Bullfighting
Bullfighting, is considered the national Spanish sport. Fighting bulls, was common in ancient Thessaly - Greece and Rome. It was possible the Moors of Africa, who introduced bull fighting into Andalusia in Spain. It is thought that the first Spaniard to kill a bull in an arena was Don Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, in about 1040. Spain, is full of bull-fighting arenas, some 225. They range from seating about 2, 000 spectators to 12,000.
The bulls aren't the only animals to be harmed in this, what some call 'sport'. About 6,000 horses are killed every year in Spain, which are usually blind folded at the time and end up disemboweled by the horns of a ragging bull, in attemp to, obviously stop the pain of being jabbed, the bulls charge the horses. Prior to this, the bull has been jabbed with an iron pin, with streamers, representing the colors of his breeder. This ofcourse would irritate any animal. So once the bulls are allowed into the 'ring', they attack the mounted horses.
As this is happening, the person, called the 'picador', riding the horse, tries to jab a lance into the oncoming bull's body, this 'instrument' is called a 'garrocha' and is thrust into the bull's back. Blood flying everywhere, horses being ripped to shreds, and a angry injured bull tries to defend itself. This to me does not seem to be an honorable activity to be deemed a 'sport'.
During the bull-fight, trumpets are sounded in intervals, dead horses are dragged away, and more pain is administered to the injured bull. These are like phases or stages of abuse. First the bull is jabbed with a 'garrocha', then 4 pairs of 18 inch barbed darts, called 'banderillas' are jabbed into the bull's neck, then finally, the bull is killed by a person called the 'espada'. This person dedicates the inevitable killing to the president or some other person or rank, with gestures that include, tossing his hat. The bull is then stabbed by the sword, delivered through the back of the neck close to the head and downward into the heart. Along with the sword, a dagger can be used to pierce te spinal marrow of the bull. Once the bull is dead, it is dragged out of the arena, and the killer, the 'espada' rides around proudly. Then the ritual repeats itself, with a new bull.
Other countries like France and Italy have introduced bull-fighting, but the cruelty of it, has
made it difficult to become as popular as it is in Spain. Some countries, as in Portugal, the bulls are never killed, but still suffer.
The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies opposes Portuguese or bloodless' bullfighting as it "....encourages disrespect for animals and may be detrimental to their physical and psychological well-being. Although the animals are not killed in the bullfight, they are dealt indignity and disrespect, tormented and harassed to exhaustion."
Anti-Bullfighting Links
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