Madrid - my first bullfight

I was amazed to see 1) how big the stadium was, and 2) that every seat was filled. I later learned that the royal family were in attendance that night. Probably why it was packed.

So I read up about bullfights before I went - the bull has never seen an unmounted man, there are guys called picadores and banderilleros, each of whom come out and weaken the bull before the matador has his way. First they have horses that the bull rams (don´t worry, the horses are padded, but blindfolded which i thought was unfair). The guy on the horse then pokes a spear in the back of the bull.

Then the second round of guys come out, the banderilleros. These ones are responsible for stabbing the bull in the back-shoulder area with 6 barbed spears, stabbing 2 at a time.

Then the matador finally comes out and starts ´controlling´the bull with the red cape. Bulls actually only see black and white, the red is for tradition.

After awhile, the bull gets tired. Thats when the matador stabs him with a sword over the top of his horns, supposedly through the aorta. What I found is that most of the time he misses and the bull is still alive. Thats when the assistants come out and do more capework to make the bull dizzy. When he finally sits down, another assistant comes out and stabs the bull in the head. Then he dies.



It all quite cruel, gruesome and horrible, but there definitely is a certain skill and artistry to the bullfight. The way the matador works the bull with the cape, and the way the banderilleros have to jump up to stab the bull as it charges them, and then get out of the way in time..... its cruel and horrible, but fascinating at the same time.

No way in hell you could pay me enough money to get out there in a ring with a huge angry bull though. No. Way.