Bull Fighting

Or

Bulls Dying

You may like it or despise it but bullfighting exists, especially in Spain; there it’s a significant part of Spanish history and culture. The practice of bullfighting is seen by some as cruel as well as a poor form of entertainment; after all, the outcome is assured from the onset; the procedure its self is nothing short of being barbaric. In short, such cruelty and suffering piled upon the bull is unacceptable to many people, and personally I am willing to stand at the front of the line in support of that position.

In Spain the bullfight is officially called the Fiesta Nacional (The national Sport). There are very few places in Spain where a bull-ring can not be found, although it may require a short drive; in fact it’s the most common thing associated with Spain, you might even say that bullfighting is synonymous with the country of Spain.

In all fairness, there are more countries than Spain which hold this activity in high regard.  These include but are not necessarily limited to, Portugal, the southern portion of France and several Latin American countries (Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador), in which one or more bulls are showcased in a bullring for sport and entertainment.

You may find it interesting to know that bullfighting was originally done on horseback and was a sport reserved for the aristocracy or only the upper classes.  It wasn’t until around 1724 that the “sport” was transformed from man on horseback to man on foot. Many historians believe that bullfighting is linked directly to Rome, where many human-versus-animal events were held in the legendary arena. There are theories that it was introduced into the Roman held Iberian Peninsula (which included present day Portugal and Spain) by the Emperor Claudius (reigned from 41 AD to 54 AD), as a substitute for gladiators, when he instituted a short-lived ban on gladiatorial combat in the Arena. Other historians say it didn’t start in full force and effect in until 711 AD, clearly long after Claudius.

When speaking of the bullfight its self, there’s one thing certain, and that is at the end of the “show”, the bull will die, yes, the term show is appropriate. The bullfighter, you see, has to demonstrate his skills to the audience in a dramatic and enthusiastic way. If he performs well, and gets a favorable round of applause, during and at the end of the event, he could be bestowed with the ultimate honor of being presented with one of the bull's ears or perhaps even its tail. If he’s been especially good he may be carried around the arena by the happy spectators, which concludes the show.

Bullfighting is often called a blood sport by its detractors (those opposed); but supporters of the spectacle think of it as a fine art and not a sport at all, because, technically they say, there are no elements of competition in the proceedings. In fact, proponents often argue that it is a culturally important tradition and a fully developed art form on an equal standing with painting, dancing or music.

The only thing Spanish-style bullfighting is good for in my view is the ultimate fatality / death for the bull but it can also be dangerous for the matador. Matadors / Bullfighters are sometimes gored or even killed during the show, but this is not common. 

Even more rarely, if a large majority of the spectators or the matador himself believes that the bull has fought with exceeding bravery, they may petition the president of the event to grant the bull a pardon of a sort. If this is granted, the bull's life is spared and he is allowed to depart the ring alive and return to the ranch where it came from; there his only purpose in life is to chase cows that he may find standing out in the fields.

Sources ...

http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Bullfighting.htm                                   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting

Post Script:   Some how I managed to exclude one of the the most important thing of all, why does the crowd repeatedly yell “ole!” at a bull fight?  Technically it is a Spanish term that means “bravo” in English; it’s meant to show or display appreciation by the onlookers.