All About Bullfighting

Bullfighting has existed for 4,000 years .A form of this sport existed in ancient Crete .It was a popular spectacle in ancient Rome, but developed most in the Liberian Peninsula.

Today the bullfight is more or less the same as it was in 1726when the final details were introduced by Francisco Romero in Spain.

Every bullfight consists of a contest between six bulls and three matadors. The matadors, who kill the bulls are the stars and can be paid as much as $25000 per fight .

Their distinctive costumes alone can cost several thousand dollars.

When the bull first comes into the arena, the matador does a series of passes with a large cape .Bulls frequently weigh more than 500 kilos so the danger is real. The second part of the spectacle consists of a picador of a horse sticking a lance into the bull’s back.

Following the banderilleros, working on foot, place banderillas (brightly adorned, barbed sticks) into the bull’s shoulders to lower its head for the eventual kill.

At this stage, the bull is weaker and slower and the last phase of the fight begins. The matador uses a smaller cape to carry out a series of passes with the bull .This is the most dangerous part of the fight and most injuries occur here. Finally, the matador uses his sword to kill the bull by sticking the sword between the bull’s shoulders.

Bullfighting is big business and is popular in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Portugal.

However there is a lot of opposition to bull fighting from people who believe is cruel and cause unnecessary suffering for the bulls.