It is a bloody spectacle in which a bullfighter faces, almost always to death, a wild bull inside an arena. The national fiesta in Spain has its origins in bullfights that took place as early as the 3rd century BC. By the end of the 18th century – when it took on its current format – entertainment had definitely fallen into popular taste.
Today, the more than 550 Spanish arenas employ around 200,000 people, moving more than 4.4 billion reais a year. In addition to Spain, bullfights are played in countries such as Mexico, Peru and Colombia. In most nations, however, they are prohibited because of the cruelty to which animals are subjected.
In Brazil, festivals such as Vaquejada and Farra do Boi – now banned – also harm the animals. For animal protection entities, the “spectacle” is nothing more than mere carnage: they estimate that, per year, no less than 250,000 bulls are sacrificed in the world to the applause of an audience. 🙁
UNEQUAL FIGHT
The bullfighter and his assistants form a group to kill the bull
In the 1st third of the show (tercio de varas), the wild bull, aged between 4 and 6 years old, and weighing over 460 kg, is released into the arena – a ferocious breed, it is trained to the letter for fighting. The bullfighter, or matador, makes movements with the capote – red cape with yellow lining – to entice the beast. As she only sees black and white, what spurs her on are the swirls on the cover.
The bull is led to one of the two picadores, horsemen with spears that wound the animal to undermine its strength. The T-shaped tip of the spear limits the depth of the stings. The horses are blindfolded – so as not to be frightened by the bull – and covered with a thick canvas to protect them from being gored.
After the bull has been weakened with at least two thrusts, the third of banderillas begins. That’s when the banderilleros enter the scene, driving three pairs of colored stakes, with harpoon points, into the animal’s neck. The goal is to make the beast even more furious for the outcome of the battle.
In the final part (tercio de muerte), the matador uses a small cape, held in one hand, to carry out the feat, dodging the animal very closely and dangerously – goring in the groin, armpits, neck and chest are not rare, and can be fatal. At this time, when the bullfighter shows off his skill, the crowd shouts “olé!”
The matador receives a steel sword measuring almost 1 m to settle the bill. With the cape close to the ground, he places the animal in the ideal position for the attack: head down and front paws together. With that, he highlights the area just above the neck, where the fatal blow will be delivered – if the lunge hits the aorta (which does not always happen), death is instantaneous.
The whole fight lasts an average of 20 minutes. If the bullfighter’s performance is exceptional, he receives the maximum prize – the two ears and the tail of the beast, cut off on the spot –, in addition to leaving the arena on the shoulders of the crowd. As for the bull, its carcass is dragged out of the arena and its meat sold to local butchers.