Bullfighting is Glorified, Barbaric Animal Cruelty – Why Does It Still Exist?

“One bullfighter dies for every 18,000 tortured and killed bulls.”

This past Saturday, July 9th,  the death of a matador in Spain during a bullfight on live television has stirred the world, once again, over the controversial “sport” of bullfighting.   Victor Barrio, 29,  was gored in the chest by a 1,000 pound bull named Lorenzo while attempting to kill the animal during the final and third act.   The bull hit the matador’s aorta causing him to bleed to death in a matter of minutes.   The manner in which Barrio died is how bulls are killed in the ring.  The matador takes his sword and thrusts it into the bull’s body between the shoulder blades with the goal of severing the aorta.   However, if the matador is unsuccessful,  he will then thrust a sword into the neck severing the spinal cord resulting in the demise of the bull.

The first historic bullfight occurred centuries ago in 1133 in a remote corner of Medieval Spain in honor of the coronation of King Alfonso VIII.   In 1527 Pope Pius V prohibited bullfighting finding it to be brutish and barbarous but his words were ignored.   By 1726,  it is said that bullfighting was transformed and democratized.  The first matador of historical significance was finally noted.  His name was Francisco Romero and he is the one responsible for introducing the estoque, the sword, and the muleta, the small cape used in the last act of the fight.

According to Mario Carrion, a former Spanish bullfighter,  three notable matadors elevated bullfighting to great heights.  Each introduced changes that converted what once was “a primitive and cruel encounter, the Medieval hunt, into the skillful art form which is practiced today in the bullfighting arenas of Spain, France, Portugal and in the Latin America republics of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.”

A skillful art form?  How is the brutality in the form of man inserting swords, or painting burning chemicals on a bull’s legs, petroleum jelly inserted into their eyes,  broken bones or pins inserted into their genitals a skillful art form?  The men are there to destroy and murder an animal who has zero chance of survival and torturing the lone creature in a ring designed for a slow slaughter in front of a festive crowd who will cheer or jeer and decide if the matador deserves trophies for his “talents.”   If the crowd feels he has done an exceptional job at killing the bull,  the matador will be “awarded” the bull’s ear (s) and tail that are cut off in the ring.   Sometimes, the bull is still conscious when this heinous act is done.  He will proudly display his trophies and will throw them into the crowd.   Depending on the crowd cheers,  the bull’s body may be dragged around the stadium for all to see.

Bullfighting is nothing but glorified animal cruelty.   The torture doesn’t begin in the ring.   Two days prior to the fight, the bull is kept in a dark box to disorient him.   He is given laxatives to impair him.   He is given drugs to stimulate him or slow him down.   Petroleum jelly impairs his vision causing him further disorientation.   Wet cloths or newspaper are stuffed into his ears and cotton is put in his nose to impair his respiration.  Then needles are stuck into his genitals.  The purpose of this torture is to make the bull more aggressive for the fight in the ring.   When he is finally set free,  he runs towards the light not knowing he is running straight into the ring with further diabolical cruelty and his merciless death awaiting him in front of a cheering crowd.   Most of the time the matador is unsuccessful at severing the main artery between the shoulder blades.   The area he must hit is the size of a bottle cap.   The bull suffers more unrelenting pain at the hands of man as another sword is plunged into his neck which is supposed to kill him instantly.  That may not happen either.  He may become paralyzed and unable to move as he lay there dying.   The bull will be booed and beer cans thrown at him by the crowd.

For most people,  bullfighting is not a sport nor is part of their tradition or culture.   Bullfighting is about being a coward.   Taking a bull in all of its pride and transforming him into a defeated, bloody, broken and painful being by tormenting with their wicked wretchedness is nothing of which to be proud.     Mario Carrion says it is a type of dramatic ballet dance with death.   It is cruelty in its worst form thrusted upon an animal that deserves more respect than the matador and his assistants will ever achieve.

Bulls aren’t the only animals who suffer at a bullfight.   Before the matador enters the ring,  horses are brought out during the second act.   The horses used were once working horses and now live a horrible life.   Their purpose is to be used in the bullfights unaware of what is going to happen.  Their right eyes are covered so they can’t fully be aware of what is going to occur.  Their ears are stuffed with wet cloths and vocal chords slashed so they can’t make sounds when a bull starts attacking.  Countless number of horses have been injured or gored to death.   Men ride the horse to slowly exhaust the bull by cutting into his neck with picas which are thrusted into the bull’s neck muscles and twisted causing a gaping hole.   It is the beginning of the end for the bull as he bleeds profusely making him weaker.    Men are also there to place horses’  intestines back into their abdomen after being gored only to be forced to go back into the ring.   Horses are used over and over again if they make it out alive.   This is the gratitude they receive after years of hard work.    Horses tremble in fear and there is nothing they can do to stop the madness.  The insanity of this irrational blood “sport” defies explanation to most of us including most people in Spain.

Slaughtering an animal in a public venue is considered entertainment to those who participate and those who attend the tradition of bullfighting.    Bulls suffer agonizing and torturous deaths, all for the sake of a few influential people.  Tourism is also responsible for allowing this animal cruelty to continue.  Tourists mistakenly believe that they need to see a part of the country’s tradition.   Tourists have walked out after the first bull is killed.  No one is allowed to leave prior to the mutilation and death of the first bull.  There are typically three bulls killed at each bullfight.

How can animal cruelty for the sake of entertainment continue?   Perhaps the death of Victor Barrio will initiate change in this blood “sport.”  Perhaps not.  Bullfighting is huge in Spain.   Awareness campaigns by different animal organizations has caused the number of people who visit a bullfight to decrease.   Hopefully with more pressure from these groups and the public understanding the sheer brutality of bullfighting,  it can become a thing of the past.  It can’t happen soon enough.

While I won’t celebrate the death of the matador who was gored to death,  I do feel it’s time to outlaw a “sport” that is deadly to both animals and humans.   Lorenzo finally had the ability to beat the matador at his own game.   When you play with fire, you will get burned.   The bulls have had enough.  Let this be a wake-up call to all who celebrate this form of animal cruelty.

Despite Lorenzo “winning” the bullfight, his life was not spared.  His mother’s life is also in question    When a bull wins, the lineage must stop and the mother must be destroyed.   Reports say she has already been slaughtered.

Even when a bull wins, he loses.   Raquel Sanz, wife of Barrio, is quoted as saying,  “Life is unfair,”  “My life has gone, I have no strength.”   That pretty much sums up what is done to the bulls, Madame.   RIP Lorenzo.

Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and animal advocate.   She hosts the show,  ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.”      Have a story, please email Tina at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.  Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows you may have missed!