Madrid Bull Fight - May 2011
After a day trip to Segovia, we watched a bull fight back in Madrid. Bull fights are quite bloody. The bulls are weakened first by a man on horseback wielding a lance. If you look closely at some of the photos, you'll see that the horse is blindfolded so it can't see the bull coming at it. The horse is also armored along with the legs of the rider. The stirrup is also armored so it looks kind of like a tin can. Then pairs of short sticks are stuck into the bull's back by men on foot. Finally, the matador uses a small cape to evade the bull's final charges before letting the bull impale itself on his sword. If the bull is still alive, someone else sticks a dagger into the back of the bull. Once the bull is dead, it is dragged out of the stadium by horses or mules while someone cracks a whip in the air. Six bulls were killed during the performance. I think each matador killed two bulls.
We had surprisingly good seats since we bought the mid-level tickets. I was able to get some pretty decent shots with a relatively short zoom lens. A seat cushion is recommended. The stone benches are very hard.
It's a pretty bloody spectacle, but the matadors can be very graceful. It's no surprise that the Paso Doble dance is modeled after a bullfight.
More photos from Spain:
Gaudi's Sagrada Familia
Barcelona.
Segovia.
The rest of our Madrid photos.
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