“A culturally important tradition and a fully developed art form on par with painting, dancing, and music”
-Guidebook description of bullfighting
“Blood sport
/ˈbləd ˌspôrt/
noun
noun: bloodsport
a sport involving the shedding of blood, especially the hunting or killing of animals."
I have a story to tell. This is not my first time in Madrid.
Over 40 years ago, I was here with my family. My father worked in Iran before the revolution and I spent my Sophomore year in high school in Tehran. The girl I took to Prom was from Israel. I felt so exotic.
I remember when I learned we were going to move there. I had to get out the World Book encyclopedia, everyone had a set in those days, and look up where Iran was in the world. No one had any idea then.
When his job ended we took a long trip to get back home and traveled some in Europe.
I remember a few things from that trip. I remember my father being impatient outside the Vatican about all the sites he wanted to see and told us, “Let’s just run in and see the Sistine Chapel and run out”. If you have never been there , the Vatican Museum is one of the largest in the world and you really can’t just run in and out. But, we tried.
I remember that Summer seeing Star Wars for the first time.
And, I remember going to a bullfight here in Madrid. The images were very vivid at that time and stayed with me. I wasn’t particularly sensitive about animal rights. I was too young and ignorant to have any real position about such things. I just remember the spectacle.
So one of the highlights of our long walk today was a visit to a ‘Bullfighting bar”. It was a fascinating temple to the art of Bullfighting filled with the heads of slain bulls and memorabilia about the sport. I had a beer and some great Tapas and I remembered that time from so long ago.
It is not bull fighting season here, but if it was, I do not think I would go. Despite it’s long and rich tradition here, it is not something I think I would enjoy. At least not the Spanish version.
Despite the years, I still remember so much about the scene. If you have never been to a fight , I will describe what happens.
*Please note - the pictures and the descriptions can be graphic so stop reading now if it may disturb you.
This is not a sport for the faint of heart. However you may feel about the tradition, it takes real courage and skill to step into a ring with a 1200 pound animal that would give no thought at all to ending you. When done well, it can be a dazzling display of man against beast. Only one will win. There is real tension with every fight. Over the past 300 years, 555 professional bullfighters have been killed in the ring. Millions of bulls have died.
The proceedings open with a parade where matadors enter the ring with their support crews, the bandeleros, and salute the president.
There are usually 3 to 6 matches. Each bull is progressively larger and more fearsome. I still remember the last one I saw seemed as large as a rhinoceros.
Then comes ‘The Capote’ - The bull enters through the gate where the matador and his team test the bull’s reactions and condition. They try to get a sense of what the animal is going to do. The cape confuses the animal and it eventually gets tired of charging.
The next phase of the fight is “The Banderillas”. These men are part of the Matador’s team. They approach the bull and attempt to place small spears or lances with hooks into the shoulder muscles of the bull.. An armored horse with a large lance is sometimes used as well. It is perhaps the most dangerous part of the fight. This action is designed to cause bleeding, weaken the bull, and get it ready for the final step.
The Kill - The Estocada
Once the bull is sufficiently weakened he will tend to not charge as much. The Matador will then attempt to place a long sword in one thrust between the bull’s shoulder blades severing the aorta and the spinal column. If done well, the Bull usually dies moments later.
It is dragged out of the ring by mules while the Matador accepts the applause of the crowd. The animal is taken to a slaughterhouse for processing.
However, if the Bull takes too long to die, then a special set of daggers are ceremoniously brought out to the matador, who proceeds to stab the bull in the head until he dies. I saw this at the fight I attended long ago.
Great matadors here can live the life of a Rock star. However, most do not enjoy this status.
Every year, approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights around the world.
Is it right? Is it an important cultural event? Is it a blood sport? I am not sure. It is a spectacle to be sure, but a bloody one where an animal is slowly killed to the cheering of crowds. Even back when I saw it, I thought it was disturbing.
I can say, it is not something I would enjoy seeing again. It seems a throwback to a darker age. Once was more than enough.
I have a confession to make. I do remember one more thing from that trip to Europe so long ago. Like most teenage children I was struggling with trying to be hip and ‘grown up’. So, in order to achieve that goal I had a favorite T shirt I would wear that just said, “cool” to me. I wore it through all the great places we were seeing while traveling home.
It was turquoise and fit by rugged 120 pound skinny body tightly.
Across the chest was emblazoned “Artificial Intelligence”.
My parents must have been so proud.
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