I was very excited to see a real Corida de Toro = Bull Fighting Game YAAAY!I imagine bull fighting as something fun to keep the bulls fit and let them run in circles through the red blanket, but after seeing a real bull fighting game, I am SAD and confused!!!! On one side the Corida is very beautiful and traditional game and the local people are really participating in the game, shouting, clapping, singing, agreeing or disagreeing and what should happen with the bull trophies after it died. On the other side it is very sad and cruel to see the bull being killed.
To understand more of this important Spanish tradition I interviewed a professional Torero about the fighter, the clothes, the bull and the game in general.
Interview with: Francisco, Javier Sanchez named El Nino de Antequera!
(Interview translated by Google translate, my mother, Loes's brains and by my Spanish dictionary.)
Francisco Javier is a 36 year old professional bull-fighter. He is born in Antequera, is married and is a father of a 13 year old son. Fransciso started bull fighting when he was 9 years old, went to a special school in Malaga for 2 years to learn to be a bull-fighter and has been a professional bull fighter now for 11 years. He loves bull fighting because it's a passion, game and a tradition in his family. His father and grand father were all bull fighters and his son is also trying to learn the 'trade'. Although there are not as many events anymore in the country, he still has about 2 Fights per month. Each fight he earns 1000 Euro, but the insurance cost is very high he says. If you are not good at it or your condition is not good and you react too slow you can be injured or killed by the bull. El Nino had already more than 15 accidents, but still likes it and continues to fight. He said he is still very nervous before he has to enter the arena!
Before the game he makes sure he is very fit and stops eating 1 day before the game. Before and during the game it is very important to concentrate and to make sure your costume fits perfectly. The bull's horns come very close to your body and if the trousers or the jacket are loose fitted, the horn will get stuck in it. The whole idea is to fight against a very angry bull and to try to be the boss over the bull. When the Torero (fighter) won over the bull, he needs to show the audience that he can walk away from the Toro with his back turned towards the bull. The final strike is that the Torero stands in front of the bull's head and the bull is 'afraid' or does not protest any more. Then the Torero end the flight by giving the bull the final strike.Of course I also wanted to know what he thinks of killing the bull!!????????? He said that first of all it is a tradition in Spain and second the bulls have no real function, since they do not give milk and their meat is very tough. They live in the countryside and run around the farms for some years. After having had a great life in stead of getting an injection to go to the butcher they can fight before they die. Many cows and chickens are living their whole life in a cage and die if they do not give enough milk or eggs. SO, the only thing is that many people these days are no longer used to see the killing of animals. It is all done in the factories and no-one sees it.
I wished him 'Suerte' Luck for all his games. Gracias Francisco!!
Saturday 20th October the Plaza de Toro was THE place to be!!!It's time to see a real Spanish tradition.
While we were settling in the 2nd row the Plaza de Toro i Antequera was filling up. It started at exactly 18:00 hrs. The big orchestra started the music and the bull fighters came in. The star of the evening was not El Nino de Antequera, but Manuel Escribano.
He was going to fight against 6 bulls, but one by one. So we saw the fighting 6 times and understood the way the Torero has to fight the Toro.
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| Manuel Escribano on the poster all over Antequera |
First he waits for the bull to enter the arena all angry and full of energy. The fighter uses the pink and yellow Capota to make the bull tired and frustrated. Then the horses come in. They are all very well protected and cannot see the bull, because they are blindfolded. The man on the horse sticks a lance in the bulls back so it become very slow due to the injury. Then the horses leave and the bullfighter takes over again. He needs to get close to the bull and sticks 2 knives on wooden sticks in his back. 3 times he needs to do this so the bull gets slower every time. Then he takes the red Rojo cloth with the karoche(sword) and he tries to stick the sword in the bull's back. This will injure the bull so much that he starts dying and the bullfighter will show that he is the Boss of the bull by standing in front of the injured bull. He then kills the bull instantly by hitting him between the horns. When the bull is dead (this all happens in 1/2 hour) the public starts shouting and waving a white handkerchief. They all looked at the President of the Plaza who was sitting somewhere high on a chair and he had to decide what trophy the bullfighter was going to get. |
| Manuel the Torero later in the cafe! |
One handkerchief was 1 ear, 2 handkerchiefs were 2 ears and apparently also the tail is sometimes used for trophy, but not during this evening.
The first 2 times the bull was hurt and died I was very sad and wanted to leave.
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| The final strike at the end. People shouting .....Matalo!! |
When the fights were over the Torero went past the audience and all the ladies threw their handbags and scarves and jerseys to Manuel and he would kiss it (as if it would be blessed) and throw it back at us. I of course had to throw my jersey and have a 'blessed' jersey.
The Fiesta afterwards happened to be next door to our apartment where we went to have a drink and meet our friends. It was a nice party and a little later also Manuel the Torero came in. He happened to be the fiance of the sister of the aunt of the neighbor or the cousin of the grandma of the grandchild. With other words........everyone knew Manuel in some way or the other...it is really a fantastic village Antequera.Besos, Louisa
