My experience with Bullfighting in Seville Spain

KudoSurf Me!

I’ve just returned from Seville Spain and was lucky enough to attend a Bullfight. Bullfighting or Corrida de Toros is something of a religion in Seville as the local residents are widely considered to be the most passionate supporters in the world. I attended this controversial event at the historic Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza which was constructed in the late 17^th century and is considered to be one of the finest Bullfighting venues in Spain. The stadium dates back to 1762 but was not officially completed until 1881 after a succession of architects oversaw its construction. The venue seats over 14,000 fans and produces great acoustics that allow everything to be heard throughout the stadium no matter the seat.

For those who aren’t familiar with Corrida de Toros or Bullfighting; Its considered on of the oldest festivals in the world and at one point was the most popular event throughout all of Spain. The bullfight consists of a matador dueling with a live bull and ultimately leads to the death or defeat of one of the opponents.

Six bulls are generally part of the show with three matadors for the event, each with the task of killing two bulls. At the beginning all participants are introduced and in a bit of ceremony the keys are presented to open the bull's pen. Once the pen is opened the fighting portion of the event officially begins. The fighting is essentially divided into two parts; the first tercio involves the matador using the purple and yellow cape. A portion of this first part is dedicated to the picaderos, two men on horseback who use a spear or lance which they use to weaken the bull. I didn’t particular enjoy the men on horseback as the horses were blindfolded and were attack brutally by the bulls.

The second part of the fighting portion is called the suerte de banderillas in which the banderilleros have the challenge of sticking flags in the bulls back as he is charging them. There are three banderilleros, each required to stick two flags into the bull. As far as my experiences allowed, I gathered that the banderilleros worked in teams with only one matador, essentially making a team of four consisting of one matador and three banderilleros.

The final phase is the known as the suerte suprema, in which the matador makes use of what we are accustomed to seeing - a red cape, or muleta. After showing off his skills, passion and dominance of the bull he must face the bull down and kill it with his sword as it charges towards him. A quick kill is a sign of true skill while several attempts means the matador loses the praise of the crowd.

I had the pleasure and horror of witnessing both a skilled and less than stellar matador.  First, the matador who was skilled worked flawlessly throughout the event. He tired the bull by systematically enticing the bull to charge his cape. The matador had the essence of a ballerina and easily could have passed as a Circa du Soleil performer. The bull literally grazed the matador many times as the blood from the bull would suddenly appear on the matadors outfit after avoiding the bulls charge. When the matador knew the bull was weak he lured it into a standing trance and pull an 80cm sword out from behind his cape. The bull and matador then simultaneously charged one another and the matador leaped into the air and drove the sword behind the bulls neck while narrowly escaping the horns.

The bull stammered as the matador advanced forward and gestured for it to fall. The bull obeyed and the matador retrieved his sword and bowed to a standing ovation from the crowd.  I was thoroughly impressed and felt like I was watching a dance of death between beast and man. It was amazing.

Every ying has its yang and there was a less than impressive matador as well. This matador was effective in luring the bull into charges which led to it being weakened by fatigue. However, this bullfighter failed to finish the animal off.  The crowd was reduced to watching a brutal stabbing that was eerily similar to the horror movie "Psycho".  

It was apparent that the bull was in incredible pain and everyone in the stands wanted the matador to end the bull’s misery. The brutal stabbing continued for ten minutes until finally the matador gave up, as she was unable to finish the bull off. The bull was dripping blood from over 30 stab wounds when the matador’s teammates, banderilleros, came out to assist by driving a short dagger into the bulls brain. Yes!  The 1200 pound bull was spewing blood and was visibly weak enough that a single man walked up with a dagger no longer than 8 inches and stabbed the bull in the head. The bull lowered its head never flinching as if begging to be put out of its misery.

Bullfighting is controversial is not surprisgly banned in many cities around Spain. The cause for controversy has derived matadors being unable to finish the bulls off. Animal rights groups have and continue to protest all over Spain and there campaign seems to have worked as large portions of the younger population of Spain don’t support bullfighting. In fact, southern Spain or the Andalucía region seems to be the last safe haven in the world. My experience at the event was mixed, as it was simultaneously spectacular and horrific. The emotions and anticipation of the event were similar to sporting events in the US. There was an artistic element to the matadors performance that stood out more so than the pure courage it took to face the half-ton animal. I can see the appeal in the event and also understand the controversy it brings. Overall, the experience was great and something I will remember for the rest of my life. To see the video click this hyperlink or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vilpPKUNpQ.