Bullfighting is a traditional Spanish fiesta. It is considered an art which is linked with the country’s history, art and culture. There have been pressures to ban bullfighting but the King of Spain is quoted as saying that the day the EU bans bull fighting is the day Spain leaves EU, so strong is their feeling about bullfighting.

Though the origin of bullfighting was in ancient Rome, the sport was developed by the Moors from North Africa who were in charge of Andalusia in AD 711. It became a ritualistic occasion taking place on feast days when the conquering Moors confronted and killed bulls mounted on trained horses. Today bullfighting is big business and tourist attraction where the top matadors earn salaries for bullfighting which are comparable to the nation’s top soccer stars and rock idols.

In east Madrid, La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas built in 1929 has the biggest bullring in the world with a capacity of 25,000 people. The first bullfight was held here in 1931. Tourists to Spain have always made it a must-see on their list and they are not disappointed. There are bullfights held here on every Sunday from March to October and on festival days. Bullfights are also held in many other parts of Spain, like in Seville.

As the sport of bullfighting developed, men on foot helped the men on horses by their exquisite and intricate capework. Six bulls killed by three matadors are the usual requirements for one afternoon’s corrida and each encounter takes place for fifteen minutes. Generally at 5 p.m the three matadors and their assistants, the banderilleros and the picadors march into the ring to the accompaniment of the march rhythm called the paso doble. The matadors, who are the main heroes, wear distinctive costumes made of heavily embroidered silk jackets, skin tight trousers and a montera (a bicorne hat). This set can cost several thousand pounds and a top matador has at least six such suits in a season.

When the bull comes out of the gate into the arena, the matador greets it with a series of maneuvers of the large cape. The nearer he is to the horns of the bull the louder is the applause from the audience. The applause also depends on his gracefulness in swinging the cape, and his tranquility in the face of such danger. The infuriated bull can be all of 460 kgs (1000 lbs). The bull charges at the cape and the matador has to be nimble enough and quick with his reflexes to move aside while still waving the cape.

These bulls are not starved or tortured to make them savage. It is their natural instinct and special breeding for bullfighting which makes them charge furiously. They are generally between three and four years old and quite different from the normal bulls. Picadors carrying lances and mounted on horses and banderillos working on foot take the bullfight ahead. They place the banderillas which are brightly adorned barbed sticks in the bull’s shoulders making the bull lower its head for the fight. It charges realizing that the person behind the cape is its enemy and most gorings take place at this time. Meanwhile the trumpets and the bands do their work accompanied by the cheering and the claps from the audience.

Most matadors come from bullfighting families and learn the art from childhood. There is a lot of personal danger but they know the art of gracefully fighting, it almost looks like ballet passes. There is a tussle between man and animal keenly watched by the crowd. The final kill is when the blade of the sword goes between the shoulder blades of the bull aimed at the aorta region. This requires a lot of skill, discipline, training and courage as the kill is done by the matador as he hurtles over the horns.
The best bullfights are in the months of May and June when San Isidro, the word’s most famous bullfighting festival takes place and the fights are there every day for three weeks. Several bullfighters have died during bullfighting. Manuel Rodriques Sanchez, affectionately called Manolete is the most famous. He was an expert who participated in hundreds of bullfight but died in the ring on August 28, 1947 and the Museum of Bullfighting in Cordoba is dedicated to him. There were 10,500 people who had come to watch him that day and the whole of Spain was shell shocked when he died.