A bad day in the office for this banderillero at the Nimes bullfights
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The arena at Nimes
Last Saturday just passed I was at the Feria de Nimes in southern France and spent a few hours inside the Roman arena at the centre of town watching la Corrida – the bullfights. I’ll post a few more thoughts and photos from the day here soon but here want to show a few photos of what happens when a banderillero gets it very wrong.
In the second of the three parts of a the traditional Spanish bullfight – known as the tercio de banderillas (“the third of banderillas”), three banderilleros each attempt to stab two banderillas – sharply barbed sticks – into the bull’s shoulders.
This is one of the most dangerous – and spectacular – parts of the bullfight, and one where the bull definitely has opportunities to exact some measure of revenge upon the banderilleros.
Stabbing the banderilloas
The bandillero successfully drives the barbed banderillas home into the bull’s shoulders.
Bandillero in trouble
But did not move far enough away from the bull’s horns and is tossed like a cheap salad.
Not the best view of the bull for a bandillero
Then trampled under the bull’s hooves. But survives to take part in the parade at the end of the fight – if not a little bruised, bloodied and battered.
After the fight - Matadore de toros and the three banderillos
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How did the bull finish up Bob?
SBH – El toro estaba muerto …
que pena, or perhaps quelle tristesse
Kill Your Darlings did a good piece on bullfighting in their last issue: I think the author posted the full version of her story here. Either way if you google KYD and bullfighting, it will pop up somewhere.
http://www.vanessa-murray.com/abode/getProduct.do/_productId__119842/_siteId__756/method__getProduct/_categoryId__756
P.S. great photos!
What is this article doing in a civilized forum? and you should get a life Siobhan ‘great photos’ of what?!?! a beautiful animal setup to endure absolute torture – says a lot about yourslef and the Spanish race eh?
This is primitive rubbish. Oddly, I always thought that there was a bit more to BG than titillation with photos overdressed ponces torturing animals. Or does BG see himself as some sort of latter-day Hemingway?
Anyway, I’ll look forward to BG’s forthcoming photo essay on Indonesian backyard slaughterhouses. It will no doubt be as good as this.
They are indeed great photos – if disturbing. It’s probably photos and reports like this that led to the banning of fatal bull fighting in the first place. Perhaps you should wait to read the author’s thoughts before attacking the messenger.
Why was my comment wiped?
“”Hopefully you will like what you read and make your own views known. “” But not if they run counter to yours? Or do you think you are the first person to go to a bullfight?
Venise – your comments are over at the following post – see here: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2012/06/03/bullfights-at-nimes-blood-death-and-glory-in-the-arena/
Apologies for the confusion of posting two similar posts in succession – though they are very different in a number of respects.
I wonder if the people who see art in bullfighting might also see the art in water boarding? Dress the inquisitors in the same sort of togs as a banderillero, or torero and hold the event in a boxing ring and charge the equivalent rates.
As with bullfighting, a sack of cement dropped onto the kidneys can do wonders for the slowing down of the victim’s reflexes. And, in the case of a bull, it adds to the fun to shave the point of one horn thus wrecking the animal’s ability to line up its sights.
If you, Bob Gosford, solemnly believe the above scenario doesn’t happen you are mad. There was a time in Spain when every tarde de toros was fixed. Years of turmoil led to the cleaning up of the system, but every now and then something gets through.
BTW, your photos lack a philosophy. Are you gob smacked by the ritual, do you deplore the cruelty, do you think the matador with one eye is terrific, stupid, too old, too young, etc? In effect, what is your real moral point?
Hell, now I owe you an apology. I apologise. As you can see, I am not an aficionado of bullfighting.
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