes are shot from the bull’s perspective. The camera focuses on the animal, and it is very explicit: there are close-ups of blood, spasms, vomit, drool, urine and feces brought on by the pain … Read More
Balearians have been quite cunning with this one. On Monday, July 24, 2017, the Parliament of the Balearic Islands, a devolved nation within Spain in the Mediterranean Sea which includes Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, passed … Read More
The town of Tordesillas has held its annual festival, known as Toro de la Vega, on the second or third Tuesday of September since medieval times. A bull is set loose and runs across the … Read More
Fourteen works by Iranian painter Ramin Hafizi are on display at the exhibition entitled “Toward a Wild Beginning”. Speaking to the Persian service of ILNA, Hafizi called bullfighting scenes irritating and said, “We live in … Read More
As Mexican matador El Zotoluco danced around a bull at the Plaza Monumental bullring in Tijuana, spectators roared with appreciation for his final performance at the arena. The popular bullfighter will retire this year and … Read More
The producers of Blancanieves, a silent, black and white version of Snow White which was Spain’s nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2013 Academy Awards, could be in trouble over the filming of … Read More
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Resources in the Struggle to End Bullfighting
Younger Spaniards are showing little interest in the ‘sport’ while the downturn in the Spanish economy has made many once loyal fans turn their backs on the bullring.
RTE Radio 1’s World Report Programme June 23, 2013LEGISLATIONSpain is divided into 17 autonomous communities, which in turn are divided into 50 provinces. There are also two autonomous cities: those of Ceuta and Melilla. Finally, each province comprises a number of municipalities. Each … Read More
Law 32/2007, of 7th November for the care of animals during their exploitation, transport, experimentation and sacrifice. The law is composed of a Preamble and is structured in three titles, and is completed by an … Read More
Bullfighting was banned in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia by a vote of the Catalan Parliament in July 2010. The ban came into effect on 1 January 2012. The last bullfight in the region … Read More
On a national level, the Spanish Animal Welfare Act 32/2007 provides framework legislation concerning animal welfare and the offences and penalties for non-compliance. However, the scope of the act refers to animals kept for economic … Read More
TOOLS OF THE TRADEThe scenes are shot from the bull’s perspective. The camera focuses on the animal, and it is very explicit: there are close-ups of blood, spasms, vomit, drool, urine and feces brought on by the pain … Read More
